Order picking, batch picking or zone picking: how to tell which one is slowing you down
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Most warehouses do not choose their picking method. They inherit it. They start preparing orders in a way that works at the beginning and, over time, that method becomes “the way we work,” even when it no longer fits reality.
The problem is not using order picking, batch picking or zone picking. The problem is continuing to use one when the warehouse is already asking for another. And that usually becomes noticeable long before anyone says it out loud.
Order picking: when simplicity starts to take its toll
Order picking is easy to implement and easy to understand. One operator, one order, one route. As long as volume is low and orders are similar, the system flows without friction.
The signs that it is starting to fall short are usually very clear:
- The same aisles are walked again and again in the same shift.
- Time per order increases even though volume has not changed.
- Operators finish the day more tired, even though “nothing unusual happened.”
Here the issue is not speed, but wasted travel. Picking order by order starts to cost more because the warehouse repeats movements that no longer add value.
When this happens, insisting on the same method usually translates into more rushing, more small errors, and a constant feeling of being late.
Batch picking: efficiency that demands real order
Batch picking usually appears as a response to that wear and tear. Grouping orders and preparing them in a single route reduces travel and almost immediately restores efficiency to the warehouse.
When it works well, the change is felt quickly:
- Fewer unnecessary steps.
- Fewer crossings between people.
- A greater sense of control over the pace.
The problem is that batch picking does not forgive improvisation. If orders are not properly separated or consolidation is unclear, errors appear at the end of the process, when correcting them costs more time.
Here, the picking cart stops being a detail. It becomes a critical component.
If the cart does not support the method — poorly defined spaces, mixed orders, lack of visibility — the benefit of batching dissolves precisely where it should be consolidated.
Zone picking: gaining rhythm without losing the bigger picture
Zone picking usually comes into play when the catalog grows, the warehouse expands, or SKUs become more specialized. Each person always works in the same area and orders move through stages.
This approach reduces travel and allows for more consistent rhythms within each zone. The problem appears when the system is not designed as a whole.
Typical warning signs are:
- Orders piling up while waiting to move from one zone to another.
- Zones that work quickly and others that are always behind.
- A final bottleneck that no one feels ownership of.
In these cases, the warehouse is not slow overall. It is slow at very specific points. And that generates frustration because the problem is not always visible from a global perspective.
The most common mistake: changing methods when it is already too late
Many warehouses change methods when the system is already at its limit. When there are daily errors, constant delays and tension within the team. At that point, any adjustment costs twice as much.
Recognizing that a method no longer fits is not a failure. It is an advantage. Picking does not have to be the same forever. It can and should evolve if the warning signs are detected early.
Some recurring red flags are:
- Too much walking for the current volume.
- Consolidation done in a rush.
- The system depends too heavily on people’s memory.
- Routes are constantly improvised.
When several of these symptoms appear, the current method is already slowing the warehouse down.
There is no best method, only a more suitable one
Order picking, batch picking and zone picking do not compete with each other. Each one solves different problems and creates new ones. The mistake is looking for “the best method” in the abstract.
In many warehouses, the solution lies in combining:
- Order picking for small or urgent flows.
- Batch picking for repetitive SKUs or campaigns.
- Zone picking for high-density or specialized areas.
The method stops being a fixed label and becomes a tool adapted to the type of order and the operational moment.
Picking works when it stops being the focus
A good picking method does not draw attention. It does not generate constant conversations or last-minute corrections. It simply allows work to move forward at a steady pace.
When picking becomes a nuisance, slows things down or creates daily tension, it is almost never due to a lack of effort. It is usually because the method no longer fits the warehouse reality.
Detecting this in time makes it possible to adjust routes, carts and flows before the problem becomes structural and much more expensive to fix.
On this blog, we continue to analyze how seemingly small decisions in picking — methods, organization, carts — end up making a real difference in the day-to-day life of the warehouse, even when no one notices them from the outside.