Set up wave picking

Wave picking means releasing orders to the floor in planned groups — waves — instead of a constant trickle. It gives picking a rhythm.

How a wave works

1. A manager selects a set of orders in Operations → Shipping → Sales orders.
2. They release them together as one wave to the To pick queue.
3. The floor works that wave through picking and packing.
4. The next wave is released when the floor is ready.

Why pick in waves

• Carrier cut-offs — release a wave timed to be packed before a pickup.
• Focus — the floor finishes a defined set, then starts fresh, instead of an endless queue.
• Planning — group orders by carrier, by zone, or by priority.

A simple wave plan

Many warehouses run a few waves a day — mid-morning, early afternoon, late afternoon — each sized to be packed before the next carrier collection. Build waves around your cut-off times and the day organizes itself.

Wave vs. batch vs. zone

A wave is when orders are released. Batch picking is picking several at once on one trip. Zone picking splits an order across areas. They combine.

Tip: size each wave to comfortably clear before its carrier cut-off. A wave too big to pack in time just becomes tomorrow’s late shipment.