Discrete picking describes a traditional approach in warehouse logistics, where an employee collects the items for each order separately. Using a packing slip that contains the storage locations of the items, the employee moves through the warehouse to pick the required items. At the packing station, an optional quality or serial number scan can be performed to verify the items and ensure error-free delivery.
When you receive an order through your shop system, a marketplace, manually, or via imports from third-party systems, it is seamlessly integrated into the shipping process. You can transfer orders to logistics individually or in batches, automatically, and based on predefined rules. Then, for each order, you go through the warehouse separately with the packing slip. The packing slip shows you the printed storage locations so that you can efficiently pick the items for the respective order. At the packing station, you have the option to perform a quality or serial number scan to verify the items. Alternatively, you can proceed directly from scanning the packing slip or an item to generating the shipping label and preparing the shipment for handover to carriers such as DHL, UPS, or for Click&Collect pickup.
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Discrete Picking (with packing slip and printed storage location, optional: packing station scan): This method allows you to collect items for each order separately. You process one order at a time and move through the warehouse for each packing slip individually. The goal is to maximize accuracy by focusing on one order and minimizing errors or mix-ups.
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Order-Specific Picking: Each order is handled separately, meaning you focus on one order at a time. This helps minimize mix-ups and increases accuracy.
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Packing Slip Utilization: The packing slip shows you the storage locations of the required items, allowing you to navigate the warehouse efficiently. Ensure all storage locations are correctly logged to speed up the process.
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Employee Knowledge of Warehouse: Discrete picking is particularly efficient when employees are familiar with the warehouse structure and inventory. This reduces search time and improves efficiency.
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Quality and Serial Number Scans: You can optionally perform a quality or serial number scan at the packing station to ensure the correct items are selected for the order. This minimizes errors and ensures quality. Alternatively, use the option to move directly from scanning the packing slip or item to generating the shipping label, speeding up the shipping process.
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Handling Large or Bulky Items: Discrete picking is well-suited for large or bulky items that require special care and attention, such as B2B pallet shipments.
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Short Distances in the Warehouse: This method is particularly efficient in smaller warehouses with short distances, as handling one order at a time can be inefficient over longer distances in larger warehouses.
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How to Perform Discrete Picking: Print all packing slips for a picking run at the warehouse printer. Use the packing slip to identify the storage locations of the required items. Collect the items for each order sequentially and place them in a bin reserved for that order. Ensure the items are clearly separated to avoid mix-ups. At the packing station, you can optionally perform a quality or serial number scan to ensure all items are correct. Alternatively, move directly from scanning the packing slip to generating the shipping label, accelerating the shipping process.
This method is ideal for minimizing errors and ensuring precise picking, especially for orders with many, specific, or high-value items.
The shipping handover is the step where you ensure that all verified orders are handed over to logistics and have a green light, such as confirmed inventory, completed payments, correctly calculated shipping costs, and adhered credit limits.
You can hand over these orders individually or in batches, either manually with a click of a button or automatically through pre-set processes. For high order volumes, you also have the option to create pick lists on a timed schedule and automatically forward the orders to logistics.
For more information about the shipping handover and automation options, check out the article: Handover of Customer Orders to Logistics.
Once you initiate the shipping handover, the selected orders are transferred to Xentral Logistics. This means that the orders are systematically processed in the background according to the criteria you have set. Orders are sorted into batches, pick lists are generated, and they are handed over to the 'Shipping Center,' ready for logistics to start the picking process.
For the Multi-Order-Picking Process: The orders are divided into one or more picking runs and made available in the Multi-Order-Picking app, ready to be processed. The pick process can now begin.
Login, start the app, begin a picking run:
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Log in to Xentral on your mobile device (MDE view) and navigate from the homepage to the Multi-Order-Picking app.
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When you open the Multi-Order-Picking app, you will see three buttons: 'Picking run by FIFO,' 'Overview,' and 'To the shipping center.'
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'Picking run by FIFO' is the interface your packing team will use. It always shows the oldest, unprocessed run at the top. If no older runs exist, the most recently created run is displayed. This ensures that the orders waiting the longest or those first prioritized for logistics are handled first.
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'Overview' shows you all current runs. You can select a different run from the list if you need a different priority than “oldest runs first.” For instance, if you have urgent orders like express shipments that need immediate attention, you can prioritize and select that run first.
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'To the Shipping Center' shows you the Xentral Shipping Center view with all individual orders and additional actions. You can use this page if you want to check something without logging into a packing station computer, finish an order quickly on your mobile device, or view any issues.
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Click on 'Picking run by FIFO.' You will now see the oldest, unstarted picking run and its related information:
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Picking run: Displays the number of the picking run, in this example, it's number 54.
You can also view this number for verification in the desktop view of the shipping center.
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Number of items: Shows you the total number of items in this picking run, in this example, there are 6 items.
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Number of boxes: Displays the number of customer orders and how many shipping cartons will be packed at the shipping station and leave the facility.
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Click on 'Next' to start this picking run.
Assign picking boxes to delivery note numbers:
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In the next step, you will receive the first delivery note number to pair it with a picking box.
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Scan the picking box that you want to use for this delivery note. The delivery note number will be linked to the picking box.
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A physical delivery note is not necessary. The pairing is maintained until the shipping station, where you can scan the picking box and retrieve the associated customer order.
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Scan additional boxes on your cart until you receive the pick for your first item in this picking run.
Picking the first item on the pick route
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Note
Note
The central starting point is Auto Shipping (Sales > Sales order), in which the orders are collected and transferred to multi-order picking as delivery notes once they have been started.
Subsequently, the delivery notes can be found under Fulfillment > Multi Order Picking in the overview of the picking runs. Via the arrow icon you can go to the respective picking run. There the first step is the setup of the picking run. By pressing the button continue the setup is continued.
The delivery note number should be shown on the labels in the form of a barcode. It would be conceivable to stick the label directly on the shipping carton and to create an error-free assignment by entering the individual delivery note items and the corresponding entry of the delivery note number as follows. Here, the product number and the quantity of the delivery note item are posted first.
If only a partial quantity of the article has been picked, the difference can either be added to the clarification list or processed further in the form of a partial order. Subsequently, the delivery note number is counter-posted to complete the assignment. As soon as the picking run is done by counter-posting the last delivery note, xentral jumps to package mark printing.
In the Clarification cases tab, the picking runs are listed in which not the entire item quantity has been picked. Here, the person responsible can view all clarification cases and carry out corrections by clicking on the button Correction.
In the Settings tab, the use of the box number instead of the delivery note number can be activated and the box labels can be generated instead of the delivery note labels.
The following checkmarks must be set:
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Use box number: If box numbers are to be used instead of delivery note numbers, the check mark must be set
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Scan boxes: By setting the checkmark, the box labels will be generated instead of the delivery note labels
In the minidetail of the respective run, you will find the box number to be used for picking.