A common way to pack Shopify orders is this: print a pick list on a computer, walk the shelves, go back to the computer and print the label. Each walk back costs time, and a paper list does not tell you when a picker takes the wrong size. A phone does the whole flow where the products are. This guide explains the method, which works with any tool, and shows how the Pakkeshopper warehouse app does each step.
Start with a picking queue
A picking queue is the list of orders that are ready to pick. Show the open orders oldest first, so no order waits too long. Leave out the orders you do not want to ship yet, for example orders on hold. When different people handle different orders, split the queue into groups by a Shopify order tag.
In the Pakkeshopper warehouse app, the Orders tab is the queue. An order on hold in Shopify stays out of it. The built-in views are "All", "Single pick" and "Pickup". You add your own pick groups under Companion app on the Fulfillment page in the Pakkeshopper dashboard. A pick group can require some order tags and exclude others, for example "Webshop" but not "Onhold".
Split single-item and multi-item orders
A single-item order has one unit. The picker takes the product, packs it and prints the label. Nothing can mix. A multi-item order has two or more units, often from different shelves. When a picker collects several of these orders on one walk, each unit must go into the right parcel.
Take the single-item orders first. They are fast to ship, and you can often pick them as a batch (see below). Then pick the multi-item orders on a route, with one bin for each order. In the app, the "Single pick" view shows the orders with one unit.
Route picking: sort by shelf, one bin per order
Route picking means one walk through the warehouse for several orders. The picks are sorted by shelf location, so the picker passes each shelf once and does not walk back. Two things make it work:
- Every product has a shelf location. Without locations, the route cannot be sorted.
- Every order gets its own bin: a box or a tote with a barcode. Each unit goes into the bin of its order.
In the Pakkeshopper warehouse app:
- Open the Pick tab, select the orders and tap "Start picking".
- Scan a bin for each order. You create the bins in the app, and the app prints a label with the name and barcode of each bin.
- Walk the route. The app sorts the units by shelf location. Tap a row for each unit, or scan the product.
- Tap "Complete session" when the route is done.
The route is saved on the server, so a restart continues where the picker stopped. An order in a bin is held until its label prints, so another picker does not get the same order. You manage the shelf locations under Companion app on the Fulfillment page, and a picker can correct a location in the app's Find product tab.
Batch picking: many orders of the same product
When a product sells well, the queue often holds many single-item orders of that one product. Batch picking takes the whole stack in one run: count the orders, take that number of units from the shelf, and print the labels one after the other. You need no bins, because every order holds the same product.
In the app, Batch picks groups the single-item orders by product, with the photo, the SKU, the location and the number of orders.
- Choose how many orders to take, and tap "Start batch of 20 orders" (the button shows your count). The app takes the oldest orders first, up to 50 orders.
- Take the stack and confirm the product once, with a scan or a tap.
- Use "Slide to print 20 labels". The app prints the labels order by order.
If an order fails, the app lists it, and the order goes back to the queue.
Scan to confirm each unit
A pick that looks right can still be wrong: the wrong size, the wrong color, or one unit where the order has two. A barcode scan catches this before the parcel leaves. Confirm each unit, not each order line, so a line with 2 units needs two confirmations.
In the app, the order shows one row per unit when line confirmation is on, and the print slider stays off until every row is confirmed. You choose how strict the scanning is under Picking policy on the Fulfillment page. With a scan rule on, the camera is the only way to confirm a unit. The strictest rule also asks for the shelf's location code before the item. An order with a note in Shopify shows the note. From the start, the packer must tap "Mark as read" before the app prints.
Print the label and fulfill in one step
The last step at the packing table should be one action. A print dialog costs clicks on every order. A label that is printed but not fulfilled leaves the order in the queue and the customer without a tracking e-mail. So print the label without a dialog, and mark the order as fulfilled with the tracking number at the same time. Shopify then sends its shipping confirmation e-mail.
In the app, open the order and use "Slide to print label". The app prints without a print dialog. The print can also mark the order as fulfilled and capture the payment, as you set it up. On the Scan tab, scan the barcode of an order or a bin, and the app prints its label at once. The History tab shows the orders of the last 7 days and who handled them. Read more about label printing.
Which printer to use
A Brother QL label printer on the same WiFi as the phone prints directly. Tap "Scan for printers" on the Printers screen and assign the printer. A Zebra printer, or another printer, prints through Print Agent on a Windows or Mac computer. The printer then shows on the Printers screen of the app.
Store pickup orders
Some customers collect the order in your store. These orders need no shipping label, but the customer must know when the order is ready. In the app, the "Pickup" view shows these orders. Pick the order as usual, then use "Slide to mark ready for pickup". Shopify notifies the customer, and the app prints a label for the bag.
Set up the Pakkeshopper warehouse app
What you need
- An iPhone with iOS 16.4 or later, or an Android phone with Android 7.0 or later.
- A Shopify store with Pakkeshopper on Scale (up to 5 devices) or Enterprise (unlimited devices). On Max, the app is an add-on for $49 per month. The app is not available on Pro. See pricing.
- A Brother QL label printer on the same WiFi as the phone, or a printer on a computer with Print Agent.
You do not need to set anything for your plan: the app turns on the features that your plan includes by itself.
Get the app and connect it
- Get the app on the phone. The iPhone app is in beta: ask us for the download link. On Android, download the app from the Android page and allow the install. It is not on Google Play.
- Open the app, enter the address of your store and tap "Connect via Shopify". Sign in, check that the 4-letter code is the same on the two screens, and tap "Connect". As an alternative, scan the QR code under "Pair new device" on the Fulfillment page.
- On the Printers screen, tap "Scan for printers" and assign a label printer.
The first time, allow the phone to use the local network and the camera. The warehouse app setup guide shows each step in detail.
Pick and pack with Pakkeshopper
The method is the same with any tool: a clean queue, single-item orders first, a route sorted by shelf with one bin per order, a scan for each unit, and one action that prints and fulfills. The Pakkeshopper warehouse app does all of it from a phone. See everything the app does on the Pakkeshopper warehouse app page. For the checkout side, read the guide to shipping in Shopify.