Label-First Batch Shipping: Buy Labels First, Then Pick and Stick

For large runs of similar orders: start from the outbound order list, buy all labels in one batch, print them together with the pick list in the same order, pick and stick by number, then close the whole batch at once.

The packing station works one scanned order at a time. When you have hundreds of similar small orders, starting from the order list is faster: you buy the labels first, print them in a fixed order, pick the goods in that same order and stick each label as you go — no station scanning, no label hunting. Open WMS → Outbound Orders, filter the orders you want, tick them, and use the batch action “Label-first batch shipping” above the list (WMS → Outbound Orders → batch actions).

Step 1–2: Choose the batch type and read the eligibility report#

1. Pick the batch type. “Single-unit” is for orders with exactly one item on one line. “Single-parcel” is for orders that fit into one parcel — the system checks sizes and weights, and can fall back to the default carton set under WMS → Packing Station → Station admin → Label-first tenant settings.
2. Step 2 checks every order and locks stock for the ones that pass. Orders that cannot join are listed one by one with a plain-language reason — for example an order with serial-numbered products, an order with gift services, or an order already being picked. Those orders are not broken; follow the hint on each row (usually “handle it at the packing station”) and process them there.
3. If no order can join at all, the wizard tells you plainly and still lists every order with its reason — that is a normal result, not an error, and nothing was locked or bought. You can switch to the other batch type and try again right there, fix the causes first, or handle the orders at the packing station.
4. A batch holds at most the per-batch limit (500 by default; your admin can change it in the same Label-first tenant settings). If you selected too many, trim the selection and start again — nothing is bought or locked for an over-limit batch.

Step 3: Check the total first, then buy#

1. Step 3 first shows a preview: the estimated freight total and the price of each order. Orders whose label comes from the customer or the sales channel are marked “no freight” and are not counted in the total. Nothing is bought while you are only looking at the preview.
2. Only when you press “Confirm purchase” does the system fetch the labels, order by order. If one order fails, only that order is held back with its reason — the rest of the batch continues, and you can retry the failed one or remove it from the batch.

Step 4: Print in order, pick and stick by number#

1. Labels and the pick list come out in the same order. Every label carries its batch number — “#3 / 40” plus the short batch code — and the pick list row with the same big number tells you the item, the location and the quantity. Stick label #3 on the goods from pick row #3; the numbers are the double-check.
2. If the printer jams halfway, use “Resume from No. N” — only the missing numbers print again. If one label is damaged, reprint that number: you always get the original label back with the same tracking number, never a newly bought one. For channel orders, the packing slip prints right behind its label, so each set stays together.
3. When each parcel is stuck and ready, tick it as attached in step 5 (or on the batch detail page: WMS → Shipping → Label batches).

Step 5: Close the batch — and what happens if something changed#

1. Before closing, the system re-checks every order. An order that was cancelled, put on hold or already handled elsewhere is moved out of the batch automatically and its bought label is voided — it is never shipped by mistake. The rest close together, and you get a handover list grouped by carrier and service.
2. You can cancel a batch at any point before it is closed: bought-but-unused labels are voided automatically and the locked stock is released. Do not leave bought batches open overnight — the End of Day page (WMS → End of Day) shows a red reminder for open batches of the day, and handing over the day asks you to confirm you have seen it.

Features used in this article#

• Label-first batch wizard (five steps) — WMS → Outbound Orders → batch actions → Label-first batch shipping (/wms/orders)
• Batch list and detail (status, per-order label source, estimated vs actual freight) — WMS → Shipping → Label batches (/wms/shipping/label-batches)
• Per-batch limit and default carton — WMS → Packing Station → Station admin → Label-first tenant settings (/wms/shipping-station)
• Open-batch reminder at day end — WMS → End of Day (/wms/end-of-day)