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Picking and packing: how an order is prepared in the warehouse

Picking is finding in the warehouse the units that make up an order; packing is boxing them, labelling them and leaving them ready for dispatch.

It is the core work of fulfillment and what defines the preparation lead time. A warehouse organised by SKU, with registered locations, picks fast and without errors; a disorganised one does not.

In packing, the packaging is chosen according to the product's dimensions and weight, protective materials are added and the shipping label is printed.

Shipping with MailAmericas

How Picking and packing works in our operation

At the Miami warehouse, MailAmericas prepares each order within 48 business hours. The system chooses the packaging from the dimensions and weight loaded on the SKU, and deducts from the seller's stock any packaging materials they have registered as their own SKUs.

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Frequently asked question

Can I use my own boxes or bags in fulfillment?

Yes. They are registered as packaging SKUs in the inventory and the system uses and deducts them on every order.

Related terms

More from Fulfillment

FulfillmentFulfillment is the service in which a logistics operator stores the seller's stock in its warehouse, prepares each order when it sells (picking and packing) and ships it to the buyer.DropshippingIn logistics, dropshipping is the service where the warehouse receives parcels that already come packed for an end buyer, does not store them, and forwards them to their destination as fast as possible.SKUThe SKU (stock keeping unit) is the unique code that identifies each product, or each product variant, within a warehouse's inventory.Stock replenishmentStock replenishment is sending new merchandise from the seller to the fulfillment warehouse so there are units available to prepare orders.Back orderBack order is the status of an order that cannot be prepared because the warehouse has no available units of one of its products, or because the product is not loaded in the inventory.OversellingOverselling is selling more units of a product than are available in the warehouse, leaving orders without stock to prepare them.

See all 8 terms in Fulfillment →

Selling to Latin America?

We explain how a cross-border shipment with MailAmericas works for your origin and your destinations.

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