This checklist summarizes the most important points you should check before going live with Pickware in your Shopify shop. For each point, we link to the matching detailed article in the helpcenter. This checklist does not replace any of the detailed guides; it helps you make sure you don't miss anything before the start.
You can also find a detailed step-by-step introduction including videos in our onboarding series. This checklist works as a compact check shortly before the actual go-live.
If you are switching from another inventory management system: Make sure the old system no longer writes any stock before you go live with Pickware. If an interface is still running in the background that books stock out of or into Shopify, discrepancies arise that are difficult to correct during ongoing operations. Plan the shutdown of the old system as a separate step before the go-live, not in parallel to it.
1. Account & connection
The Shopify shop is connected to a Pickware account via the Shopify App Store.
A suitable plan and all required licenses for Pickware WMS and/or Pickware POS are booked, so the shop is no longer running only in the 30-day trial.
The correct Shopify location is linked to Pickware (only this one location exchanges stock with Pickware).
More on this: How do I connect my Shopify shop to Pickware? · How do I link a Shopify location to Pickware?
2. Shipping methods
All shipping rates used in Shopify have been imported and are linked in Pickware Admin to the matching carrier and shipping product.
Sender address as well as parcel dimensions/weights are stored so that shipping labels can be created correctly.
More on this: How do I configure shipping methods so that the correct carrier products are selected automatically?
3. Payment methods
Payment for regular B2C orders is handled exclusively in Shopify and is not part of the Pickware configuration. You only need your own payment methods, such as invoice or prepayment, if you create B2B orders manually in Pickware Admin.
Only relevant for manual B2B orders: How can I create payment methods for B2B orders in Pickware?
4. Warehouses & bin locations
The split into warehouses and bin locations is a deliberate decision. Rule of thumb: You need a separate warehouse for physically separate sites or if online availability should differ. Anything that is only a distinction within the same warehouse (shelf, demo corner, second-hand area) belongs on a bin location. You map product properties such as B-grade goods or display items via the product or a variant, not via a separate warehouse.
Bin locations are created, either manually or via CSV import.
The naming of bin locations is consistent and follows a comprehensible scheme (e.g. aisle – shelf – level). Check this especially if you export bin locations from a legacy system: inconsistent separators are the most common reason why a stock import cannot be assigned cleanly later.
The position of the bin locations defines the order in which they are walked during picking. Without maintained positions, no sensible picking route is created.
Optionally, a default bin location is assigned to fast-selling products.
Bin locations are labeled so that they can be scanned during picking with the WMS App.
If you accept returns: A separate returns warehouse that is not available online prevents returned goods from being sold again immediately before they have been checked.
More on this: How do I create bin locations? · Tips for setting up your warehouse
5. Stock
When you connect for the first time, all products including their stock from the linked Shopify location are automatically imported into Pickware. Check whether the imported quantities are correct.
Stock management is enabled in Shopify for all products that are to be processed via Pickware. Items without stock management cannot be processed cleanly in Pickware.
Product master data is cleaned up, in particular duplicate product numbers (SKUs). They are a common reason why an import aborts or stock is assigned incorrectly.
The stock sync between Shopify and Pickware is enabled and configured for the correct transfer direction. Only enable it once bin locations and stock are correctly assigned in Pickware, otherwise you transfer interim states to your shop.
When switching from another system, you should spot-check the imported stock against the physical goods instead of relying on the final inventory count of the old system. Otherwise, incorrectly imported stock only becomes apparent when customers can order items that are no longer physically there.
More on this: How do I sync my stock between Shopify and Pickware?
6. Documents
Logo, header and footer as well as business details are stored on invoices, delivery notes, etc.
The number ranges for invoices and other documents are set so that they continue your previous numbering. This can only be corrected afterwards with effort and often only becomes apparent after the first real orders.
More on this: How do I configure and customize my order documents?
7. Set up Pickware WMS & Pickware POS (if used)
Every user has their own user account with their own App PIN, with no shared collective accounts. This is the only way to assign permissions in a targeted way and to trace actions later.
The roles and permissions of the users are tailored to their actual tasks.
Hardware (scanners, printers, cash register) has been delivered, set up and tested at least once in a real workflow. Allow enough lead time, as devices that have not yet arrived or have not been tested are a common reason for postponing the go-live.
Label printers are reachable via the network and not just connected to a single computer. The mobile devices address the printer directly, so a pure USB connection on the warehouse PC is not sufficient.
The Wi-Fi covers the areas where scanning actually takes place, including outdoor areas and secondary warehouses.
For Pickware POS: The opening cash balance was recorded before the first sale.
8. Prepare picking
The picking profiles are set up and determine which orders appear in the WMS App at all.
Old orders that date from before the go-live and are no longer to be shipped via Pickware are excluded from picking. In Shopify, you can solve this with a tag that you filter on in the picking profile. Otherwise they appear in the WMS App on the first day and cause confusion.
More on this: How do I set up picking profiles?
9. Place a test order
To finish, create a test order in Shopify and process it completely through Pickware once: create the invoice, generate the shipping label, pick the order via Pickware Admin or the WMS App, and ship it. This way you make sure that shipping methods, bin locations and documents work together correctly before real orders come in.
Pay particular attention to whether a shipping label can actually be generated. If that fails, it is usually due to the carrier's settings, for example print options carried over from a previously used system.
After the go-live
In the first days after the start, keep an eye on the order overview and on stock so you can react to discrepancies early. If you have questions about individual points, our support team is happy to help.