The Top 5 Benefits of Combining Your Picking and Packing Methods with the Right Technologies

You finished putting all the pieces together and have shipped out the order. Everything that was supposed to be in it was there….right? Wait, where does this item go? Can we catch the truck before it hits the gate?

Unfortunately, it happens. For whatever reason, something was missed despite all the planning and paperwork that listed everything that was supposed to be in the order.

Now, you have to go back and figure out why that happened and think of a way to avoid it in the future. The best way to go about this is by combining the right technologies with your picking and packing method.

If you aren’t sure as to whether or not you should, take a look at these five benefits and then decide:

More accurate inventory tracking

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and 2D Barcodes allow all items to be tracked throughout the entire picking process. While both keep count of quantity, price, and more, they have subtle differences.

Barcodes must be directly scanned by a 2D reader. RFID tags don’t rely on line of sight and can be picked up by well-placed scanners as they move throughout the warehouse. Either way, they help fulfill multiple orders quickly and efficiently. They also ease the stress of managers who have to report what is to be shipped and when it goes out.

Reduced costs

When you think of lost money, you probably rarely think about the costs for an incorrect item to be packed and shipped. Well, now you are now paying for the item to be sent back and for the right one to be shipped out. Your postage on one order just tripled. Mistakes like that add up.

A pack verification system makes sure that everything in that box is correct before it is sealed and sent. Using RFID or barcode technology, the items are confirmed with what is on the order, streamlining the process, increasing efficiency, and eliminating human error.

Space minimization/warehouse design

At some point, you decided to set your warehouse up the way you did for a reason. Perhaps it was so pickers could get certain items out quicker or because your employees got lost looking for other items.

A mobile workstation with portable printers will allow everyone to print the label and then be guided toward the item. This can lead to small changes in your layout. Maybe you start stocking certain items next to accessories that you see people order at the same time. Now, you have created a segment that can be shipped out quicker, increasing efficiency and revenue. One aisle, two items, countless correct orders.

Better inventory control

Portable scanners are just one of many tools that help prevent the dreaded “We are currently out of that” conversation. Customers don’t want to hear that, they want their items now.

These scanners can be carried, vehicle-mounted, or placed on the ends of your fingers so that the computer systems know the exact moment that an item is selected, updating your inventory logs in real time.  When you have your inventory under complete control, customers get what they want, when they want it.

The customer stays happy

This one speaks for itself. Losing a customer is bad, regardless of whether it is one person with a single item or an entire company that relied on you for many. It brings a financial loss and a hit to your reputation.

You don’t want that, and we want to help you avoid it with one of our many solutions. Contact us today to see how businesses like yours have seen completed orders go out, and only new ones come in.