Preparing e-commerce orders quickly and error-free is a daily challenge for logistics managers and e-tailers. Between the multiplication of part numbers, peaks in activity and the pressure of deadlines, every minute counts in warehouse organization. This is where batch picking comes into its own as a highly effective solution.
This method is one of the most effective levers identified in 2024 for improving warehouse logistics performance, according to SupplyChain247.
By grouping several orders together and picking them all at once, batch picking transforms picking into an optimized, fast and fluid process. But how does this approach work? What are its advantages, its limitations, and above all, how can you effectively implement it in your warehouse?
- Batch picking: a simple definition and how it works
- Why adopt batch picking for your e-commerce?
- Batch picking, wave picking, single order picking: when to choose which method?
- How can Shippingbo WMS/OMS software facilitate batch picking?
This comprehensive step-by-step guide will help you understand everything, compare the different picking methods, and discover how a WMS like Shippingbo’s can maximize the benefits of batch picking in an omnichannel logic.
Batch picking: a simple definition and how it works
Batch picking is gaining in popularity among e-tailers keen toimprove warehouse productivity without complicating operations. If you’re looking for a practical way to limit unnecessary round-trips and process multiple orders in parallel, this approach deserves your full attention.
Batch picking: what is it and what does it involve?
Batch picking is an order-picking technique in which several orders containing similar items are brought together and picked at once. Unlike single-order picking, this method saves precious time by avoiding repetitive trips to and from the warehouse.
In practice, the order picker will carry out a single picking round to collect all items from several orders simultaneously. Thispicking optimization is based on good warehouse organization and intelligent order grouping.
Batch picking can be summed up as preparing more orders with less travel.
What are the steps involved in successful batch picking?
To implement efficient multi-order picking, it’s essential to structure each phase of the logistics process with precision. Here are the 5 key steps to a successful batch picking strategy in an e-commerce warehouse:
1. Order orchestration
It all starts with good grouping. The idea is to group together orders containing similar items, whether the same product reference or products stocked in the same picking zone.
This intelligent sorting is made possible by warehouse management software (WMS) capable of centralizing orders in real time and grouping them according to predefined rules. This avoids unnecessary routes and paves the way for rational picking.
2. Warehouse organization
Good logistics batch picking relies on excellent physical organization of space. This means structuring your shelving and storage areas according to the frequency with which items are picked.
The most frequently ordered products must be easily accessible. At the same time, downstreampackaging and sorting areas are needed to efficiently manage the end of preparation.
3. Use of a PDA terminal
With an automated picking system and mobile terminals, the picker accesses a dematerialized picking list directly from a PDA. This tool guides the picker in real time, displaying the products to be retrieved and their location. All without paper printouts.
This reduces errors, facilitates adoption by new employees or seasonal workers, and increases speed of execution.
4. Item picking
The order picker then makes a single tour of the warehouse to pick all the products for several grouped orders. Each item is placed in an identified container (bin, cart, mobile beehive, etc.) for easy subsequent sorting.
This grouped picking phase is the very essence of the batch picking method.
5. Sorting, packaging and inspection
Once picking is complete, items are sorted by order in the packing area. The WMS supports this phase by indicating precisely which items go with which order. This verifies conformity, reduces errors and speeds up the transition to packing and dispatch.
Why adopt batch picking for your e-commerce?
Implementing a batch picking method is more than just a technical choice: it’s a real performance lever for your e-commerce logistics. Faced with ever-increasing order volumes and soaring customer expectations, every optimization counts.
Batch picking offers a concrete response to these challenges, enabling you to better organize flows, reduce operational friction andabsorb peaks in activity without saturating your teams.
But what are the concrete benefits of batch picking for your warehouse? Here are the most significant benefits, illustrated with case studies.
Massive time savings on warehouse trips
In a conventional warehouse, travel time accounts for up to 60% of total picking time. Each order processed individually requires the picker to go down the same aisles several times, resulting in a significant loss of time.
Logistics batch picking transforms this process. The picker follows a single, optimized route to pick all the items in several grouped orders. The result: fewer round trips, less fatigue, and faster overall preparation.
A study published in 2024 shows that optimizing picking routes can reduce warehouse travel by 20-35%.
Case study :
A stationery e-tailer receives an average of 200 orders a day, mainly containing small items (pens, notebooks, envelopes, etc.). By switching from picking by order to picking by batch, he has reduced his operators’ movements by 35%. In peak periods, this optimization means that the same volume of orders can be handled by a smaller team, while maintaining an excellent level of service.
This is a key lever for improving picking productivity, but also for reducing picking costs per order.
Significant reduction in picking errors and physical effort
Another major advantage of batch picking is the lower error rate. By grouping picks and using a WMS coupled with a PDA terminal, each product to be picked is clearly identified on screen, with its exact location. This reduces the risk of picking the wrong item, quantity or order.
Case study :
An e-commerce site specializing in electronic accessories was managing its picking with paper cards. The result: several errors per day, particularly when preparing similar orders. Since adopting a WMS with PDA, the error rate is now virtually zero. Products are scanned in real time, and any anomalies are immediately detected.
When it comes to ergonomics, batch picking equipment (such as mobile beehives) allows multiple bins to be transported in a structured manner. This reduces unnecessary handling, avoids dropped items or repetitive handling, and contributes to preserving operators’ physical health.
Improved productivity and scalability for peak periods
During peak logistics periods (sales, Black Friday, Christmas, etc.), the pace quickens, volumes explode, and pressure on teams is at its highest. Batch picking for small and medium-sized businesses becomes a strategic asset for coping with the increased workload, without necessarily having to recruit or train more staff. It also contributes to customer loyalty customer loyalty by guaranteeing faster, more reliable preparation, and thus a more satisfying shopping experience.
Case study :
A brand of beauty products sells mainly on marketplaces. When it launched a partnership with a major platform, the number of orders tripled in just a few weeks. Thanks to the implementation of batch picking via warehouse management software (WMS), the team was able to absorb this increase without changing its organization: orders were automatically grouped into coherent batches, routes were optimized, and everything was handled with the same team in place.
Batch picking thus offers scalability to keep pace with growth, without suffering from traditional operational limitations. It’s a real lever of agility for e-tailers wishing to remain efficient in the face of peaks in demand or business expansion.
Batch picking, wave picking, single order picking: when to choose which method?
There’s no single best way to prepare orders in the warehouse, but several methods adapted to different logistics contexts. From batch picking to wave picking to single-order picking, each approach has its own advantages, limitations and implementation conditions.
Before choosing, it’s essential to understand the specific features of each method, their impact on your warehouse organization, and their relevance to your product typology, volumes and human resources.
Focus: the advantages and disadvantages of batch picking
Batch picking offers many advantages:
- Fewer trips, greater productivity: The first visible benefit of batch picking is the reduction in unnecessary trips to the warehouse. By grouping several orders in a single picking circuit, pickers save considerable time, which translates directly into productivity gains.
- Fewer picking errors thanks to digital tools: Combined with a WMS and the use of a PDA, the process becomes more reliable. Products are clearly identified, scanned in real time, and the risk of picking the wrong part number or quantity is greatly reduced. This reduces picking errors, while improving the reliability of the entire supply chain.
- Easier to absorb peaks in activity: During busy periods, batch picking enables you to maintain a high level of performance without necessarily increasing the size of your team. By rationalizing rounds and automating order orchestration, this method makes it easier to adapt to seasonal or promotional peaks.
The disadvantages of batch picking are fewer, but should be taken into account depending on your situation:
- Risk of complexity without a good WMS: Without a tool to intelligently manage order groupings, the method can quickly become counter-productive.
- Requires sorting at the end of picking, and therefore an additional step: Unlike order picking, batch picking requires a sorting phase after picking. This stage consists in dividing the items into their respective orders, which requires a dedicated space, a rigorous method and sometimes more time, depending on the volume processed.
- Less suitable for picking large items or customized products: Finally, this method is more appropriate for small, standardized items. When it comes to bulky, fragile products, or those requiring individualized treatment (engraving, personalization…), individual picking is often more appropriate.
Comparative table of picking methods
To help you visualize more clearly the differences between the main order-picking methods, here’s a summary comparison table. It will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, as well as the most suitable use cases according to the typology of your e-commerce activity.
| Method | Key benefits | Disadvantages | Ideal use case |
| Single Order Picking | Easy to install | Lots of travel | Low order volume |
| Batch Picking | Reduce travel, save time | End-of-process sorting | Small items, growing e-commerce |
| Wave Picking | Mass and synchronized picking | Request orchestration software | High volume, multi-warehouse logistics |
The choice is not a matter of chance: it depends on the type of products you ship, the volume of daily orders, theorganization of your warehouse, and the human and technological resources at your disposal.
By comparing the advantages and limitations of each method, you’ll be able to adopt the picking strategy best suited to your operational challenges and growth potential.
How can Shippingbo WMS/OMS software facilitate batch picking?
While batch picking offers real potential for optimization, its effectiveness largely depends on the technological tools that accompany it. Without a suitable solution, implementation can quickly become laborious and even counter-productive. This is why the integration of warehouse management software (WMS) and an Order Management System (OMS) such as those offered by Shippingbo is essential.
By combining automation, data centralization and logistical intelligence, Shippingbo makes the most of batch picking, whether for picking, sorting, packing orshipping.
PDA terminals for paperless picking
Shippingbo’s WMS is fully compatible with the use of PDA terminals, which replace traditional paper picking lists. Thanks to these mobile terminals, dematerialized picking lists are displayed in real time, with precise indications of the locations to visit and the shortest route to follow in the warehouse. The route is automatically optimized.
Not only does this digitalization drastically reduce picking errors, it also makes the picking process smoother, even in a live environment. It is particularly useful for quickly training seasonal or temporary staff, offering a simple, intuitive and reliable interface.
Order orchestration: grouping orders into intelligent batches
Shippingbo has a powerful OMS , designed to centralize all orders, whatever their channel of origin: e-commerce site, marketplaces, physical points of sale or third-party solutions. This real-time centralization provides a unified, structured view of all incoming flows.
Thanks to this common base, the WMS can then automatically create intelligent batches by grouping orders according to various relevant criteria: same picking zone, similar items, priority level, or even customer type. This automated processing avoids tedious manual grouping and guarantees operational consistency, even during periods of high activity.
It is precisely this ability to orchestrate logistical flows that transforms batch picking into a real performance lever, by streamlining preparation while maximizing the productivity of each operator. Some recent solutions, such as those analyzed by Transitic, already incorporate this advanced batch picking automation logic.
Manage sorting, packing and end-of-picking checks
Once the products have been picked, the Shippingbo WMS manages the sorting and order allocation stages, right through to packaging.
An automated picking system associates each item with its order, and checks conformity in real time via barcode.
This logic ensures smooth, error-free management of the pickingwarehouse, while guaranteeing rapid dispatch.
Ready to optimize your logistics? Batch picking makes sense with Shippingbo
Batch picking is more than just an operational adjustment. It’s a genuine optimization strategy that saves precious time, reduces errors and boosts the efficiency of teams in the field.
But to realize its full potential, batch picking cannot function effectively without a tool capable of centralizing orders,intelligently orchestrating batches, and precisely controlling each stage of preparation. This is exactly what Shippingbo offers with its WMS / OMS / TMS software suite.
Designed to meet the logistics challenges of SMEs and more mature players alike, Shippingbo enables you to prepare more orders in less time, without compromising quality or overburdening your teams. You gain greater fluidity, visibility and control, whatever the sales channel or the complexity of your catalog.
With Shippingbo, transform your logistics organization into an engine for growth.
Discover how to automate and simplify your order picking with our all-in-one solution.
FAQ – Answers to frequently asked questions about Batch Picking
Batch picking is an order-picking method in which a picker collects, in a single pass, the items required for several orders at the same time (a “batch”). This reduces travel and rationalizes order preparation.
Batch picking considerably reduces picker travel time in the warehouse, increases overall productivity and reduces the risk of errors, as the picker concentrates on a limited number of SKUs at each pass.
It’s particularly effective for e-tailers handling high volumes of small items, with orders containing few lines. On the other hand, for bulky products or highly customized orders, other methods (such as individual picking) may be more appropriate.
Warehouse Management System (WMS) software like Shippingbo is essential. It enables orders to be grouped intelligently, optimized itineraries to be generated and pickers to be guided via a mobile terminal (PDA).
Glossary
Batch picking
Order-picking method where several orders are prepared simultaneously by grouping similar items.
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
Mobile terminal used to guide pickers with a digital picking list.
WMS (Warehouse Management System)
Warehouse management software to control stock, locations and order picking.
OMS (Order Management System)
Software for centralizing omnichannel orders and orchestrating them according to logistical rules.
Wave picking
Picking method where orders are grouped in waves according to time slots or precise logistical criteria.
Picking list
List (paper or digital) of items to be picked for one or more orders.
Fixed/mobile apiary
Stand used to organize bins containing picked items, often mounted on castors to accompany the picker.