Navigator Solutions

Label Picking

Label Picking is a method of dispatching goods by printing a single label for every carton leaving the warehouse or warehouse zone. Labels for a batch of orders are either:

pre-printed in location pick sequence (instead of by order then location pick sequence) or
printed on demand from a portable label printer .

Label Picking Process

The warehouse supervisor determines the appropriate time to print a batch of labels. The batch will usually span multiple pick slips and is printed in order of location 'pick sequence'. The batch of labels is separated out by warehouse zone and the work allocated (by handing out labels) to the operators.

The operator travels to the location code printed on the picking label and picks the product. The confirmation stage involves scanning the pick label (which links back to the product to be picked as well as the order number), followed by the product barcode. If the product barcode matches the product attached to the picking label, the operator applies the label to the carton, places the carton on to a conveyor or pallet jack for later consolidation or despatch. If the pick label does not match the product scanned, the operator is alerted to the error.

The benefits of this approach are as follows:

Efficiency. The picker is working on multiple orders in a single pass through the warehouse. This can result in a substantial reduction in the amount of walking or driving performed each day.
Accuracy. The picker is confirming that each carton scanned is appropriate for the pick to be completed.

The drawbacks of this approach are as follows:

Pick consolidation. In the absence of an automated sorting / palletising system, the cartons must be handled a second time to place them on to pallets or in to additional packaging. This makes pick to label impractical for items which must be re-packed before they are shipped. This step may be bypassed by having the freight company perform consolidation of cartons.

It can be seen that pick to label works best in operations in which goods are not re-packaged (i.e. every item is a shippable unit). The process is as follows:

The pick generated will have a single line per shippable item.
Each line will contain a quantity of 1 (being a single carton or box) and a unique label number – an SSCC (Serialized Shipping Container Code). Therefore, if there are 10 cartons of an item, 10 labels will be produced.
Labels are printed from the pick slip detail or overview screen to the selected printer and are sorted according to the ‘pick sequence’ field of the pick location. Multiple label pickslips may be printed in a batch and sorted by location pick sequence. This allows multiple orders to be picked in a single pass through the warehouse.

The printed label contains:

The location from which goods should be picked;
Shipping information for the final customer (and on-forwarder if applicable);
The product description and part number; and
The SSCC (unique barcode number).

Picking from the Intranet Interface

To complete a label pick using the web interface (rather than via the scanner), log in to the WMS system in Internet Explorer and navigate to the “Pick to Label” screen:

Select the Storage Client from the list for whom picking is being performed.

Enter the SSCC/ barcode number from the picking label. A partial SSCC number may be entered – for example, the last 6 digits.

If a single SSCC matches, the transaction will proceed.
If multiple SSCC numbers match, the list of matching SSCC numbers is shown and the transaction will fail.
If an invalid product is entered / scanned, the transaction will fail.

Scan/ enter the product code.

Enter the serial number of any items for which this field is required

'Match partial serial number’ Checkbox

If this box is ticked, the system searches for the serial number segment by part number. The matching list of serial numbers is displayed – and the transaction cancelled if more than one match is located. If this option is not selected, the system will match on the entered data only.

Click ‘Pick’. Once the ‘Pick’ button is pressed, the WMS will process the label pick in the same way as via the scanner. If an error is detected, a message is shown and the pick line record is not updated. The screen displays a list of items remaining to be picked after each label is entered.

Voice Enabled Label Picking

Warehouses running Navigator Voice can perform label picking on voice. The process used is as follows:

The picker selects their mobile printer (WiFi printers from Intermec and Zebra are supported).
The user's assigned label jobs are downloaded to the Talkman. Label jobs are arranged in bin location sequence.
The system directs the picker to the next bin by voice.
The user confirms they have found the correct item by speaking the location or product check digit.
The Talkman tells the picker how many items of this type are required across all label jobs.
The picker confirms how many items are available.
The Talkman prints one label per item, containing an SSCC number and the customer information.
Cartons can be placed onto an outbound pallet.