Shipping and Fulfilment
Picking and Packing Made (Really) Easy, With Neto’s Pick’n Pack
24 Jul 2018 • 6 min read
When it comes to running an online business, so much of your success rides on your ability to work efficiently. And one of your biggest challenges lies in your actual warehouse operation – order picking. If you’re looking to save time and reduce fulfilment costs, this is one of the first areas you should look at in improving your business efficiencies.
Here at Neto we’re all about giving you the tools to make it happen and one of our favorite all-time add-ons is Neto’s Pick'n Pack. This helpful little package allows you to pick orders more accurately and get them to the shipping stage quicker – it’s a complete order dispatch solution for your warehouse and it’s even mobile.
In a nutshell Pick’n Pack is a mobile barcode scanning program all conducted through a web app or Apple iOS app. It’s quick and easy to use so it’s perfect even for contract staff because the app will tell the user what the order requires. The item is then scanned and checked, notifying the user if they’ve picked an incorrect item with a tone and vibration. If some of your items don’t have a barcode, there’s also an option to tap on the order line, which will mark it as picked. And it’s ready to pack!
Neto Pick’n Pack is more than just a mobile barcode scanner. It also allows you to generate real-time shipping quotes with supported carriers including:
Then it’s just a case of wirelessly printing your labels, shipping manifests and invoices, ready to send (ensuring of course that your mobile device is connected to a wireless printer). And to complete the circle, your customer will also be sent an email, informing them that their parcel has been dispatched and is on its way.
We used to have three people picking, three people packing and sometimes another three people dispatching orders. Now one person can do it all… a couple of hours a day, because with Neto Pick’n Pack you can use mobile scanners to pick the products, check the barcode to improve accuracy, and mobile printers print the labels then and there. It’s much more accurate that the traditional pick slip method we used to useWholesale Wedding Superstore
The other great feature of Neto Pick’n Pack is that your staff can view stock information from multiple locations, allowing you to sort your warehouse according to zones, SKU or shipping method. Your staff just need to pick the section of an order that’s within their zone, before passing it on to the next zone for completion and shipping. On the other side of the equation, Pick’n Pack is also indenting your inventory, ensuring an accurate stock count at all times.
Learn more about picking techniques in our article: How Can I Spend Less Time on Fulfillment?
Did you know, the ecommerce industry struggles with a return rate of up to 30% compared to less than 9% for bricks and mortar stores. And almost a quarter of returns are purely packing errors!
Imagine a shelf full of almost identical items (think printer ink cartridges) and a staff member who’s under the pump with hundreds of orders to get out the door that day. It’s the perfect situation for mistakes to happen. But with a mobile barcode scanner you can ensure that even the busiest staff member is going to pick an order without errors.
Most merchants who use Pick’n Pack want to do their work on the go (because, who wouldn’t?), so they use a mobile laser scanner like this one which basically clips onto your device like a case. So then you can just pick up a phone, add the app and away you go.
With Neto Pick’n Pack there’s no longer any need to print out pick slips for your staff to fulfil, and this offers multiple benefits to your business. Firstly, reduced paper means reduced costs and reduced impact on the environment. It also introduces another level of accuracy – you’re not relying on staff to manually tick off the inclusions and there’s no chance of a sudden gust of wind playing havoc in your warehouse.
We’ve calculated that if you sell more than fifty items a month, Neto Pick’n Pack pays for itself through order accuracy, reduced returns, staff productivity and even paper costs. And we’ve got many customers who can vouch for the positive effect Pick’n Pack has had on their business.
By introducing an automated picking and packing system, it can significantly increase your picking volume which means you also have the ability to cope with an increase in sales. Pack more, sell more! Now there’s no excuse not to ramp up your marketing efforts and maybe try out a couple of new sales channels.
Looking for other ways to automate your business and improve efficiencies? Check out our article: 10 Ways to Automate Processes in Your Retail Business
Having an efficient warehouse with a streamlined picking and packing process could be what sets you apart from your competitors. Neto Pick’n Pack allows you to do just that, by enabling you to pick, pack and dispatch your orders with ease. It’s a standard add-on to your existing platform so you can be up and running with minimal effort and with an easy-to-use interface, there’s little training required for staff. Get started now!
