Picking & packing (with item verification)

This is the part of the system built to stop the two most expensive floor mistakes: the wrong item in the box and the same order worked twice.

Pick lists

From the Ship tab, select the orders for a run and build a pick list:

• A printable sheet with a tally (total pieces per product/colour to pull from the shelves) plus each order's items below, with personalisation details large and readable.
• The sheet has write-in columns (Extra / Remaining) and sign-off lines (Batch by / Checked by) because paper still works on a floor.

One picker, one list. Saved lists live under Tools → Pick lists with a status: open → claimed → completed. A picker claims a list before starting; once claimed, nobody else can claim it, and an order that's on one active list is automatically kept off every new list. If someone goes home mid-shift, a manager releases their list (with a reason) so another picker can take it.

Packing: the checklist gate

Scan the order number or AWB at the packing station; the order opens.

The packing card shows every item with its expected quantity, and this is the important part: "Mark packed" is locked until the packer has confirmed each line, either by scanning the item's barcode (each scan counts one unit) or tapping the ✓ per line.

• Confirm 1 of 2 mugs? Locked, and it tells you which line is short.
• Order was cancelled or put on hold after the pick? Packing is refused.
• Already packed by a colleague seconds ago? Refused: one order packs once.
• Your brand requires packing photos? The camera is on the same card, and the photo is required in addition to the checklist, never instead.

Inventory gate (if you use inventory)

The moment of packing is also the moment stock leaves. If the system can't match an item to your stock (an unmapped SKU) or the stock count says there aren't enough units, it blocks the pack and says exactly why:

⛔ SKU MUG-BLU is unmapped: resolve it on Inventory → Mapping. ⛔ Short stock: Ceramic Mug / Blue needs 2, only 1 available.

A manager can override with a reason (logged forever), or you can set the policy to "warn instead of block", but then your stock can go negative, visibly. Tip: in Settings → Operations policies you can define a fixed list of override reasons; managers then pick from a dropdown (with an "Other…" escape hatch) instead of typing, so you can later count why overrides happen instead of reading a pile of free text.

When packing goes wrong anyway

A manager can reverse a packed order, reason required (from your workspace's reason list if you've defined one, free text otherwise). The units walk back onto the shelf automatically and the order re-opens for packing. The reversal, the reason, and the re-pack are all in the activity log.

Why so strict?

Because at 500 orders a day, "we're careful" stops working. The gate makes the system careful, so a new packer on day one is as safe as your best packer on their best day.