What is Pick and Pack Fulfillment? A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlining Your Warehouse

Pick and pack fulfillment is one of the most important parts of running a smooth eCommerce business. Whether you're shipping 100 customer orders a month or scaling to 2,000+, this step is where customer expectations are either met—or missed.

In this blog, we’ll explore what pick and pack fulfillment is, how the pick and pack process works, and how you can optimize it to reduce shipping costs, speed up deliveries, and scale your store more efficiently. We’ll also dive into real examples, best practices, and signs it’s time to outsource your pack fulfillment process.

What Is Pick & Pack Fulfillment?

Pick and pack fulfillment is the process of selecting items from inventory and packaging them for delivery. It sits between receiving a customer order and shipping it to the customer. Done well, it keeps warehouse operations smooth and customer satisfaction high.

For growing eCommerce stores—especially those sending out 100 to 2,500 shipments per month—this process can be a major source of cost savings or challenges if not optimized. Pick and pack services streamline warehouse processes and reduce time in transit by automating each step.

Many small businesses begin their order fulfillment process manually, but this often leads to delays, order errors, and higher shipping costs. As ecommerce sales channels expand, outsourcing to a third-party fulfillment center or using pick and pack software becomes a smart move.

Why Pick & Pack Fulfillment Efficiency Matters

Why do you need pick and pack fulfillment?

Think of your warehouse like a restaurant kitchen. Customer orders come in, ingredients are picked from warehouse shelves, meals are prepped, packaged with appropriate packing materials, and delivered. One delay in this pack process causes a ripple effect.

Why do you need pick and pack fulfillment? 

Cost-Effectiveness

Labor makes up 50–70% of warehouse costs, according to the Logistics Bureau. 

When you improve pick and pack operations, you cut wasted time, reduce errors, and lower your packaging materials and labor costs. For small-to-medium stores, this can directly increase profit margins.

To improve cost efficiency:

• Design a smart fulfillment warehouse layout
• Use barcode scanning and digital picking lists
• Train warehouse workers on lean pack operations
• Audit your packaging materials and packing slip usage
• Consolidate frequently sold SKUs for faster picking

Easyship merchants save up to 91% on retail shipping by using multi-carrier fulfillment services and optimized warehouse systems.

Flexibility and Scalability

Your fulfillment process must grow with your business. If you’re launching new products or using multiple ecommerce sales channels, your system needs to be flexible.

Most efficient route planning, scalable pack software, and warehouse management system integrations are crucial. 3PL providers help you adjust quickly to order surges without expanding warehouse space or hiring seasonal staff yourself.

To improve flexibility:

• Adopt cloud-based warehouse management software
• Create modular packing stations and loading dock workflows
• Train seasonal warehouse workers in advance
• Use pack fulfillment services for overflow support
• Monitor inventory levels and customer order volume weekly

Improved Order Accuracy

One mistake in the picking process can result in costly returns and damaged trust. Order accuracy is critical for customer satisfaction.

Cut costly mistakes and delight customers by scanning every item, double-checking high-value orders, and keeping SKUs crystal clear. 

Interestingly, implementing barcode scanning can slash picking errors by over 99.9%, driving accuracy from 1 in 300 manual entries to just 1 in 3 million scans, while boosting receiving throughput by up to 25% and worker productivity by 30–50%. 

Warehouses using scanners cut order error rates to below 0.3%, improve inventory accuracy by 30%, and reduce labor costs by 20%. Adding quality checks and premium packaging further lowers return rates protecting margins and customer trust.

Track error rates to catch problems before they impact deliveries, and run quality checks at every station so every package arrives on time, in perfect condition, and exactly as promised.

How the Pick & Pack Fulfillment Process Works

Understanding the pack fulfillment process step-by-step helps eCommerce sellers identify improvement areas. Here's how orders move through your fulfillment center:

Step 1: Order Receiving

When a customer places an order through your online store, the information is sent to your warehouse management system or inventory management systems. These systems cross-check inventory levels and assign the order to the most efficient warehouse location.

Step 2: Order Picking

Pickers receive a digital picking list that guides them along the most efficient path through the warehouse. Using piece picking, batch picking, or zone picking methods—depending on your pack warehouse size—they retrieve products accurately and quickly.

Step 3: Order Packing

At the packing station, items are placed in right-sized boxes with appropriate packing materials like bubble wrap or crinkle paper. The pack process includes applying labels, attaching packing slips, and optionally using branded packaging to enhance customer experience.

Step 4: Order Shipping

Once packed, the item is sent to the loading dock for dispatch. Integrated warehouse systems and pick and pack software ensure labels and tracking details are generated automatically. Fulfillment services then hand off the package to couriers, updating the customer with shipping details.

Picking Strategies Explained

Smart pick methods save time and money. Choose based on your order volume, product types, and fulfillment warehouse layout.

Piece Picking

A simple pick and pack method where one picker retrieves items for a single order before moving on. Best for businesses with low SKU count.

Batch Picking

This strategy lets one picker collect items for multiple orders at once. Batch picking works well for high-volume, low-SKU stores, helping reduce the total walking time.

Zone Picking

In zone picking, each picker is assigned to a specific area of the warehouse. Orders are passed through all the zones until complete—ideal for large fulfillment warehouses with lots of SKUs.

Wave Picking

Wave picking combines batch and zone methods, scheduling pick operations based on shipping cutoffs. It’s perfect for high-volume operations with tight timelines.

Packing Strategies and Best Practices

Efficient pack fulfillment relies on the right pack methods and materials. It ensures that your package is not returned or your customers do not end up paying more because of an avoidable situation!

Cartonization

Cartonization uses software to choose the smallest possible box that fits the order, reducing dimensional weight charges and shipping costs.

Branded Packaging

Branded packaging includes custom boxes, inserts, and cards that reflect your brand. This strengthens customer loyalty and boosts your marketing efforts.

Kitting

Kitting is when multiple items are pre-packed into a single SKU. It's especially effective during promos or holidays when speed matters.

Packaging QA

This is the last quality checkpoint in your pack fulfillment process. It ensures that items match the order, use proper packaging materials, and are labeled correctly.

Dimensional Optimization

By choosing the right packing materials and box sizes, you reduce volume, minimize shipping costs, and protect your items during transit.

Designing Your Warehouse for Efficient Fulfillment

Warehouse design affects every part of the fulfillment process. Smart storage facilities and optimized warehouse systems lead to faster, more accurate order fulfillment.

• Chaotic Inventory: Best for fast-moving SKUs; software assigns locations dynamically.
• Volume-Based Management: High-selling items are stored close to packing stations.
• Class-Based Storage: Inventory is grouped by weight, value, or category.
• Mobile Shelf Systems: Automated robots bring items to human pickers, saving time.

Tools and Technology That Improve Pick & Pack

Technology plays a vital role in optimizing your pick and pack operations. 3PL solutions like Easyship help shippers minimize manual effort and reduce packing errors, thereby enhancing fulfillment efficiency. Here’s a lowdown of the tech that goes into Pick & Pack services:

• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS): Coordinate everything from inventory to order shipping.
• Barcode & RFID Scanning: Boosts order accuracy across the entire pack order fulfillment chain.
• Real-Time Analytics: Helps forecast demand, improve workflows, and optimize warehouse picking.
• Packing Automation Tools: Reduce manual labor by automating box construction and labeling.

When to Outsource Pick and Pack to a 3PL

Managing everything in-house isn’t always efficient. Outsourcing to 3PL services provides scalable pack fulfillment services and tech-enabled support.

Signs it’s time to outsource:

• Limited warehouse space
• High labor and pack fee overhead
• Need for international fulfillment services
• Rising order error rates
• Demand for faster delivery from customers

Final Thoughts

Pick and pack fulfillment is more than just a warehouse task—it’s a crucial part of your overall customer experience and brand success.

As your online store scales, mastering your pack fulfillment process—whether in-house or with a pick and pack service—sets you up for long-term success.

Ready to reduce shipping costs, improve order accuracy, and streamline your fulfillment process? Talk to Easyship today and discover how our 3PL services and pick and pack software can transform your operations.

FAQs

What is pick and pack fulfillment?
It’s the process of selecting (picking) items from inventory and packing them for shipment to customers.

What is the average cost for pick and pack fulfillment?
Costs typically range from $2–$5 per order, plus storage and shipping fees, depending on order size and complexity.

Is pick and pack a hard job?
It can be physically active and detail-oriented, but with training and good systems, it’s straightforward.

What is the pick and pack process in a warehouse?
Workers receive an order, pick items from shelves, verify accuracy, pack securely, and prepare for shipping.

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What is pick and pack shipping?

It’s the process of selecting (picking) ordered items from inventory and securely packaging (packing) them for shipment to the customer.

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What is the pick and pack cycle time?

The time it takes from receiving an order to completing its picking and packing, usually measured in minutes or hours.

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What are the steps in warehouse processing?

Typical steps include receiving goods, storing inventory, picking items for orders, packing, labeling, and shipping.

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What is an order fulfillment process in a warehouse?

The end-to-end workflow of receiving an order, processing it, picking and packing items, and shipping them to the customer.

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