How Does Pick, Pack and Ship Work in a Fulfillment Center?

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How Does the Pick, Pack, and Ship Process Work in a Fulfillment Center?

4 min read
Sherpack employee packing orders

Fulfilling orders accurately and efficiently is essential for e-commerce success. However, it can be difficult to handle as your business expands. Fortunately, fulfillment centers are experts at managing this process on a large scale; they take in hundreds to thousands of orders every day! If you’re looking to streamline the pick, pack, and ship process, this guide will teach you all you need to know.

What is Pick Pack Ship?

Pick pack ship is a term used to describe the order fulfillment process that e-commerce businesses use to get products into customers’ hands. It involves selecting items from inventory, packing them securely, and shipping them to the customer. While this may sound simple, it requires careful planning and execution to ensure products get where they need to go, safely and on time. Keep reading for a closer look at this process’s three steps.

Picking

This step involves selecting the items from inventory needed to fulfill a customer order. There are various picking methods, including batch, piece, wave, and zone picking. In batch picking, pickers select multiple orders at once, while in piece picking, they select individual items for each order. Wave picking and zone picking are similar in that they divide the process, but waving does so by specific sets of orders, and zoning does so by specific areas of the warehouse.

Packing

After products are gathered from the picking list, the packing process can begin. The packer will select appropriate packing materials based on the size, weight, and fragility of the items being shipped and then carefully place them into a box. Once that’s done, a packing slip with order details is added on the inside, and a shipping label is added on the outside.

Shipping

The order fulfillment process isn’t complete until the order has been delivered to the customer’s door. Once your items have been packed, they’re brought to a shipping area where they’re sorted, loaded onto delivery trucks, and sent on their way to customers.

Warehouse systems and inventory management software are essential in guaranteeing that the right packages are delivered to the right customers quickly and efficiently. Fulfillment centers often use ship systems that allow you to track and monitor packages during transit and provide customers with real-time updates on order status.

E-Commerce Fulfillment In Grand Rapids, MI

It’s essential to have a strong pick, pack, and ship strategy. After all, it encompasses a product’s entire journey, from the moment a customer places an order to the moment it’s delivered to their doorstep.

Whether you’re facing high order volumes and having difficulty managing fulfillment yourself, or you’ve just started a new business and need help creating a plan, you can count on Sherpack for all your fulfillment needs. Conveniently located in the Midwest, our experts have the experience to ensure your orders are fulfilled with agility, accuracy, and care. Reach out to our team today to get started!