Multi-order picking
Multi-order picking lets one picker walk the building once and fill several orders at the same time, dropping each item into its own tote on the cart.
On this page
Section titled “On this page”- How it differs from batch picking
- When it pays off
- The trade-off
- See also
How it differs from batch picking
Section titled “How it differs from batch picking”The three pick batchPick batchA set of lines one picker walks in one trip, sorted into pick-path order so the building is crossed once rather than repeatedly. Read more → methods answer different problems:
| Method | The walk | The sort |
|---|---|---|
| Single-item orders | One line, one order | Nothing to sort |
| Batch picking | One SKU pulled once for many orders | Sorted afterwards at a sort wall |
| Multi-order picking | Many orders in one walk | Sorted during the pick, into totes |
The distinction that matters is when the sorting happens. Batch picking defers it to a separate step; multi-order picking does it at the shelf, so what leaves the aisle is already order-separated and can go straight to packing.
When it pays off
Section titled “When it pays off”Multi-order picking wins where orders are small and scattered — a handful of lines each, spread across the building. Walking that building once for six orders instead of six times is where the whole saving comes from.
It wins least where orders are large, or where each order already fills a walk on its own. In that case a single-order pick is already efficient and adding totes just adds handling.
The trade-off
Section titled “The trade-off”Each order needs its own tote, so the cart size caps how many orders one walk can hold, and every pick carries a “which tote?” decision. That decision is scanner-guided rather than remembered — but it is still a step that single-order picking does not have.
Included on the Enhanced plan.
See also
Section titled “See also”- Batches — the three methods in context.
- Subscription plans — what else Enhanced unlocks.
- Floor pick — the picker’s screen.