Pick and pack accounts for 45% of warehouse operating costs and is where most fulfilment errors originate. Here is exactly how Bray Solutions eliminates them. 

Pick and pack is the most operationally intensive stage of any warehouse operation, and the one where accuracy is most directly tested. It accounts for approximately 45% of total warehouse operating costs. It is the point at which all the upstream work of receiving, storing, and managing inventory translates into a physical order heading towards a customer. And it is the stage where errors are easiest to make, hardest to catch before despatch, and most expensive to recover from once they reach the customer. 

A picking error does not end with a wrong item in a box. It ends with a customer service interaction, a return initiated, the wrong item travelling back through the returns and reverse logistics process, the correct item re-picked, re-packed, and re-despatched, and a customer whose confidence in the brand has been materially reduced. 

Bray Solutions operates at 99.98% pick accuracy. That figure is the outcome of a deliberate, technology-enforced six-step process with controls built into each stage. This article explains exactly how that process works, why each control matters, and what any business evaluating a 3PL partner should be asking about pick and pack before committing to a relationship. 

Key Takeaways 

• Pick and pack accounts for approximately 45% of total warehouse operating costs and is the stage at which the majority of fulfilment errors originate 

• A single picking error triggers a chain of downstream costs including customer contact, returns processing, re-picking, re-packing, and re-despatch, which can make the total cost of one error many times the value of the original order 

• Dual barcode scanning at both the storage location and the product level is the single most effective pick accuracy control available, eliminating the most common category of picking error at the point of origin 

• The automated voice system on Bray Solutions’ handheld scanners directs pickers to the correct location, SKU, and quantity, removing the reliance on memory or manual interpretation that generates most manual picking errors 

• A second independent verification at the packing station confirms the complete order against the system before the box is sealed, providing a final opportunity to catch any error that passed through the picking stage 

• Clients can supply their own branded packaging or specify custom packaging requirements, and these are applied consistently across every order as part of the standard service 

Why the Cost of a Picking Error Is Almost Always Larger Than It Appears 

Most businesses that measure pick accuracy focus on the pick error rate itself. Fewer measure the full downstream cost of each error, which is where the real commercial case for investment in accurate picking processes becomes clear. 

Consider what actually happens when an incorrect item leaves the warehouse. The customer receives it, identifies the problem, and contacts customer service. A return is initiated. The customer must package the wrong item, arrange collection or drop-off, and wait for the correct item to be despatched. The wrong item travels back through the returns and reverse logistics process, is received, inspected, and either reintegrated into stock or written off. The correct item is re-picked, re-packed, re-labelled, and re-despatched. Throughout this process, the customer’s confidence in the brand is eroded. 

This is the commercial context in which Bray Solutions’ 99.98% pick accuracy rate should be understood. It is not a performance metric for its own sake. It is the operational foundation for the customer experience that ecommerce brands are promising their customers. 

Step One: Why the Order Processing Stage Determines Everything That Follows 

The Bray Solutions pick and pack process begins before any warehouse activity. Orders are processed daily by our Sales Administrators via the Warehouse Management System, and clients have two options for how their orders enter the system. 

The first is direct integration: orders placed on platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, or Amazon drop automatically into the WMS the moment they are placed, with no manual intervention required. This is the preferred approach. It eliminates the data entry step that sits between a sale and a pick instruction, removes the human error associated with manual order transfer, and ensures that the time from order placement to pick commencement is as short as possible. 

The second option is for clients who prefer to send orders by email or in a spreadsheet format. These are processed manually by our Sales Administrators into the WMS. This option suits businesses with more complex or bespoke order profiles, or those in a transitional phase before platform integration is fully configured. 

Step Two: How Assigning a Dedicated Bin to Each Order Prevents Cross-Contamination Between Picks 

Once an order is processed in the WMS, a pick ticket is generated. A member of the warehouse team scans the pick ticket with their handheld scanner, which brings up the order on screen. They then scan a pick bin that is assigned specifically to that order for the duration of the picking process. 

By assigning a physical container to a specific order from the moment picking begins, the process creates a clear, trackable unit that moves through picking and packing as an identifiable entity. Every item that goes into that bin is associated with a specific order. 

Step Three: Automated Voice Direction That Removes the Reliance on Human Memory 

With the pick ticket scanned and the bin assigned, the automated voice system on the handheld scanner takes over. It informs the picker of the product’s location within the warehouse, the SKU reference, and the quantity required for that order. 

The automated voice eliminates the cognitive load of interpreting paperwork or memorising location codes. The picker is directed to the correct location by the system, not by their memory of where a product is stored. 

Step Four: Dual Barcode Scanning, the Single Most Effective Pick Accuracy Control 

On arrival at the pick location, the picker performs two scans: first, the barcode on the storage location itself, and second, the barcode on the product. Both must match the order data in the WMS before the system allows the process to continue. 

This dual scan confirms two things simultaneously: that the picker is in the correct location, and that the product they are about to retrieve is the correct product for this order. If either scan does not match the order data, the automated voice does not allow the process to continue. The picker cannot override a failed scan. 

Step Five: An Independent Verification at the Packing Station Before the Box Is Sealed 

The completed pick bin is taken to the packing station. The packer scans the pick bin, which brings up the full order on their screen. Before any packaging takes place, the packer physically checks the contents of the bin against the order, confirming that every item is present and in the correct quantity. 

This is a deliberate second verification point, independent of the picking process and performed by a different member of staff. Its purpose is to catch any error that passed through the picking stage despite the controls in place. With the order confirmed as accurate, it is packaged in either a mailing bag or a box. Clients have the option to supply their own branded packaging, which is used in place of standard materials. 

Step Six: Label Generation, Courier Assignment, and Same-Day Despatch 

With the order packaged, a shipping label is generated through the WMS and applied to the parcel. The courier service will have been assigned by the client when the order was first processed, so the label is printed with the correct carrier details from the outset. There is no manual step required to match a completed order to the correct carrier. 

Parcels are then sorted by courier and collected daily. Orders placed within the agreed cut-off time are despatched the same day. The complete audit trail from order placement to despatch is recorded in the WMS and accessible to clients through their portal in real time. 

Pick and pack accuracy is ultimately a customer experience metric expressed as an operational number. Every error that leaves the warehouse reaches a customer, generates a service interaction, and costs the brand more than the original order was worth. The 99.98% accuracy rate that Bray Solutions maintains is the outcome of a process designed on the principle that the right controls, applied at the right stages, make accuracy a structural outcome rather than a variable dependent on individual performance on any given shift. For businesses that are currently absorbing the cost of picking errors at scale, understanding what a properly engineered pick and pack process looks like is the first step toward resolving them. 

Get a free quote from Bray Solutions  

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: What is the most common cause of picking errors in warehouse operations? 

A: The most common category of picking error is retrieving a product from the wrong location or selecting the wrong variant of a product when similar items are stored in adjacent locations. Dual barcode scanning at both the location and product level eliminates this category by requiring system confirmation of both before the pick can proceed. 

Q: How does the dual barcode scan at Bray Solutions actually prevent picking errors? 

A: The picker scans the barcode on the storage location and then the barcode on the product itself. Both must match the order data in the WMS before the system issues the next instruction. If either scan does not match, the automated voice does not allow the process to continue. The picker cannot override a failed scan, making accuracy a function of the system rather than individual attentiveness. 

Q: Can I supply my own branded packaging for orders fulfilled by Bray Solutions? 

A: Yes. Clients can supply their own branded packaging materials, which are used in place of standard mailing bags or boxes. Specific packaging requirements for individual products, including additional protective materials for fragile items or custom configuration for presentation, are noted in each client’s account and applied consistently across every order. 

Q: What happens at Bray Solutions’ packing station, and why is it a separate verification step? 

A: At the packing station, the packer scans the pick bin to bring up the full order on their screen, then physically checks the contents of the bin against what the system shows as required before any packaging takes place. This is an independent verification performed by a different member of staff from the picker, specifically designed to catch any error that may have passed through the picking stage before the order is sealed and despatched. 

Q: What is the cut-off time for same-day despatch at Bray Solutions? 

A: Bray Solutions despatches orders daily, and orders placed within the agreed cut-off time are despatched the same day. The specific cut-off time applicable to each client account is confirmed during onboarding, as it depends on the courier services and carrier collection arrangements associated with each client’s fulfilment setup.