E-commerce picking methods

Picking is fetching what each order contains. By order (one at a time), in waves (many orders in one route, sorted afterwards), by zone (each person their aisle). The right method depends on how many orders and lines; the error to avoid is always the same: picking from the neighbouring slot.

Published1 November 2026 · Vialog Fulfillment

Which one suits you

Few orders with many lines: by order. Many one- or two-line orders: waves with sorting at the desk. Big warehouse and several people: by zone. In practice they are mixed depending on the day.

Where accuracy is lost

Slots holding two look-alike SKUs, labels that do not match the slot, quantities counted by eye, and the second item of the order that gets forgotten. Barcode verification at the slot and again at the desk removes almost all of it.

E-commerce picking methods: frequently asked questions

Are batch picking and wave picking the same thing?

They are often used interchangeably: in both, several orders are picked in one round and separated afterwards. When people distinguish them, the wave adds the when: it groups orders by cut-off time or carrier so that they leave on time, while a batch is simply a group of orders picked together.

How do you measure picking accuracy?

By the picking errors per given number of orders or lines shipped: wrong item, swapped size or colour, one unit too few or too many. Record every error with its cause (location, label, oversight) so you can fix it, and do not rely on complaints alone: many buyers never tell you, they just return the item or do not come back.

Where should products go in the warehouse to make picking faster?

Best sellers in the locations closest to the packing desk and at hand height; slow movers further away or higher up, and surplus stock in reserve locations. Review the layout when the season changes and keep look-alike SKUs apart so they never share a location or sit side by side.