The four main picking methods
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Piece picking | One picker, one order, one walk. | Most small shops, large or urgent orders |
| Batch picking | One picker collects several orders in one walk, then splits them at packing. | Many small orders that share products |
| Zone picking | Each picker stays in one area; orders pass from zone to zone. | Several pickers, big or separate storage areas |
| Wave picking | Orders are released in timed groups, for example before each courier pickup. | Fixed courier cut-offs, larger teams |
Piece picking (one order at a time)
The simplest method: take one order, walk the shelves, pick everything on it, pack it. Nothing to sort and little to go wrong. It’s the right default for a shop with one or two people packing, and it stays right for big orders or anything that ships today. The cost is walking: ten orders mean ten trips past the same shelves.
Batch picking (several orders, one walk)
When orders queue up, combine five to ten of them into one list sorted by bin and walk the route once. You save most of the walking and pay for it with a sorting step at the packing table. It works best when orders are small and share best sellers. Our batch picking guide walks through it step by step.
Zone picking (each picker owns an area)
With several pickers, each one can stay in a zone, say the garage and the back room, and pick only the items stored there. Orders are completed when every zone has added its part. It cuts walking for big spaces, but it needs coordination, so it rarely pays off below three or four pickers.
Wave picking (orders released on a schedule)
Wave picking groups orders by time: everything that must catch the 11:00 courier is released and picked together, then the next wave. It’s a planning layer on top of piece, batch or zone picking, useful when you have firm cut-offs and enough volume to fill each wave.
How to choose
- Under about 20 orders a day, one person: piece picking. Fix bin labels and walking order first.
- Orders queue up, mostly small: batch picking for the queue, piece picking for urgent or large orders.
- Several pickers in a large or split space: consider zones.
- Fixed courier times and steady volume: add waves on top.
Whichever you choose, the biggest gain usually comes first from organizing the stockroom: bins in walking order and fast sellers near packing.
Piece and batch picking in pickBlink
pickBlink does piece picking by default: open an order and its bins light up on your shelf photo in walking order. To batch pick, select several orders and press Pick together, and pickBlink combines them into one walk. See all features.