Picking list: what to put on it and how to order the lines

A picking list is the working document a warehouse operator uses to collect items for one order or one batch of orders: which SKU, how many, from which location, in the sequence that makes the shortest walk. It is an internal document, unlike the packing slip that goes in the box, and its quality decides both how fast the pick takes and how often the wrong item ends up in the parcel. A picking list sorted by order line instead of by location is the most common avoidable waste in a small warehouse.

What a picking list should contain

• Order or batch reference and the pick list number.
• One line per SKU: item code, short description, quantity to pick and unit.
• Storage location for each line — aisle, rack, shelf, bin.
• Lines sorted by picking route, not by how the customer ordered them.
• A space to confirm each line: quantity picked and a tick or scan.
• Picker name, date and time started, for traceability.
• Special handling notes: fragile, batch or serial number required, cold chain.

Sequence the lines by location

Sorting a picking list by location is the single change that makes picking faster, and it costs nothing. Number your locations so that sorting them alphabetically produces a sensible walking route — a serpentine path through aisles rather than crossing the warehouse repeatedly. Where batch picking is used, the list should consolidate quantities across orders for each location, with the split back to orders happening at the pack bench.

If pickers regularly deviate from the list order, the location numbering does not match the physical layout. Fix the numbering rather than asking people to work against it.

Picking list vs packing slip vs delivery note

The three are often confused because they list the same items. The picking list is internal and includes locations, which no customer needs. The packing slip goes inside the parcel and shows what should be in it, usually without prices. The delivery note is the document the recipient signs or checks against on arrival, which is why it doubles as proof of delivery in many businesses. One source of order lines should generate all three, so a change to the order cannot leave two documents disagreeing.

Running picking lists in a spreadsheet

Below a few hundred orders a week, a spreadsheet is a reasonable home for this. Ettex Sheets can hold the order lines, a location lookup per SKU, and a sorted, printable pick list per batch, with a column for the picked quantity that the packer checks. Keep the location table as the single source of truth, and re-generate lists rather than editing yesterday's copy. When volume outgrows it, the same columns map cleanly onto the pick and pack process in a warehouse system.