Batch Picking
What is Batch Picking?
Batch picking is a warehouse strategy where operatives collect items for multiple orders simultaneously in a single pass through the warehouse.
Instead of completing one order at a time (single order or discrete order picking), operatives pick quantities for multiple orders together.
This strategy is also called batch order picking or multi-order picking.
The Advantages of Batch Picking
Batch picking is more efficient than single order picking as operatives spend less time traveling between locations and more time picking products.
When to Use Warehouse Batch Picking
Batch picking delivers the strongest benefits in warehouses that process over 100 orders daily, with moderate Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) counts (500-5,000 items) and frequent SKU overlap between orders.
The batch picking strategy becomes less effective when orders contain mostly unique SKUs with little overlap, as batching provides minimal travel reduction.
Good infrastructure is needed for a batch picking strategy to be successful. Sorting stations or multi-compartment carts are needed to organize orders, and a more complex warehouse management system (WMS) logic is required to manage batches and consolidate orders.
How Batch Picking Works
Batch picking is reliant on a good WMS. This groups orders with common SKUs into batches, organizing by zone, pick path, and shipping deadline.
Operatives then receive a consolidated pick list showing total quantities needed for each item across all orders in the batch.
The optimal batch size depends on order profiles, warehouse layout and cart capacity. Small batches of 3-5 orders suit complex picks with many unique SKUs, while large batches of 15-20 orders work well for warehouses with a high SKU overlap between orders.
Products are then sorted into individual orders at a consolidation (or sorting) station. Alternatively, some warehouses use multi-compartment carts where operatives place each item into an order slot.