At the packing table, you pack one order completely before starting the next. For this workstation, the WMS App has its own view for the iPad: on the left, the items that still need to go into the box; on the right, the parcel currently being filled. We therefore recommend an iPad in a holder at the packing table, while the iPhone with a barcode scanner case remains the device for getting around the warehouse. For an overview of the packing process across all picking types, see How does the packing process work in the WMS App?

Whether the WMS App packs order by order or product by product depends on the picking process in use and its settings:

After batch picking, the WMS App first switches to the packing overview. A progress ring shows you how many orders and products are left to pack. With Start packing you get going; alternatively, you can scan a product directly. With Pack later you put the packing process on hold to continue it later.

In the packing view, you work through one order. At the top you see the order number, shipping method, weight, and delivery location of the order; below that, the screen splits into two columns.

The left column shows what still has to go into a parcel. Above it, To pack and a progress bar show how far along you are with the order. With the field Search or scan product number you find a product. If you scan it or tap it in the list, it appears at the top of the right column.

You can scan with the iPad's camera or with a Bluetooth scanner that connects as a keyboard. Such a scanner types the product number into the search field. The app then selects the matching product or increases the quantity of the already selected product by one, without you having to confirm the input. Bluetooth scanners from other manufacturers do work here, but we do not test them and they are not officially supported.

The right column shows the parcel you are currently filling. The selected product is at the top: with + and − you count the quantity, with All you put the entire open quantity into the parcel. Below that you see the products that are already in the parcel. If you counted too many, you correct this on the respective product with Reduce quantity.

If the scan requirement for packing is set for your user, tapping does not put a product into the parcel, and +, All, and the quantity field do not increase the quantity. You then scan every product and every additional unit. You can reduce a quantity that is too high without scanning. To learn how to set the scan requirement, see How do I manage users and user roles for Pickware WMS?.

If a keyboard is connected to the iPad, you can also enter the quantity directly in the quantity field. With the Tab key you jump between the search field and the quantity field. Packing instructions for a product or for the whole order are highlighted in color directly on the product or at the bottom of the screen, so you don't overlook them while packing.

If an order doesn't fit into one box, you distribute it across multiple parcels while packing, as a multi-parcel shipment with one parcel per box. This works on the iPhone just as it does on the iPad at the packing table. The order is still shipped as a single delivery.

On the iPad, each parcel has its own tab at the top of the right column, showing the weight and number of products it contains. With + next to the tabs you create another parcel; by tapping a tab you switch between the parcels. On the iPhone, in the single-column view, you see the parcels in a parcel bar with Add package. Creating, filling, deleting, and finishing works the same in both views.

The distribution is preserved even if you close the app in between.

You finish each parcel individually using the button at the bottom, for example Finish parcel 1. For this parcel you go through the steps from Finishing the packing process: weighing, parcel photo, and shipping label each apply only to this parcel. The order in which you finish the parcels doesn't matter.

You can only ship the order once all packed products are assigned to a parcel. If a shipping label is still missing for a parcel, the app notifies you before shipping (Nicht für jedes Paket dieser Bestellung wurde ein Versandetikett erstellt. Möchtest du die Bestellung wirklich versenden?). You can still ship anyway.

If you scan the shipping labels of a split order, each tracking code is assigned to the matching parcel. The order only counts as shipped once all parcels have been shipped.

If you have stored a maximum package weight for the shipping method, the app warns you before a parcel becomes too heavy. If an item would push the parcel over the maximum, the message Maximum package weight exceeded appears before packing, with the new weight and the maximum. You have two options:

Start next parcel creates a new parcel and selects it. You then confirm the item for the new parcel.

Continue packing packs the item into the current parcel anyway. If you can't distribute the order across multiple parcels, this is the only option.

A parcel that is too heavy shows its weight in red in the tab, and as long as it is selected, the note Heavier than the maximum parcel weight of … appears in the parcel area. If you keep packing into a parcel that you have already confirmed as too heavy, the app doesn't ask again. A weight exactly at the maximum does not count as exceeded. To learn what happens with the shipping label, see How do I create shipping labels?.

The WMS App chooses its layout based on the available width of the app window, not on the orientation of the device:

Which view you see therefore depends on the iPad model, on the orientation (portrait or landscape), and on whether the app is running in Split View next to another app. If you rotate the device or change the window width, the app switches the view right away. Workflow and functionality are identical in both views — so a different layout is not a sign of a faulty setup.

In full screen, the packing view is two-column on all current iPads, in landscape as well as portrait. The exception is the iPad mini, which works in a single column in portrait. The view also becomes single-column if the WMS App takes up only part of the screen in Split View or Slide Over. If you see the single-column view on an iPad, open the app in full screen or rotate the iPad mini to landscape.

Once a parcel is finished, a checklist guides you through the steps that are still open for this parcel, such as Confirm products, Print documents (e.g. the delivery note), and Print shipping label. On wide screens, the steps are on the left, and completed steps are marked with a green checkmark. On the right you see the content of the selected step. On narrower screens, the same steps are listed one below the other.

In the checklist you see the packed products as well as the generated documents and shipping labels. With Print again you print them again individually without leaving the screen. If you need an additional shipping label, you create it with Create shipping label. With Done you finish the checklist.

If a parcel scale is connected, weighing is one of these steps. You can find details under How do I use a parcel scale in the WMS App?.

If the setting Require a parcel photo while packing is active, Parcel photo is added as another step: the shipping label is only created after at least one photo of the parcel contents has been taken. The photos are assigned to the delivery as documents of the type Parcel photo and can be found in the order in the Photos tab.

If you have created shipping boxes as shipping material, the step Box is added, between the documents and weighing. There you select the box you packed the parcel into, scan its EAN or product number, or enter the dimensions of your own box using + Custom box. The app takes the box's dimensions and weight over for the shipping label. If the selection is not mandatory, the step can be skipped. To learn how to create boxes, see How can I create shipping boxes and select them while packing?.

For the packing table, we recommend an iPad, ideally mounted in a holder at the packing station. The packing view is built for exactly this: text and controls are enlarged so you can read them well from a bit of a distance, and you have your hands free for products and box. You don't need any additional hardware. The packing process also works on the iPhone, in the single-column view and with the same functionality.

You can find the related settings in your Pickware Admin under Settings → Extensions → Pickware WMS:

What the individual options do is explained under How do I configure Pickware WMS in the Pickware Admin?.