Warehouse reference · Orders & picking
Wave picking
A wave groups demand for coordinated planning or release. Grouping may reflect departure time, destination, area, or work type. The term does not imply one universal picking method or release behavior.
How it works in practice
Choose the grouping objective, check inventory and replenishment readiness, release the work, and monitor progress to its downstream milestone. Define how urgent changes or incomplete orders leave the wave.
A warehouse example
A wave built around a carrier departure may require earlier release for orders with special packing. Identical cutoff times do not always imply identical starting times.
Illustrative scenario, not a claim about a client engagement.
What to watch for
A large wave can reserve inventory and create congestion long before the work is executable. Evaluate completion flow, not only successful wave creation.
A useful question
How are incomplete orders handled when the rest of a wave is ready?
Terminology and configuration differ by product. These notes explain general concepts and are not operating instructions for equipment, a compliance determination, or a replacement for your site’s approved procedures.
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