Picking Fundamentals and Strategies

Owned by DATASCOPE WMS, created
Last updated: Mar 15, 2024
4 min read

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This user guide reviews some essential picking fundamentals before delving into the various picking strategies. Effective warehouse management hinges upon mastering these foundational principles as they form the bedrock of efficient and organized picking operations. Whether you're a seasoned warehouse manager or new to logistics, understanding these fundamentals will lay the groundwork for optimizing your picking processes, enhancing productivity, and, ultimately, maximizing customer satisfaction. This user guide will explore key concepts, best practices, and strategies to streamline your picking operations and elevate your warehouse management to new heights.

The following pick strategies do exist within DATASCOPE PREMIUM WMS.

Sales Pick to Pickslip

Pick to TrackID (with various labeling variations)

MSN Picking (incl MSN Tote picking)

Carton Picking (which forms part of Voice Carton Picking and Conveyor Model

>> Additional Picking Configurations

Try it!

Picking Fundamentals

What is a pick?

A pick is a transfer of stock from a pick face or normal pallet (which is in a pick face or bulk bin) to a picking TrackID into a receiving bin (PICK## or pickslip+WH). In other words, a pick is just a bin transfer.

What happens in SYSPRO?

A bin transfer is posted in SYSPRO. If the warehouse where you pick items from is not the same as the pick slip warehouse where the items are supposed to go, the software will smoothly handle the warehouse transfer without you needing to do anything. The reference that will post to SYSPRO will display as PK<pick slip number>, for example PK00000911

Picking screens

All mobile picking screens will direct the Operator where to fetch the stock from and how much to pick (which were created during the reservations in Sales order Release )

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Mobile picking screens

It is important to note that the fields on the picking screens are customizable and the type of picking is also very customizable, depending on the picking strategies or warehouse setting configurations. For more information, refer to Picking Customizations

All of the picking screens have most of the following Tabs on them to guide the Operator through the process.

  • Assign - this tab allows the user to assign a pick to himself (usually it will be the logged in user) Different pick strategies require different pick slips numbers to be added. Refer to each picking strategy individually.

  • Slips - this tab allows the user to review the pick slips already assigned to the user. Pick slips will not be visible on this screen if they already reached PICKED status.

  • Items - this tab list the items to be picked for the applicable pick slip(s).

  • Pick - this tab loads the reservations (which were created during the reservations in Sales order Release ) to show the user where to pick and how much (per item)

  • Over - this tab displays stock codes and QTYs if the user has picked to much of a specific stock code. It allows them to put some of the stock back.

  • Under - this tab display stock codes and QTYs if the user has not picked enough, and allows them to pick the deficit.

  • Confirm - this tab reviews the total for the pick slips and the Operator can confirm the pick from here.

What is picking strategies?

Picking strategies refer to various methods for picking items, which are supported by DATASCOPE PREMIUM WMS. The different picking strategies all pick to some form of TrackID - each strategy’s TrackID format might just change slightly. For example:

Pick to Pickslip - TrackID number format: Pickslip+WH

Pick to TrackID / Box Picking - TrackID number format: Pickslip+WH+Box

Carton Picking - TrackID number format: Pickslip+WH+Carton

MSN picking - TrackID number format: Pickslip+WH

Some of these picking strategies can make picking faster by accumulating QTYs to pick for multiple pick slips (i.e. MSN picking or MSN Tote picking) or by picking directly to cartons (i.e. Carton picking) to eliminate checkout.

Currently, we have four picking strategies, which can also be configured into various other picking configurations. To review the various picking strategies, refer to:

Start picking

In order to start picking a pick slip it must be in a PRINTED status. In order to view the status of a pick slip go to the Pick Slip Review screen.

For more information on releasing (creating) a pick slip, refer to Release (create) a Pick Slip

Let us start by reviewing the first picking strategy - Sales Pick to Pick Slip.