Faster Order Picking and Fewer Mistakes with Barcode Scanners
In e-commerce, everything revolves around speed and accuracy. Orders need to be processed quickly to fulfill promises like “Ordered today, delivered tomorrow.” But how do you ensure a fast order-picking process without making mistakes? Online customers are highly sensitive to even the smallest errors, and mistakes can be incredibly costly in e-commerce.
Our advice: use barcode scanners. Here, we’ll explain why barcode scanning not only saves you time but also reduces mistakes.
Faster Order Picking Starts with Preventing Errors
Speed is crucial for any warehouse, but working faster or hiring more staff isn’t always the solution. In fact, rushing increases the chance of mistakes: picking the wrong product from a shelf, packing too much or too little products, or sending packages to the wrong customer.
Fixing these mistakes costs not just time and money but can also lead to dissatisfied customers and negative reviews. Speed is irrelevant if errors are made. Faster order picking, therefore, starts with preventing mistakes.
How Barcode Scanners Speed Up Order Picking
The quickest way to prevent mistakes is by scanning products. Once you’ve picked the order, you scan the products at the packing station. Software like Picqer then confirms whether you’ve picked the correct product in the right quantity. This ensures any picking mistakes are caught before the order goes out the door.
Without a barcode scanner, you’d need to manually compare barcodes or rely on visual checks. This is not only time-consuming but also prone to mistakes-even for experienced staff. Barcode scanners eliminate that uncertainty.
Example of Time Savings with Barcode Scanning
On average, it takes 30 minutes to resolve a mis-shipped product: the time for customer service + processing the return + two extra shipping costs.
In warehouses that don’t use barcode scanning, mistake rates range from 1 to 4%. At an mistake rate of 1%, that’s 18 seconds per order. Scanning takes less than 18 seconds per order, making it always cheaper to scan your outgoing products.
The Key Benefits of Barcode Scanning for Order Picking
Barcode scanners provide confidence and help you work more efficiently:
- Correct products, correct quantities: Always be sure you’ve picked the right items.
- Prevent picking mistakes: Catch picking mistakes before orders leave the warehouse.
- No product knowledge needed: New staff can work quickly and accurately from the start.
- Work with confidence: Warehouse employees work more efficiently and experience less stress.
Work Even Faster with Mobile Barcode Scanners
Barcode scanners are an affordable and fast solution. Connect them to computers at your packing stations, and you’re ready to go. But if you want even more speed and flexibility, mobile scanners or phones with the Picqer App are worth the investment. With these, you can scan products directly at the shelves, eliminating the need to walk back and forth to fix picking errors at the packing station.
How Picqer Integrates Barcode Scanning for 5x Faster Order Picking
Picqer supports barcode scanning in every process within your warehouse. This ensures every task is done right the first time, minimizes mistakes, and guarantees the correct product is sent to the correct customer. With this approach, your team can process orders five times faster without having to work harder.
Curious how Picqer warehouse software can benefit your warehouse? Try it today with a free trial account.
