Picking and Packing in Helm

The noble art of moving goods from shelf to dispatch with minimal faff and maximal accuracy

Picking is the act of retrieving the correct items from the warehouse; packing is the ritual of verifying, boxing, and labelling them for courier collection

Do it well and your orders fly; do it poorly and your KPIs sulk.

This is a core configuration, not a plugin. It enables you to customise your dispatch operations to suit your stock volume, item type, and staffing model

Single vs Multi Pick

• Single Pick:
  Orders with a single item – swift and controlled; perfect for single‑item or high‑value orders.

• Multi Pick:
  Many orders in one run; efficient on footwork, occasionally chaotic at the bench unless you choose a method with built‑in separation or sorting.

How to choose your picking method:

• Warehouse layout: long aisles and scattered SKUs favour Bulk or Bulk & Sort for route optimisation; compact zones with high SKU overlap thrive on Container or Tote Picking for order separation.

• Team composition: more pickers than packers suggests Bulk or Bulk & Sort to keep benches flowing; balanced teams or novice packers benefit from Tote or Container Picking for clarity at pack.

• Operational style: if you adore paper, Pick & Sheet is serviceable; hybrid scanning improves accuracy without full digitisation; all‑in digital delivers speed and traceability, provided everything is barcoded.

• Mixed estates: larger warehouses often run different methods in different zones: fragile goods by Order‑by‑Order; fast‑moving SKUs by Bulk; complex eCommerce by Tote or Container. Preferences are permissible; performance is paramount.

• Experimentation and KPIs: use A/B testing across areas - compare pick time, error rate, walk distance, and returns. Keep the method that wins; retire the method that underperforms.

Rule of thumb:

• If packers need simplicity: Tote or Container.

• If pickers need speed: Bulk or Bulk & Sort.

• If risk is high or orders are special: Order‑by‑Order.

Choose deliberately; measure ruthlessly; standardise what works.

Physical, Hybrid & Digital Picking

When to Configure Picking & Packing

Set up or adjust your Picking & Packing configuration when:

• You’re preparing for your first wave of dispatches

• Warehouse operations are being reorganised

• Scanning hardware is being introduced

• You’re looking to speed up order processing

• Your workflows differ between B2B and B2C

The Five Canonical Methods

Configure how your team moves from shelf to label with speed and accuracy; choose the method that suits your stock profile, order mix, and staffing model.

1. Order by Order Picking
   Pick one order at a time; simple, controlled; ideal for single-item and high‑value orders.

2. Bulk Picking
   Pick items for many orders in a single, optimised route; maximum walking efficiency.

3. Bulk and Sort
   Pick in Bulk, then sort by order; keeps the speed, fixes the confusion.

4. Tote Picking
   Multi‑item orders only; one tote equals one order - neat, traceable, rapid at pack.

5. Container Picking
   Flexible bulk picking with container assignment; works for singles and multis; packing becomes scan‑and‑go.

1. Order by Order Picking (Single Order)

Pick one order at a time; simple, controlled; ideal for single-item and high‑value orders.

Process Flow

1. Picker starts the pick on their PDA.

2. Picks by order sequence, regardless of warehouse location efficiency.

3. Scans location ➔ scans item ➔ repeats until order is complete.

4. Places picked order(s) at the packing terminal

2. Bulk Picking

Pick items for many orders in a single, optimised route; maximum walking efficiency.

Process Flow:

1. Picker starts the Bulk pick

2. System optimises route around the warehouse

3. Picker scans locations ➔ scans items for all orders in one go

4. Places picked items at the packing terminal.

3. Bulk & Sort

Pick items in bulk, then sort by order after picking

Process Flow:

1. Navigate to settings and general settings and Enable Sort Plant: which will allow you to start sorting

2. Picker starts the Bulk Pick.

3. Picks all items efficiently in one route.

4. Navigates to “Box Manager” on the PDA.

5. System guides the picker to sort items into separate shelves or bins for each order (e.g. Item A ➔ Shelf 1, Item B ➔ Shelf 2, Item C ➔ Shelf 1).

Variations:

• Container Picking: Allocate a container (e.g. tote or trolley) to each order. The system guides you by location and route (FIFO supported)

• Tote Picking: Scan the tote when placing picked items to track the order during the process

4. Tote Picking

Multi‑item orders only; one tote equals one order - neat, traceable, rapid at pack.

Process Flow:

1. Create totes within Helm.

2. Select Tote Picking for multi-item orders.

3. Choose Multipick Tote Quantity: Set how many totes will be used by each picker

4. System guides picker around the warehouse, ensuring each tote is filled with items from only one order.

5. At packing, packer scans the tote directly to process and print courier labels for that order.

5. Container Picking

An updated, flexible picking logic allowing bulk picking with dynamic container allocation, suitable for both Single and Multi picks. Packing becomes scan‑and‑go

Process Flow:

1. Install the Terminal Sorting Plugin in settings > plugin store

2. Create containers within Helm before starting

3. Raise pick as Bulk for Singles and Multis

4. Picker:

   1. Scans location ➔ scans item ➔ scans container

5. At packing:

   1. Packer scans the container

   2. Scans any item at random from the container

   3. Helm identifies the oldest matching order and guides the packer through the next required items to complete the order, labels print

How the Process Works ( eg bulk and sort)

1. Pick items from the warehouse according to method

2. Sort by order or container (shelves or totes)

3. Pack using terminal, packing bench or scan-to-pack

4. Print labels automatically or on-demand based on system configuration

System Behaviours You Can Enable

• Assign to Picker: Manual task assignment by team lead

• Allocate in System: Auto-allocation plugin based on order status

• Multi Pick-Pack: Picker scans and packs instantly from nearby stock. No sorting needed; system prints the label once complete

• PREGEN/Bulk Workflow:
  Label is generated immediately after order creation. This allows for faster bulk processing where you print labels in advance

Setup Checklist to Configure Picking & Packing

1. Choose your picking method: Order‑by‑Order; Bulk; Bulk & Sort; Tote; Container.

2. Configure scanners: enable barcode mode; validation rules for quantity, location, expiry.

3. Define packing preferences: packing slip templates; label formats and printer defaults; courier rules and auto‑label generation.

4. Assign permissions: roles for pickers, packers, managers; control bulk printing and batch allocation.

Example Use Cases

Tips & Best Practices

• Run a test session with staff before fully switching methods

• Use training to minimise mispicks and ensure scanner accuracy

• Review KPIs like pick time, error rate, and returns to guide improvements or adjust method accordingly

• Use zoning for bulky/slow-moving items to simplify batch picks

• Evaluate picking plugins for advanced workflows like FIFO, expiry rotation, or multi-user sorting

For more advanced picking features look out our Picking Plugins