The batch system takes your business rules, which orders ship when, and automatically selects a group of orders that can be efficiently picked together at the click of a button.
Once configured to follow your business rules, most teams are running batches day-in and day-out to manage their operations without risk of late shipping, misshipment, or other common order defects.
Once orders are grouped by the batch system, you have the choice of printing out all of the shipping labels at once, using the reverse picking system to retrieve orders within the batch with a given barcode, or using the dedicated "guided steps" picking mode.
Alternatives for basic accounts
Many users may not need the Batch system to batch fulfill their orders. Batch picking is an opt-in feature available with "Pro" plans and higher. Please see our article regarding these alternative solutions to the dedicated batch interface.
Initial setup
Setting up your first batch configuration
Your first step is to reach out to our team to determine the best configuration for your ideal workflow. Alternatively, use our default settings by clicking "Settings" on the batches page then saving your first batch type for use in the batch system.
To start, we recommend using a bin size of 3 orders/bins to test the batch feature. Slowly scale up to large batch sizes, most companies fulfill 10-20 orders per batch but you have the option of 250+
Choosing a picking and shipping mode
SKULabs introduced new paper picking modes that work with batch order grouping. You can also use batch grouping with the regular picking interface using these new modes.
Connect barcode scanner
To begin picking orders, connect your barcode scanner to your picking device (whether it's your desktop, tablet, or smartphone) and open a batch from the batches list to start picking (or simply selecting Start Batch).
Starting your first batch
You can start batches from three places in SKULabs:
Recommended: Click Start New Batch at the top-right corner of the Batch page
From the orders list, select a series of orders > click Actions > Start batch
From the orders list, Click Menu > "Scan packing slips" to scan a series of packing slips to create a new batch.
How each picking mode works
How "guided steps" batch picking mode works
Pre-requisite: print bin barcode labels
Print bin barcode labels from Printing page > Bins tab and attach them to your picking bins.
Each bin will correspond to an order within the batch, and the number of bins is determined by how many orders you choose to pick per batch. If you’re fulfilling 4 orders at a time, or 4 bins, you will need 4 barcodes. Bin barcodes are scanned during the fulfillment process to ensure the correct item is placed in the correct bin.
Guided steps picking
Unlike the default order picking interface, the "guided steps" batch order interface guides pickers through the picking process, reducing cognitive load and improving order accuracy and picking efficiency. Once you have created a batch, start processing it by simply following the steps and prompts.
The page will highlight one barcode at a time, indicating which barcode is currently in progress to be cleared.
1. Scan the item barcode once per item until you have scanned enough of that item to clear it, then scan the bin barcode for the order it is associated with and place the item in your bin.
Tip: The batch picking guide will bounce you between orders for the same item, so be sure to watch which bin you place items in.
Continue this process until the end of the batch.
How "reverse scanning" picking mode works
Reverse scanning mode allows you to scan items from a pick list and we'll automatically open a relevant non-cleared order to scan those items against. This is great for small orders and it's best to finish each order one by one once you open them.
Pair reverse scanning mode with the batch pick list so you have all of the items ready for your batch on a packing table before you start scanning.
How "manual packing slips" picking mode works.
We'll print out all of the packing slips as soon as the batch is created. Grab a packing slip, scan the packing slip and start picking the orders.