A pick list profile (also known as picking rules) is a preset set of rules and parameters within a warehouse management system or an enterprise resource planning system. Pick list profiles determine the way sales orders are to be picked in the warehouse. These profiles allow for flexible adaptation of the picking process to specific business needs, warehouse structures and customer requirements.
Pick list profiles allow you to precisely control and optimize your logistics processes by customizing picking rules and filters that are tailored to your needs. By defining pick list profiles, you can increase the speed of your sales order processing, minimize errors, and also quickly integrate new business needs.
Pick list profiles provide you with a flexible platform to automate and customize your picking operations, allowing you to define different picking strategies that are activated based on the volume, type of products or specific requirements of different sales channels such as e-commerce, B2B and offline retail.
Note
With the right application of pick list profiles, you can ensure that sales orders are completed accurately and on time, not only improving the efficiency of your logistics, but also ensuring a steady and reliable supply chain.
This means for your business that you can improve your warehouse operations, shorten the time you need to pick, and reduce costs through more accurate warehouse movements and better use of your resources, so setting up and regularly adjusting pick list profiles in Xentral is an important strategy to meet today's market demands.
Tip
Introducing pick ilst profiles - yes or no:
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An important reason for setting up a pick list profile could be if you run an e-commerce and B2B business that processes hundreds of sales orders every day during the holidays, and an automated pick list profile helps you respond quickly to peak times and ensure customer satisfaction through efficient order processing.
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One reason to stick with your previous processes could be if you run a smaller medium-sized electronic circuits company that operates primarily regionally, where a manual, closely monitored picking process can ensure that each circuit is carefully checked, ensuring high product quality that may not be achieved by automated systems.
Pick list profiles allow you to start picking runs manually or have them generated automatically. You can initiate the processing of pick lists yourself if there are special needs, or use an automatic system that processes orders at predetermined times and sorts different pick lists according to priorities and process logic.
The manual transfer of pick list profiles gives you the control to select specific sales orders specifically for processing by manually calculating individual or all pick lists.This method allows flexible adaptation to changing priorities and requirements in operational operations, whereby you select and release the sales orders that meet the defined criteria directly for further logistics processing.
Example: The following sales orders are ready for shipment with green lights in the sales order list. Since they are posted to the project B2B, they meet the criteria of the B2B pick list profile from the example and are therefore suggested for processing for this picking rule.
Steps to generate a pick list manually:
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Select a pick list profile by selecting the desired profile, e.g. B2B, from the drop-down menu.
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Optional: Select from All the simultaneous calculation of all pick list profiles.
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Start the calculation by clicking on Recalculate.
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After the calculation, the sales orders found for the selected set of rules are displayed at the bottom of the list and the number of the respective picking run is displayed in the Batch column for each sales order.
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You can manually process the picking runs by clicking the Single or All button.
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The entries are now displayed in the Queue tab, where they are waiting for an automatic logistics process to complete.
Note: You can also view all sales orders that are currently in the queue in the Order Overview > Shipment handover menu.
The process launcher processes all picking runs in the queue automatically. The required process is called Batches. You can access and set it up in the menu Administration > System > Process Launcher.
Note
Result: The orders are forwarded to the delivery note and invoice according to the settings in the B2B project in this example. The goods are posted out of the warehouse and the delivery notes with storage space are printed out via the warehouse printer. Picking of the B2B sales orders can start in the warehouse separately from B2C.
In the log of the sales orders handed over - the traffic light symbols are checked off in gray - you can see the type of execution via the pick list profile B2B, where the number 1 denotes the first stack.
Unlike the manual pick list profile, automatic processing does not require you to check which pick lists can be created; instead, the time control and criteria are automatically calculated in the background, checked and the corresponding batches are generated.
For example, if the pick list profile calculates all Prio orders at 6:00 a.m., all related sales orders are automatically transferred to the warehouse and the process configured in the profile is started, for example, all Amazon sales orders for Packing Table 1 and all Shopify sales orders for Packing Table 2 are automatically processed and, depending on the setting, either printed as a paper pick list or prepared for picking with mobile devices.
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Custom settings such as picking procedures and fully automated pick list creation allow you to control how your in-house logistics or fulfillment service provider is supplied with pick lists and sales orders around the clock.
Steps for fully automated pick list creation:
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Start by creating pick list profiles from the Settings > Warehouse & Logistics > Pick list Profiles menu. You can find an overview of the necessary steps and available settings in this chapter.
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Set times or criteria for processing in the pick list profile settings. Optionally, assign priorities as well.
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Set the Batches process from the Administration > System settings > Process Starter menu.
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In addition, create a pick list profile that is the last to process all open green jobs as a clean-up and ensure that no job remains that has not been processed by an automatic process.
Note
It is generally useful to check and optimize the processes regularly:
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Regularly check whether your process control is running smoothly
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Optimize your processes, for example if you are in seasonal business or integrate new sales channels that will influence the behavior of your automation
In the Settings > Warehouse & Logistics > Logistics > Pick list profiles menu, you set up new pick list profiles and carry out the appropriate settings.
Steps: Add a new profile
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Click on + Add Profile to create a new pick list profile. For an overview of the necessary steps and available settings, see this chapter.
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Assign a designation for the profile, e.g. B2B or 1-position.
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In the Comment field, describe the goal of the pick list profile, which will help you optimize and make changes later.
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Set the criteria for your pick list profile.
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In the Execution of pick list creation pane, set time-controlled automation settings.
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Set the profile to Active only at the very end, and it may be processed directly by an automatic process, depending on whether you have set certain criteria for automation.
Caution
An activated pick list profile with automation may be processed immediately, so leave the profile on inactive until you are finally done with the settings. For testing purposes, you can also disable pick list profiles and only enable a single profile.
Carry out the settings below to automatically create pick ists for jobs that contain only one line, in this example, jobs from the B2B project will not be affected by the automatic pick list creation.
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Maximum of 25 orders per pick list
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Maximum of 5 pick lists at a time
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Automatic execution at 07:00, 08:00 and 09:00 o’clock
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Only consider sales orders including 1 product
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Exclude project B2B
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Apply printer settings from project settings
Make the settings below to automatically create pick lists for sales orders from the B2B project at 11:00 a.m. each day and hand these sales orders over to a dedicated picking run.
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Maximum 10 B2B sales orders in a run
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Run automatically at 11:00
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Select B2B project
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Apply printer settings from the B2B project
The following settings are available in the Settings > Warehouse & Logistics > Logistics > Pick list profiles menu:
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Pick list: Name and activate the profile. Describe the application and goals for specific logistic channels.
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Properties pick list: Set the number of sales orders and products per pick list and determine whether the pick list should be created manually or automatically.
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Sales Order Selection: Filter sales orders for the pick list based on criteria such as number of sales order positions, weight, volume, priority, and specific product restrictions.
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Restriction per product: Define limits for the weight, volume and quantity of products that can be added to the pick list.
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Sales Order Filter: Set a specific selection of sales orders for the pick list based on detailed criteria ranging from projects to item features to shipping details.
Enter the following information in this section:
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Designation |
Designation of the pick list profile in Xentral. |
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Active |
Once you activate this option, the rules set will be applied and the process will be executed. |
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Comment |
Describe the objectives of the pick list profile, its specific use and the controlled logistics processes. Specify which channel (e.g. e-commerce, B2B, offline retail) will be optimized in which way, for example for fast e-commerce sales orders during Black Friday. Example of a comment: Process all single line sales orders except in the B2B project.
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In the Properties pick list setting pane, you define the rules for the pick list according to the following properties:
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Orders |
Set the minimum and maximum number of sales orders to include on a pick list. Enter 0 or leave the field blank for an unlimited number of sales orders, and additional pick lists will be automatically generated if the maximum number of sales orders is exceeded. |
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Max. number of pick lists |
Set the maximum number of pick lists created simultaneously (i.e. in the same run). This function allows you to control how many pick lists and thus picking runs and sales orders contained in them you manually hand over to your logistics for B2B projects. |
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Piece |
Define the minimum and maximum number of products within a pick list. 0 or an empty one means that the product number is not limited. If more than the maximum number of products is ready for shipment in sales orders, multiple pick lists are created accordingly. |
In the Execution of pick list creation setting pane, you control various rules for automatic execution and the sales orders of the process batches.
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Automat. execution |
Enable automatic process control for creating pick lists and handing over sales orders to logistics. |
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Time |
The time or times you enter determine when your pick lists are automatically created and the sales orders are handed over to logistics. Use this setting to control the intervals for process automation. |
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Sequence |
The sequence set here determines the priority of execution when multiple processes or pick lists are started at the same time, making sure the order reflects the desired priority of your processes. |
In the Selection Orders settings area, you set the criteria for adopting products into pick lists.
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Positions |
This setting limits the sales orders on the pick list to those whose number of positions is within the specified values, enter 0 or leave the field blank to allow unlimited numbers of positions. |
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Weight |
For the pick list, select only sales orders whose total weight of all products is within the specified limits. Enter 0 or leave the field blank to not set a weight limit. Products without a entered weight are not considered by this setting. |
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Volume |
The pick list only considers sales orders whose total volume of all products is within the specified limits. A value of 0 or an empty field does not set a volume limit. Products without a entered volume are not included. Note that the volume is calculated as a sum and is only an indication of the actual space requirement. The volume must be entered in cm^3 (cubic centimeters). |
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Fastlane |
Select sales orders marked as Fastlane to pass the corresponding sales orders to logistics first. This is useful for express sales orders and Amazon Prime sales orders, for example. |
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No best before/Batch |
Exclude sales orders with products that have best-before dates and batches information. |
In the Limitation per Product setting area, you can make specific restrictions at the level of each product.
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Weight |
This setting limits the pick list to products whose weight per unit is within the specified values, enter 0 or leave the field blank to not set a weight limit. |
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Volume |
This setting narrows the pick list to products whose volume per piece is within the specified values. Enter 0 or leave the field blank to not set a volume limit. The volume must be entered in cm^3 (cubic centimeters). |
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Piece |
This setting limits the pick list to products whose quantity per position is within the specified values. Enter 0 or leave the field blank to set no quantity limit. |
In the Filter Orders settings area, you select products that must necessarily be part of the sales orders in order to be included in the rules of the pick list profile.
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Projects |
Selects only jobs that belong to the specified projects for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude specific projects. |
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Product |
Selects only jobs that contain at least one of the specified products for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude certain products. |
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Properties |
Selects only sales orders with products that have specific properties for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude specific properties. |
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Free fields |
Selects only jobs whose products contain defined free field values for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude certain free field values. |
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Shops |
Selects only sales orders imported from specific shops for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude specific shops. |
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Delivery country |
Selects only sales orders that are shipped to the specified delivery countries for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude certain countries. |
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Category |
Selects only jobs that contain products in a specific category for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude specific categories. |
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Shipping method |
Selects only sales orders that use certain shipping methods for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude certain shipping methods. |
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Payment method |
Selects only sales orders processed through specified payment methods for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude certain payment methods. |
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Group |
Selects only sales orders that are sent to customers from specified groups for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude specific customer groups. |
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Warehouse Storage Location |
Selects only sales orders that contain products from specific storage locations for the pick list. Deselect this option to exclude specific storage locations. |
You can use the Projects filter in the Sales orders filter to include multiple projects in a pick list. Because projects can have different printer settings, you must choose which of these printer settings to use when printing the pick lists. In the Print settings from project box, select the project whose printer settings to use for pick lists.
Caution
Selecting a project in the shipment settings is mandatory! Otherwise, the shipping note will not be transferred to the shipping center and no pick list will be created
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Print settings from Project |
Uses the specific printer settings of a project. Enter the name of the project here. |
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Skip box confirmation |
This setting is only relevant if you are using the Multi-Order Picking module, which ensures that the box confirmation for this pick list is skipped. |