Pack stations

A pack station is a pack table with its devices: the printer its labels print on, the scale that weighs its parcels and the camera for a photo of the contents. Packers use those devices from the PC that stands there. Stations are set up under Settings → Pack stations; what each parcel walks through at them is the warehouse’s pack checklist.

Add a station

Open Settings → Pack stations and choose Add pack station. It takes about two minutes.
Code: the station’s name on the floor, such as PACK-01. The next free code in that series is filled in.
Warehouse: where the table stands.
Printer: the label printer, from your PrintNode account. Labels for parcels packed here print on it. With no PrintNode printer yet, Connect PrintNode leads to Settings → Carriers & packaging.
Scale: A USB scale on the pack PC (Chrome or Edge on that PC; one click allows the scale the first time, and not inside the Shopify admin), a scale through PrintNode on the computer it is plugged into, or No scale · weights are typed. A PrintNode scale is listed once it is plugged in and Refresh scales ran.
Test the scale: put something on it. Saving never waits for the test.
Camera: On the device, or None.
Save. On the PC at this table, tick Use this PC at PACK-01: its scale and printer are then used for parcels packed here.

The pack PC: where it stands

A station’s devices follow the PC, not the person. The browser on the pack PC remembers which station it stands at:

In Settings → Pack stations, tick Use this PC at … while setting the station up on that PC.
On the floor’s pack screen, the station line says PACK-01 · scale ready, or No pack station chosen. Choose or Change opens This PC stands at: pick the station, and its scale and printer are used here. Your work list stays as it is.
At the desk, Choose the pack station offers two separate answers: This PC stands at this station (the devices follow this PC) and Use it for my work too (your floor work follows this station).

When the PC stands at one station and your work is set to another, a line says so, for example “This PC is at PACK-01 · your work is set to PACK-02”, so a parcel never prints at the wrong table.

The list

Each row names its station, its Printer, Scale and Camera, and under Devices here whether the station’s PC is there: Connected · heard 14:02, Not connected · last heard 14:02, or Not seen yet. Set up changes a station’s devices.

What a parcel goes through: the pack checklist

Each warehouse decides the steps every parcel walks at its pack stations before it is fulfilled: Settings → Fulfillment → Pack checklist. Start from a preset (Just pack, Weigh + label or Proof photo), then set each step to Off, Optional or Required: a photo of the contents, the weight, packing details such as a seal number, a quality check, and the label before fulfilment. A required step must be done before the parcel can be fulfilled.

Under the steps, the card checks your stations against them, one line per gap:

“PACK-02 has no scale: weights are typed there.”
“PACK-02 has no camera: the photo is taken with a phone or tablet, or uploaded.”
“PACK-02 has no label printer: labels print from the desk there.”

When nothing is missing it says Every pack station has what these steps need.