Wave Picking

Wave picking is a warehouse order fulfillment strategy where orders are grouped into “waves” based on common characteristics—such as shipping deadline, carrier, or destination—and then picked together. This optimizes labor utilization and helps meet shipping cutoffs.

How Wave Picking Works

Basic Concept

All pending orders
        ↓
Group by criteria (waves)
        ↓
Release Wave 1 for picking
        ↓
Pick Wave 1 items
        ↓
Pack and ship Wave 1
        ↓
Release Wave 2...

Wave Example

Wave 1 - Priority Overnight (Ship by 2 PM)
├── Order 101 - 3 items
├── Order 102 - 5 items
└── Order 103 - 2 items

Wave 2 - Ground Shipping (Ship by 5 PM)
├── Order 104 - 4 items
├── Order 105 - 1 item
├── Order 106 - 6 items
└── Order 107 - 2 items

Wave 3 - Next Day (Ship by 6 PM)
...

Wave Planning Criteria

Common Grouping Factors

Time-Based Waves

Morning Wave (release 6 AM)
→ Priority orders, earliest cutoff

Midday Wave (release 11 AM)
→ Standard orders

Afternoon Wave (release 2 PM)
→ Ground and economy

Wave Picking Process

Step by Step

1. Orders accumulate - System collects orders
2. Wave planning - Group orders by criteria
3. Wave release - Trigger picking
4. Pick execution - Retrieve items
5. Sort/consolidate - Organize by order
6. Pack - Pack individual orders
7. Ship - Meet carrier pickup

Picking Within Wave

Wave can use different picking methods:

• Discrete - One order at a time
• Batch - Multiple orders, same items
• Zone - Pickers stay in zones
• Combined - Mix of above

Wave Picking Benefits

Operational Efficiency

• Labor better utilized
• Predictable workload
• Meets shipping deadlines
• Reduces congestion
• Optimizes equipment use

Order Accuracy

• Focused time periods
• Less rushing
• Clear priorities
• Structured process

Meeting Cutoffs

Without waves:
Orders picked randomly
Some priority orders miss cutoff

With waves:
Wave 1: All priority orders picked first
        ✓ Meet 2 PM cutoff

Wave 2: Standard orders picked
        ✓ Meet 5 PM cutoff

Wave vs. Other Picking Methods

Wave Planning Systems

WMS Wave Planning

• Automatic wave creation
• Criteria configuration
• Release scheduling
• Workload balancing
• Exception handling

Manual Wave Planning

• Spreadsheet grouping
• Supervisor decision
• Less optimized
• Simpler operations

Wave Size Optimization

Factors to Consider

• Available labor
• Picking capacity
• Packing capacity
• Carrier pickup times
• Order volume

Sizing Example

Available pickers: 10
Pick rate: 100 items/hour/picker
Wave duration: 2 hours
Pack capacity: 500 orders/wave

Wave size = 10 × 100 × 2 = 2,000 items
Or limited to 500 orders by packing

Wave Picking Challenges

Common Issues

Balancing Workload

Problem: Wave 1 has 3,000 items
         Wave 2 has 500 items

Solution: Rebalance criteria
         Move some Wave 1 to Wave 2
         Even out labor utilization

Implementing Wave Picking

Getting Started

1. Analyze order patterns
2. Identify key cutoff times
3. Define wave criteria
4. Configure WMS
5. Train staff
6. Monitor and adjust

Success Metrics

Wave Picking Best Practices

Planning

1. Start with shipping deadlines
2. Balance wave sizes
3. Buffer time between waves
4. Allow for exceptions
5. Review and optimize

Execution

1. Clear communication
2. Real-time visibility
3. Exception escalation
4. Flexible resources
5. Performance tracking