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How does cluster picking work in the WMS App?

Shopify — This article shows you step by step how to process multiple orders in one pass with cluster picking.

This article shows you step by step how to process multiple orders in one pass with cluster picking. The WMS App combines identical line items, guides you through the warehouse on an optimized route, and helps you allocate items to picking boxes.

This article covers cluster picking only. You can find information about batch picking here. To learn how to use action codes to capture carts with many boxes directly by scanning, see this article.

Start cluster picking

In the WMS App, open the Picking → Open section and start Multi-step picking (Mehrstufige Kommissionierung).

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Select the Cluster (Rollend) mode at the top. Optionally, you can use a picking profile to define which orders are included in picking. Then decide on the maximum number of orders you want to pick at the same time and tap Fetch orders (Bestellungen abrufen).

Alternatively, you can scan the picking boxes directly to start cluster picking with the scanned boxes.

Overview of open products

After fetching the orders, you see a combined list of all open products. The list is sorted by an optimized route. For each product, you see the bin location, the destination box (if already captured), an internal picking instruction (if available), and the quantity still to be picked. Tap a product to open the detail view.

At the top, you find the number of the picking process, here 1536. It helps you find the process again later, for example if you postpone it or want to trace it in the admin.

Via the three-dot menu at the top right, you have various options available during the picking process:

With Info you can:

  • view the orders included in the picking process and see order details

  • see which order is assigned to which picking box

  • scan the picking boxes in the overview to display the orders and the associated products (this also shows which products have already been picked and which have not)

  • tap the order and view the detailed information – if internal picking instructions are stored for the order, they are also displayed here

  • postpone or cancel individual orders and boxes

Use Partial delivery (Teillieferung) if you want to ship the line items that have already been picked directly as a partial delivery. Line items that have already been picked are retained. Line items that have not been picked remain open and can be picked later.

With Postpone (Zurückstellen), you set the picking process aside for later and receive a document. This way, you can resume the process at another time.

With Cancel, you discard the picking process. Line items that have already been picked must be put back into stock. Afterwards, picking is reset and the orders are moved back to the Open tab.

An item is missing: postpone only one order

If an item is missing during cluster picking, you do not have to cancel the entire picking process. Postpone only the affected order; the rest of the picking process continues.

  1. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right and select Info. There you see all orders of the process with their picking boxes.

  2. Select the affected order or box and postpone it.

The postponed order ends up separately in the Paused tab (in older app versions Postponed). Alternatively, you can ship the line items that have already been picked as a partial delivery (Teillieferung).

Confirm and pick products

First, select the product you want to pick. Alternatively, you can simply scan the product.

In the next step, you confirm the bin location of the product. Scan the bin location or select it directly in the app.

Then you select the box into which you want to place the product. Here too, you can scan the box label or enter the number manually. Further line items of the same order are then automatically allocated to the box you already selected.

Then enter the quantity you actually picked (up to the maximum required quantity) and confirm. You can also do this by scanning, or you can use our button. When you scan a product, you receive visual and audible feedback, as you know it from single picking.

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For the full quantity, you can conveniently use our long-press button to confirm all products at once. Simply hold the button down until the bar has filled up.

Mandatory scanning: Confirming by tapping and the long-press button can be specifically disabled. Via the permissions of the user role, you can define that products and/or bin locations must be scanned — optionally also in the full quantity instead of just once. Individual products without a barcode can be exempted from this. You can find out how to configure this under Wie verwalte ich Benutzer und Benutzerrollen für Pickware WMS?

By default, the next product is opened automatically so that you can follow the optimized route. If you want to pick the products in your own order, disable the Automatic preselection of the next pickable product (Automatische Vorauswahl des nächsten kommissionierbaren Produkts) option in the extension settings for Pickware WMS.

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While picking, you can check at the bottom which products you have already picked for a better overview.

When all open product line items are completed, cluster picking ends automatically. You receive a corresponding confirmation. Then switch to Ship.

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Process orders ready to ship

In the Picked tab, you then find all picked orders.

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When you open an order, you can mark the order as shipped, create a new shipping label, print the invoice or the delivery note (again), or reset picking completely if you need to restart the process.

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If a delivery has already been fully assembled but no order documents have been printed yet, the app shows a note and offers to print them directly.

As in the picking view, you can also display the order details here via the Info button at the top right. Click the respective product to view the product details.

Once the order has been packed and shipped, you can mark it as shipped. The order is then removed from the list of orders ready to ship and you receive a confirmation.

This completes the picking process and you can ship the orders as usual.

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