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Wave Picking

As eCommerce has fueled enormous sales growth for many retailers, finding more efficient ways to fulfill orders has become a challenge unto itself. Fulfillment exists at the intersection of order, inventory, warehouse, and shipping management, and how to achieve optimal results is a continual battle for any brand.
Enter, Wave Picking.

Wave Picking encompasses a range of methods ranging from basic to extremely complex, and the unifying element is the need for powerful software to provide direction and control over these operations.

Enter, SkuNexus.

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First Things, First. What is Wave Picking?

Wave picking is a warehouse system that groups orders for fulfillment based on common factors like shipping dates, similar items, warehouse zones, etc. This system allows management to set short picking intervals, or "waves," that are aligned with transportation schedules. 

Instead of merely assigning pickers to shifts and hoping for a smooth order flow, wave picking enables teams to fulfill targeted objectives. For example, completing a predetermined number of orders each shift.

Advantages of Wave Picking for eCommerce Merchants

Increased Accuracy and Improved Tracking

Once items are picked and sent to sorting, the sorting and packing team can verify SKU counts to ensure accurate order fulfillment. Tracking progress is also easier with wave picking, particularly when handheld scanning devices are synced with a Warehouse Management System (WMS).

Enhanced Efficiency

By taking into account various factors in planning a wave, pickers can pull larger quantities of the same stock-keeping unit (SKU) or multiple SKUs located closely together. The strategy also enables route optimization within the warehouse, cutting down travel time for pickers.

Higher Rates of On-Time Shipping 

Meticulously analyzing orders, resources, and shipping schedules to allocate the necessary lead time for order fulfillment ensures that orders are picked and ready ahead of shipping deadlines.

Fewer Warehouse Bottlenecks

Unlike single-order picking, where too many pickers or pieces of equipment can crowd an aisle, wave picking staggers these elements to reduce congestion and, in turn, boosts productivity.

High-Value or Perishable Goods

Wave picking allows such items to be picked just-in-time right before shipping, which reduces idle time and consequently lowers the risk of theft for high-value items and ensures freshness for perishable goods.

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Wave Picking Powered by SkuNexus

Well-orchestrated wave picking is dependent upon multiple integrated systems seamlessly working together, and this is a hallmark of SkuNexus.

When a customer places an order, your inventory, synced in real time across all digital and physical channels, ensures that the order is routed to the correct facility for fulfillment.

SkuNexus empowers your warehouse management team to design waves based on a limitless number of picking criteria. Automation will then follow whatever rules have been established within the system to direct pickers with all the critical information they need.

Going further, because SkuNexus integrates with ERP platforms and shipping carriers, et al, it can help make informed decisions about wave designs. SkuNexus can take into account a vast array of data (delivery timelines, labor availability, warehouse layout, etc.) to formulate the most efficient waves and sequences for your business.

Schedule a Live Demo

Find out how our platform can elevate your operations. Offer to set up a test account for you, so you can try out the platform on your own time

Why SkuNexus

Find out how our platform can elevate your operations. Offer to set up a test account for you, so you can try out the platform on your own time

SkuNexus is an order management system that allows users full access to the source code, allowing complete control.

map-pin  7400 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077.
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