Maximise Warehouse & WMS Productivity with Optimised Pickfaces

Picture this: Your warehouse is a maze of cluttered aisles, pickers are constantly searching for items, and orders take far longer than they should to fulfil. Workers are frustrated, customers are impatient, and costs keep rising. Does any of this sound familiar?

If so, the problem may lie in an inefficient pickface setup.

In this guide, we’ll explore the role of pickfaces in warehousing, how they impact efficiency, and strategies to optimise them.

What is a pickface in warehouse management?

In warehouse management, a pickface is a designated area within a warehouse where high-demand inventory is stored for easy access during fulfilment. This space is structured to facilitate efficient order management by ensuring frequently picked items are within reach of warehouse workers. Pickfaces are often designed with shelving, bins, or racks that allow for quick retrieval and replenishment of stock.

The goal of pickface in your warehouses

The primary objective of a pickface is to create a hyper-efficient environment for order picking. By grouping high-demand items in accessible zones, warehouses can:

• Slash time spent searching for products.
• Reduce labour costs associated with redundant travel.
• Improve order accuracy by minimising mis-picks.

For instance, an ecommerce brand using a real-time inventory management tool can dynamically adjust pickface locations based on shifting demand patterns, ensuring that trending products are always prioritized.

How pickface layout impacts warehouse efficiency

An inefficient pickface layout creates bottlenecks, extends picking process times, and slows down order fulfilment. When high-demand items are scattered, poorly labelled, or stored in hard-to-reach areas, pickers waste valuable time navigating the warehouse instead of fulfilling orders.

On the other hand, a well-structured pickface layout directly influences warehouse productivity by reducing unnecessary movement and streamlining order picking. The strategic placement of pick locations based on movement frequency, product size, and order volume ensures that pickers spend less time searching for inventory and more time fulfilling orders. High-turnover items positioned near packing stations minimise travel time, while clear organisation reduces confusion and mis-picks.

The role of pickface replenishment in inventory management

Even the best pickface setup falters without consistent replenishment. Stockouts in pickfaces lead to delays, forcing workers to retrieve items from bulk storage—a time-consuming process. Maintaining an optimised inventory strategy is essential to ensuring that high-demand products remain stocked in their designated pick locations, preventing disruptions in order fulfilment.

Automated reorder notifications from an inventory management system will notify teams when pickface stock dips below predefined thresholds, enabling proactive restocking. Pair this with inventory tools like cycle counts to maintain accuracy and avoid fulfilment hiccups.

3 strategies to overcome common pickface management challenges

Effective pickface management is critical for maintaining a competitive edge in ecommerce fulfilment, but even the most organised warehouses face hurdles. Below, we break down three common challenges and actionable strategies to address them.

1. Inefficient layout and its impact on picking time

A poorly designed pickface layout forces workers to crisscross the warehouse unnecessarily, inflating picking rates and labour costs. For example, if high-demand items are scattered or stored in hard-to-reach locations, pickers waste valuable time navigating aisles instead of fulfilling orders.

Solutions to streamline layouts:

• Conduct regular FSN analysis to classify items as Fast-, Slow-, or Non-moving. Fast-moving SKUs should dominate prime pickface real estate (e.g., waist-level shelves near packing stations).
• Adopt zone picking to divide the warehouse into specialized sections, reducing travel distance and enabling parallel workflows.
• Use ShipBob’s WMS to analyse historical order data and recommend optimal pickface placements.

2. Pickface replenishment maintenance

Stockouts in pickfaces are a silent productivity killer. When high-demand items aren’t replenished promptly, workers must retrieve products from bulk storage areas—a time-consuming process that disrupts workflows. This issue worsens during peak seasons, when inventory turnover spikes and manual tracking falls short.

Strategies for seamless replenishment:

• Set automated low-stock alerts using a real-time inventory management system. These triggers notify teams when pickface stock dips below safety levels, enabling proactive restocking.
• Forecast demand to anticipate surges and pre-stock pickfaces ahead of busy periods.
• Schedule replenishment during off-peak hours to avoid clashing with active picking shifts.

3. How to reduce mis-picks and labour errors

Mis-picks—such as pulling the wrong item or quantity—weaken customer trust and inflate reverse logistics costs. These errors often stem from cluttered pickfaces, unclear labelling, or outdated inventory data. For instance, if two similar SKUs are stored side-by-side without proper differentiation, confusion is inevitable.

Ways to enhance accuracy:

• Standardize labelling with barcodes, QR codes, or LED indicators to guide pickers visually.
• Implement real-time inventory tracking to ensure pickers see live stock levels and pick locations, minimising guesswork.
• Train staff on best practices for order picking, including proper scanning techniques, verification steps, and how to handle discrepancies.

How to step up pickface efficiency with automated technology

Technology and automation play a key role in optimising pickface management. Robotic picking systems combined with intelligent software can help restock inventory efficiently while reducing dependency on manual labour.

Leverage a WMS for pickface organisation

A WMS keeps your picking process efficient by providing real-time visibility into stock levels and locations, while simultaneously analising data to help you make smarter decisions.

For instance, with dynamic slotting, the system analyses past order data to place SKUs in optimal locations, reducing unnecessary movement. A WMS also helps manage replenishment efficiently, ensuring that fast-moving items are restocked before they run low. Additionally, a WMS that supports zone-based organisation allows you to group similar products together to streamline picking and packing.

With a well-optimised pickface, powered by a WMS, you can speed up fulfilment, reduce errors, and keep operations running seamlessly.

Use automation tools for faster replenishment and order accuracy

From RFID scanners to robotic arms, automation tools are redefining how warehouses maintain pickface efficiency. For example:

• RFID tracking: No more manual barcode scans—inventory updates automatically as items move.
• Smart shelving: Weight sensors and IoT-enabled bins send alerts when stock levels drop, so you can restock before running out.
• Pick-to-cart systems: These guide pickers along the best routes, grouping orders by zone and eliminating unnecessary backtracking.

Not only do these tools speed up replenishment, but they also boost order accuracy.

“With ShipBob, I feel like our error rate is a hundred times less. I’m just stunned by how accurate our orders are, and our error rate is just vanishingly small now. Honestly, it’s been a game-changer for us, because we’re experiencing way fewer customer service issues than before, while growing 4x.” 

Matt Crane, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Semaine Health

Implement real-time inventory management tracking

Real-time warehouse inventory management is the secret to a high-performing pickface. With up-to-the-minute stock visibility, you can:

• Prevent stockouts: Get ahead of shortages by restocking before inventory levels get too low.
• Prioritize high-value SKUs: Use live data to place bestsellers and seasonal products in the most accessible locations.
• Improve order fulfilment: Ensure stock accuracy so customers get exactly what they ordered, on time.

ShipBob can help scale your brand beyond pickface

Optimising pickface organisation is just one aspect of warehouse efficiency. ShipBob offers advanced fulfilment solutions that integrate technology, automation, and real-time tracking to help ecommerce brands scale.

The warehouse management system advantage

ShipBob’s warehouse management system (WMS) goes beyond pickface optimisation to streamline the entire fulfilment process. With real-time inventory tracking, dynamic slotting, and automated order batching, it reduces mis-picks, minimises travel time, and cuts labour costs.

“It turns out that ShipBob’s WMS was exactly what we needed. The beautiful thing about it is everything was connected. I could log on to our ShipBob account and see everything in one place, no matter if I’m looking at our facility in Kankakee, IL, or the ShipBob fulfilment centres in Canada or Europe. It was all the same system. I didn’t have to learn various different platforms or deal with support representatives at different companies.”

Adam LaGesse, Global Warehousing Director at Spikeball

Reduced labour costs through efficient pickface layouts

A well-organised pickface isn’t just about speed—it’s a direct lever for cost savings. ShipBob’s data-driven approach ensures pickfaces are designed to:

• Minimise travel time: Positioning top-selling items within arm’s reach of packing stations cuts unnecessary steps.
• Simplify training: Intuitive layouts reduce onboarding time for seasonal workers, a critical advantage during peak seasons.
• Prevent overstaffing: Efficient workflows ensure labour is allocated effectively, helping brands scale operations without unnecessary staffing costs.

Faster fulfilment and improved customer satisfaction

Efficient pickface management speeds up order processing by reducing travel time and streamlining workflows. By strategically organising inventory, warehouses can improve picking accuracy and minimise delays, ultimately enhancing the shipping experience for customers. Faster, more accurate fulfilment boosts customer satisfaction, reduces errors, and increases repeat purchases.

Seamless integration of distributed inventory for high-demand items

ShipBob’s Inventory Placement Program (IPP) strategically distributes high-demand products across multiple fulfilment centres in the US, ensuring faster order processing and lower shipping costs. By storing inventory closer to customers in key regions, brands can reduce pick times, minimise transit costs, and achieve two-day shipping across the contigious U.S.

This seamless integration optimises fulfilment efficiency, prevents stockouts in high-demand areas, and ensures orders are shipped from the nearest location.

Get started with ShipBob

Interested in learning more about ShipBob? Connect with our team to get details about our fulfilment solutions and get a custom quote.

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