Picking a wholesale order has three main components in ShipHero's wholesale flow: select a staging location, create a picking plan, and then physically pick the inventory. In this article, we will cover in detail the steps required for each process and the options available.
- Select a Staging Location
- Picking Statuses Defined
- Create a Picking Plan
- Step-by-Step Picking Processes
Select a Staging Location
The staging location is where you will move inventory to after picking. Here are some quick rules about selecting a staging location for a wholesale order:
- Zero Inventory Assigned: A staging location must be empty before assigning it to a new wholesale order.
- One per Wholesale Order: Only one staging location can be assigned per wholesale order.
- Can be reused. Once the order is marked Complete, the staging location will be emptied of the inventory that is packed and will be available to assign to a new wholesale order.
How to Select a Staging Location
- Open the wholesale order and click the Select Staging button from the Shipping tab.
- Select an available Staging Location from the list and hit Save.
Quick Reference:
| How to Create a Staging Location: | |
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Picking Statuses Defined
This status makes it easier to visually track the progress of a picking job and quickly understand where it stands in the workflow.
- Not Allocated: The picking location has not yet been defined.
- Allocated: The picking location has been successfully set.
- Picking: The picking of the product is currently underway.
- Picked: All required items have been successfully picked from the designated location.
Create a Picking Plan
The picking plan is the first step of processing your wholesale orders. Here you will assign locations to pick inventory from, determine who will pick the inventory and how it will be picked. Essentially, all the prep work before the physical process gets started.
- Assigning Locations
- Choose a Picking Flow and Delegate Tasks
Assign Locations
You can assign locations manually, use the auto-assign feature or take a hybrid approach. Please take careful note of the limitations below and learn how to use each process in the subsections that follow.
Important Notes and Limitations
- You can select locations marked as non-pickable,
- Unit of Measure (UOM) SKUs: If the order was created with an 'Eaches' unit of measure SKU you can assign locations containing inventory with a unit of measure larger than eaches. If the order was created using an SKU with a unit of measure other than 'Eaches,' you can only assign locations with that same unit of measure.
- Hybrid Assignment Method: To use the hybrid approach you must first use the Auto-assign process and then edit specific SKUs after. Manually selecting locations and then using the Auto-assign feature is not supported as the auto-assign feature can override the manual selection if the locations differ from the specified criteria.
- Courier Orders Eaches and Cases ONLY: If a wholesale order has a Courier order type, you cannot assign locations containing SKUs with a Pallet UOM. You must first break down the pallet UOM into cases before assigning the location. For more information on working with units of measure visit our article How to use Unit of Measures (UOMs)
Manual Assignment
To start the location assignment process select the order from the Orders to Process page then follow the steps below.
- Click on the Select button next to the location column.
- Check the box next to the location(s) and the quantity to pick from that location.
- Click Save.
| Example of inventory still remaining to be assigned. | Example of inventory fully assigned to locations. |
Quick Tips on the Assign Locations Module
- In the upper right corner of the modal, you can see the required amount that needs to be assigned to a location. A green check mark will be displayed once all pending inventory is assigned to a location.
- If a selected location does not have enough inventory, a red arrow and the quantity remaining to be assigned will be displayed next to the required amount.
- Locations can be sorted by Most Stock, Least Stock, First to Expire, and Last to Expire, or use the Search Bar to find a specific location.
- Each location displays the location name, the quantity of that SKU in the location, the UOM value (e.g., eaches, cases, or pallets), the Location Type (if applicable) and if that location currently has a Hospital status.
- You can assign multiple locations to a single SKU.
- Adjust the assigned quantity either by typing it in or using the up and down arrows.
Auto-Assign Locations
Selecting the 'Auto-Assign Locations' option opens a modal where you are presented with different prioritization rules. These rules have priorities ranging from number 1 to number 5, with priority 1 will have more weight than priority 5. The priority weights are shown in order and cannot be changed.
| 5 Auto-Assign Priority Rules | |
| 1. Prioritized locations: Search and select specific locations to prioritize them during the execution of the auto-assign algorithm. | |
| 2. Location Type: Choose whether to prioritize non-pickable or Pickable locations. (In the event that there is no inventory in the selected location type, the algorithm will propose the other type of location). | |
| 3. Unit of measure: When enabled, the algorithm will prioritize locations that contain larger units of measure. | |
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4a. Lots: location assignment is prioritized based on the selected lots priority (FIFO, LIFO, LEFO, FEFO). 4b. Expires in X Days: Only considers locations that meet this expiration date criteria. (Only impacts Lot controlled SKUs) | |
| 5. Stock: Prioritize locations with the least or greatest amount of stock. | |
Choose a Picking Flow and Delegate Tasks
Part two of creating your Picking Plan is choosing how you want to process the order and who will be completing the work. There are three supported picking flows:
- Picking & Packing (Mobile): Pick lines and immediately pack them into one or more LPNs (License Plate Numbers) on the device. Best for single‑touch operations, small orders, or when you want to print/apply the LPN label as you go.
- Picking (Mobile): Pick to a packing station directly. Ideal for wave/batch picking, multi‑line orders, or when packing requires extra checks (dimensions, weight, compliance).
- Manual (Paper Picking): Print the picking list and give it to a member of the team to pick from.
A picking sheet can also be printed during mobile picking, which is useful for capturing a picker's name and signature for auditing purposes
Assigning locations to a picker is optional but recommended depending on the size of your team and operations.
After completing the allocations and assigning pickers (or choosing not to assign specific pickers), you can set the order status to Ready to Pick. When the order is moved to the Ready to Pick status, the Packing layout is displayed with the information that the order can be picked using the mobile app.
Select a Picking Method
NOTE: You can switch the picking method anytime before moving it to the Ready to Pick status. Once an order is set as Ready to Pick, you will not be able to change the picking method and will need to Reset the order to make any changes.
Mobile Picking Options: To select one of the mobile picking options the Mobile toggle must be enabled. This will display a dropdown to choose Picking and Packing or Picking.
Manual Picking: To select the Manual picking method, you will need to first disable the Mobile toggle. With this option, you do not have the ability to assign pickers to the specific picking jobs.
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Assign Locations to Pickers (Optional)
You have the option to assign specific pickers to each location on the wholesale order. This allows you to manage the workflow that is best for your team. For example, if some items require a forklift operator while others are floor loaded, you can divide the work, assigning specific tasks/locations to the qualified personnel.
Things to Consider:
- User Permissions: In the new Wholesale process, we've implemented granular permissions to control employee access. Pickers, specifically, will need the following permissions assigned to their accounts. For more information please visit our Roles and Permissions article.
- Changing the Picker Assignment: You can change the picker up to the moment the picker begins work. Picking assignments cannot be modified once a user has begun picking from a location.
- Unassigned locations: Unassigned locations remain available to any authorized user accessing the order via the app. Upon scanning a location, the user is automatically assigned to it.
You can assign pickers two ways, individually or in bulk:
- Individually: Click the +Assign Picker button and select the employee from the list of eligible pickers. Here you also have the option to assign that user to all the locations.
- In Bulk: Check the box next to the line items you want to assign, and click Assign Picker from the bulk menu and select the employee from the list of eligible pickers.
Step-by-Step Picking Processes
To start either mobile process, the user will navigate to the Order > Wholesale page in the ShipHero Mobile App. Here they are presented with a list of all orders available for picking (either by assignment or because there are locations without an assigned picker).
| Wholesale Mobile Navigation | |
Things to consider:
- Inventory Assignment: Upon completion of the picking process, regardless of the picking flow, all picked inventory will be transferred to the staging location selected.
- All LPNs that will be used during mobile picking must be generated in advance from Inventory & Locations > LPNs. For more information, you can check the following article Managing License Plate Numbers in ShipHero.
Mobile Picking & Packing (By default)
Mobile Picking & Packing is the default method selected when configuring a picking plan. With this mobile picking flow, you can perform two actions simultaneously: picking and packing inventory. A barcode scanner is required to validate the location being picked from and the inventory being picked.
After picking the inventory, you must choose how you want to package it: Are you building new boxes? Are you using boxes within boxes? Every item that is picked requires an LPN to track the movement of the inventory.
The type of wholesale order you are picking (Courier or Freight) will determine the types of LPNs and process to follow.
Picking and Packing a Courier Order - Step-by-Step
1. To start the picking process, select the order from the list on the Wholesale page in the Mobile App. Here you will be presented with an order summary.
| Example Order Summary | |
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Order Info:
List of Locations:
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2. Scan or click a location to start. If you click the location from the order summary list you will be asked to scan the location to confirm after.
- If the location is correct, you will see confirmation on the screen; if the location is incorrect, you will receive an error message.
| Scan Location to Confirm | Confirmation of Correct location | Error Message for Wrong Location |
3a. After scanning the location, the Scan Item page will appear with the required quantities to pick from that location.
- If the item scanned is correct, you will see different options appear on the screen; if the item scanned is incorrect, you will receive an error message.
| Scan Item Page | Options Displayed when the correct product is scanned. | Error Message when the wrong item is scanned. |
3b. Continue to scan 1 by 1, or click the Picked number and manually select the amount you want to pick.
- When manually entering the number you want to pick, if you want to put all the inventory in the same box, you can choose Enter all required.
- If you need to split the picks for this product in multiple boxes and tap Pack pick units to put the picked units inside a box or directly scan a BOX LPN.
4. Assign the picked inventory to inner and outer boxes using LPNs. The first time you try to pack picked units, you will see an information screen appear with instructions on how to avoid screen touches. (See image below)
Inner Box Configuration:
An inner box is ideal when picking inventory into a box that will be shipped in a larger box.
NOTE: If an inner box is not required, (e.g., products are shipped in their own container or you are already picking to an outer box), you can choose one of the options below and then move on to configure the outer box configuration:
- Skip: When this option is selected, it will bring you directly to the Outer box configuration for the items picked. It will not prevent the Inner box option from coming back up as you continue the picking flow, as with the other options below.
- Not required for this SKU: When this option is selected, the Inner Box selection will not appear for this SKU again in the case of a partial pick.
- Not required for this Order: When this option is selected, the Inner Box selection will not appear for the entire order.
| LPN Information screen | Inner Box Screen |
- To use an inner box: Scan an LPN, stick it to the box, and then define the dimensions of the box to be used.
- To set the dimensions: scan the barcode of the box (if it has one), or select a package type from the list of available boxes by choosing Set dimensions manually. For boxes to show in the list they must be created in the Shipping > Boxes page.
- After choosing the box, choose if you want to use the same box type for the inner boxes of this order or not. If you choose Use same dimensions, the dimensions will not be requested again for new LPNs scanned for the inner boxes of this order.
| Box Dimensions Screen | Box List | Use same box dimensions? |
- After completing the inner box configuration, you will be directed to scan an Outer Box LPN and configure the dimensions accordingly.
Outer Box Configuration:
The outer box is the box that will be sent to the carrier and is required to finish the packing process. If you are shipping a product in its own packaging, you will still need to assign an outer box LPN to each carton.
- To use an Outer Box: Scan an LPN, stick it to the box, and then define the dimensions of the box to be used.
- If you are always going to use the same outer box dimensions, you can configure that in this step as well.
| Out Box Screen | Box Dimensions | Box List | Use same box dimensions? |
5. After finishing picking all the units from the location, you will return to the list of pending locations to pick.
- You can scroll up to see the summary of everything that has already been picked/packed (the inventory, the quantities, how they were packed (Inner Box or Outer Box), and the LPN of the boxes in which they were packed).
- While picking, the Wholesale manager can check the progress of the picking directly in the desktop app:
| Mobile order summary example: (Partially picked) | Progress in dashboard example: Partially picked order remains in Picking Status. |
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all locations and items are processed.
7. After picking all required items, the picker will see the picking summary, and they will see there are no pending items to pick, and the wholesale order will move into the Packing status in the Wholesale page. Here the manager can review all the picked/packed inventory and make any necessary modifications.
| Mobile order summary example: (Fully picked) | Progress in dashboard example: Fully picked order moves to the Packing Status. |
Picking and Packing a Freight Order - Step-by-Step
The key difference between freight and courier is that in the Freight flow, Inner and Outer boxes become optional, and the final level of packing must be a Pallet LPN. All other picking and packing steps, as outlined in the Courier flow, remain the same.
Pallet Configuration:
- Scan your pallet LPN. You can then set the Pallet Type (e.g., Standard, Euro, Australian). These will need to be created in the Shipping > Boxes for them to show in the boxes list.
| Scan Pallet LPN Screen | Set Pallet Dimensions |
- Picking Cases or UOM in the freight flow: You can pick multiple cases and pack them directly onto the pallet in the Freight flow. After scanning a Case UOM (Master Case / Inner Case), the system will prompt you, asking how you want to pack the cases:
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Option 1: Pack Cases in Boxes: This option requires the picker to scan a Box LPN and then the Pallet LPN. |
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Option 2: Pack Cases directly on Pallet: This option skips the Box LPN step and moves directly to the Pallet LPN scan. |
Mobile Picking
When you choose the Picking flow, any inventory you pick is transferred to the selected staging location once it's picked. This is ideal when you want to consolidate at a packing station later.
1. To start the picking process, select the order from the list on the Wholesale page in the Mobile App. Here you will be presented with an order summary.
| Example Order Summary | |
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Order Info:
List of Locations:
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2. Scan or click a location to start. If you click the location from the order summary list you will be asked to scan the location to confirm after.
- If the location is correct, you will see confirmation on the screen; if the location is incorrect, you will receive an error message.
| Scan Location to Confirm | Confirmation of Correct location | Error Message for Wrong Location |
3a. After scanning the location, the Scan Item page will appear with the required quantities to pick from that location.
- If the item scanned is correct, you will see different options appear on the screen; if the item scanned is incorrect, you will receive an error message.
| Scan Item Page | Options Displayed when the correct product is scanned. | Error Message when the wrong item is scanned. |
3b. Continue to scan 1 by 1, or click the Picked number and manually select the amount you want to pick. If you want to pick all quantities and move them to the staging location, you can choose Enter all required
When all required units of a SKU are picked, the line auto‑transfers to the selected Staging location and is marked as picked. In the mobile app you will receive a confirmation page Items moved to staging.
3c. Partial Picks: Scan only the number of items that fit in your tote/cart. If you need to move those picked items to staging before finishing the order, use Move picked to staging. This transfers the currently picked quantity to the assigned staging location and returns you to the item list.
You can open the Picking summary to review what's been picked so far (per line, quantities, and UOM).
4. When you finish, you’ll see a confirmation screen that your picking was completed successfully, and the order will move to the Packing status in the Wholesale page. The inventory picked will be available at the selected staging location for packing.
| Picking Summary Example | Picking Complete Confirmation |
Using the Hospital Flag During Mobile Picking Flows
When there is a problem in the location, the picker can mark the location as Hospital. By marking the location as Hospital, they can continue picking another assignment.
Things to Consider:
- For the Picking and Packing flow, any partially picked items can be assigned to an LPN; the remaining quantity stays open on the job.
- For the Picking flow, any partially picked items will still be transferred to Staging; the remaining quantity stays open on the job.
- Once a location is flagged as Hospital, it will need to be cleared via the mobile app before any other picks can be completed for that location. Please reference the following article for more information on how to remove the Hospital status from the location.
| Scan Location page: | Flag as Hospital confirmation page: |
After the location is flagged Hospital, the order status changes to Hospital in the dashboard view. You will need to choose another location; the status will return to Picking, and the picker will see the new location in their mobile application.
| Viewing Pages | Example Images |
| Dashboard view: Hospital Status | |
| Dashboard view: Edit Location | |
| Dashboard View: Picking Status | |
| Mobile View: New location for picker to process |
Manual Picking
In manual picking, after assigning the selected locations to pick inventory, you can mark the order as Ready to Pick and you can print a list indicating where and how to perform the picking and you can manually transfer the inventory to the staging location. Each part of the process is manually completed in the dashboard vs some of the automated steps available with the mobile picking flows.
Things to consider:
- No Assigned Pickers: You cannot assign locations to specific picking with the Manual picking flow.
- No Confirmation Scans: There are no confirmation scans to confirm the correct products and quantities are picked.
- Editing Location Assignments: Before making the inventory transfer, indicating that the picking is complete, you can edit the assigned locations. Editing and re-assigning new locations will require reprinting the picking list.
Manual Picking Step-by-Step
1. After assigning the locations in the picking plan, click the Set as Ready to Pick button. This opens the packing layout section.
2. Print the LPN for the Staging location and Picking list. For proper inventory tracking (especially when there are different lots involved in the products to be picked), it is recommended to use LPNs in the staging location for manual picking to identify the inventory.
3. The picking list will show the locations where to go to pick, the quantity, the UOM, and in which staging LPN to deposit the inventory.
| Example Picking List |
4. Once picking is done, you can perform the action of transferring all the inventory from the assigned locations to the staging location (this way the inventory will be correctly reflected).
| Transfer all units to Staging | Transfer all units? Confirmation page |