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The Picking module, located in the Sales group, facilitates the process of picking, or gathering items from their storage locations. Typically, after an item has been picked, it will be ready to be packed and shipped in the Shipping module. Fishbowl will also create picks when inventory needs to be gathered for a work order, a transfer order, or a credit return purchase order.

Module buttons

Start changes the pick to a Started status.

Save saves any changes made to the pick.

Finish finishes any pick items that are ready and changes the pick to Finished if all items have been finished.

Void uncommits the pick items and returns the pick to an Entered status.

Commit commits any pick items that are ready and changes the pick to a Committed status.

Group groups multiple picks together to be picked at the same time.

Ungroup separates a grouped pick into multiple picks.

To Ship opens the current pick in the Shipping module.

Email opens a window to compose an email. If the module's default report is specified, the PDF report will be attached. Email can be configured on the Email tab of the Settings module.

Print sends the default module report to the printer.

How To opens this article in a web browser.

Refresh reloads whatever is currently open in the module.

Picking an order

Within the Picking module, items are picked to fulfill order demand, whether it be a sales order, work order, transfer order, or purchase order. By default, Fishbowl will pick according to the Pick method option that is selected in the Picking module options. The default picking location and tracking information can be changed manually when an item is being picked.

The Finish column in the picking search pane displays how much of an order is pickable.

• - All items are pickable
• - At least one item is pickable
• - No items are pickable
• - The pick has been finished

Pick item status

To view Pick Details, double-click on a pick in the search pane. Listed below are the various statuses that may be assigned to a pick item. In the Fishbowl Client, hover the mouse over a status icon to verify the status of the item. Further information regarding how an item changes from one status to another can be found in the Pick flow process section.

• Short signifies that there is an insufficient quantity of the part in the selected location group.
• Hold signifies that a part is on hold and will not be modified when the module buttons at the top are used. To toggle the hold status of an item, highlight the item and then click the Hold button on the component toolbar to the right.
• Entered indicates that an item has not been started and has enough inventory available to be picked.
• Started means that the location has been saved and the item is in the process of being picked.
• Committed means there is inventory that has not yet been finished, but the inventory is committed to the pick, meaning that it shows as committed in the Inventory module and cannot be used to fulfill another order.
• Finished appears after the item has been completely picked.

Picking a sales order

Sales orders, purchase orders, transfer orders, and work orders can all create picks. The process for picking inventory for each of these order types is very similar. The example below demonstrates how to pick inventory for a sales order.

To pick a sales order, open the Picking module, located in the Sales module group, and double-click the sales order in the search pane. The parts waiting to be picked for the sales order will appear as line items under Pick Details.

Each line item contains the following fields. If not all of the desired fields are visible, right-click a column header to select which columns to show or hide.

• Status - The picking status
• Number - The part number
• Description - The part description
• Qty - The quantity for the pick item
• UOM - The unit of measure for the pick item
• Location - The location where the item will be picked
• Type - Build to Order items and Pick from Location BOMs can create pick items that can only be picked from certain locations
• Order - The order number for the pick item
• Dest. location - The location the pick item will be stored after picking
• Tracking - Tracking selected during picking
• Alt. Number - The customer part number or vendor part number if applicable

To begin the picking process, click the Start button on the module toolbar. Individual line items can also be started by highlighting the item and choosing the Start button located on the component toolbar to the right.

Once the picking process has been started, depending on the Picking module options, Fishbowl will provide the option of printing the Pick Ticket report.

The pick locations and tracking information can be modified at this point if desired. After all of the changes have been made, click the Finish button on the module toolbar. To pick only individual items, highlight the line item and then click the Finish button on the component toolbar to the right.

Once the order is picked, it can be shipped by clicking the To Ship button on the module toolbar.

An order can also be picked by importing information from a spreadsheet.

Put a pick item on hold

Pick items can be placed on hold by highlighting the line item and then clicking the Hold button that is located on the component toolbar to the right. When using the module buttons to start, commit, or finish a pick, items that are on hold will not be modified.

To remove the hold status, highlight the line item and then click the Hold button again.

Split or combine a pick line item

Sometimes it may be helpful to separate one line item into multiple line items. To split an item, click the quantity field and enter a new quantity. After pressing the Enter key or clicking outside the quantity field, a new line item will be created with the remaining quantity.

To combine line items, highlight the line items by holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while clicking each line item. Then click the Combine button located on the component toolbar to the right. Items cannot be combined if they have a status of Committed or Finished.

Select part tracking

When picking an item with tracking, the user will be prompted to select the tracking information for the part that is being picked.

Once the inventory has been committed, the tracking can be edited by highlighting the line item and then clicking the Edit Tracking button which is located in the Tracking section below the picking line items.

Change pick location

The location group for the pick will default to the user's default location group, which can be changed on the Location Groups tab of the User module. The location group can also be changed on the pick by selecting a different location group in the Location Group field.

To manually change the pick location of a line item, highlight the item and click the Pick Location drop down menu. This menu will display all of the locations where inventory is available for this item. Once locations have been changed, click the Save button located on the module toolbar.

Group picks

Orders may be grouped together for picking in two different ways. To group all of the orders, choose the Group button located on the module toolbar. The Group Picks window controls which orders will be grouped. Orders may be grouped according to their scheduled date, and the number of items on the order. The last option controls how many orders will be grouped together. After selecting the appropriate options, click OK to group the picks.

To group together specific orders, highlight the order numbers in the search pane of the Picking module. To select multiple orders, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while clicking the desired orders with the mouse. Once the orders have been selected, right-click any pick and then select Group from the drop-down menu. The picks will be grouped together and will be shown in the search pane with a G in front of the new pick number.

Each order in a grouped pick will automatically be assigned a slot on the cart so that the items from different orders don't get mixed up.

Ungroup picks

A pick can be ungrouped by right-clicking the order in the search pane and selecting Ungroup. A pick can also be ungrouped by highlighting the desired pick in the search pane and then clicking the Ungroup button in the module toolbar. Selecting Ungroup from the module toolbar will display the Ungroup Picks window. This screen allows the pick to be separated by order, fulfillment date, location group, location type, pick item status, or order item. After selecting the appropriate options, click OK to ungroup the pick.

Pick part of an order

Depending on the situation, there may be a variety of ways to pick only a portion of an order. The first way, for example, would be if some items on the order are out of stock. In this case, the user would start and finish the pick to only fulfill items in stock. The pick status will be set to Partial, and the user will be able to fulfill the remainder of the items once inventory is available.

If all of the items are in stock, the user has the option to split items and/or put items on hold while picking the other items. To hold items, highlight the line item and choose the Hold button located on the component toolbar. The order will be partially finished when the pick is started and finished. The rest of the order may be finished at any time.

Edit tracking information

Once an item has been Committed, the tracking can be edited by highlighting the line item and clicking the Edit Tracking button which is located in the Tracking section below the picking line items.

This will then allow the user to choose different tracking information. The user may also void the item and then enter the correct tracking information when re-picking the item. Once an item has been finished, it must be voided to modify the tracking information.

Location sort order

In order to make the pick process more intuitive, Fishbowl provides the ability to sort locations in Fishbowl just like they are set up in the warehouse. This allows the items to be picked in the same order they are found in the warehouse. For more information, see Location sort order.

Pick flow process

The table below displays details of how each pick item status flows through the picking process.

Entered
On Void	Item remains Entered
Load	Entered status Inventory is available to fulfill a pick. Inventory is NOT committed to a pick item that has a status of Entered. Saving the location for Pick items with a status of Entered changes its status to Started. Saving the tag for pick item with a status of Entered changes its status to Committed. Quantity with an Entered status may be split
On Start	Status moves from Entered to Started. Inventory is not yet Committed.
On Commit	Status moves from Entered to Committed.
On Finish	Inventory is picked from an available default location; pick is Started, Committed and Finished.
Hold	On Hold: Item is placed on Hold. Off Hold: Items that are moved off Hold go to Entered New or Short status depending on inventory.
Started
On Void	Voiding a Started pick moves the status back to Entered.
Load	When a pick is in Started status inventory is in stock and is in the process of being retrieved. A Started pick can load items with the status of Started, Short or Entered New. Starting a pick saves the location if inventory is available. Inventory not available in any location will move the status to Short. Inventory available in a different location will move the status to Entered New.
On Start	A Started pick is already in the Started status.
On Commit	Items may only be Committed if they have previously been Started.
On Finish	All items that have been Started or Committed will be finished.
Hold	On Hold: Item is placed on Hold. Off Hold: Items that are moved off Hold go to an Entered New status.
Committed
On Void	Voiding a Committed pick moves the status back to Entered.
Load	Committed inventory has been physically removed from the shelf for a certain order. When inventory is committed on a pick it is also committed in the Inventory module. Only started inventory can become committed. Committed inventory cannot go short and the pick location cannot change.
On Start	Committed pick items have already been Started.
On Commit	Committed items are already in the Committed Status.
On Finish	Committed items are ready to be Finished.
Hold	Items that are Committed may not be placed On or Off Hold.
Finished
On Void	Voiding a Committed pick moves the status back to Entered.
Load	Finished items have finished the picking process and their inventory has been moved to a Shipping or Manufacture Location. Finished pick items remained committed until the items are either consumed or shipped
On Start	Finished items have already been Started and Finished.
On Commit	Inventory remains Committed to Finished picks until it is consumed or shipped.
On Finish	Finished items are already in a Finished status.
Hold	Items that are Finished may not be placed On or Off Hold.
Short
On Void	Voiding a Short pick item leaves the status as Short.
Load	Short items have no inventory in a valid location available to be picked. A short pick status will be changed to Entered if inventory is made available.
On Start	Short items may not be Started.
On Commit	Short items may not be Committed
On Finish	Short items may not be Finished.
Hold	On Hold: Item is placed on Hold. Off Hold: Item will return to a Short status.
Hold
On Void	Voiding a Hold item moves the status to Entered if inventory is available. If no inventory is available the status will be Short.
Load	Items that have been placed on hold cannot be started or committed until they are taken off hold. A hold item does not commit inventory or save its location.
On Start	Items on hold cannot be started.
On Commit	Items on hold cannot be committed.
On Finish	Items on hold cannot be finished.
Hold	On Hold: Items already have a Hold status. Off Hold: Items that are moved off Hold go to an Entered New or Short status depending on available inventory.
Built to Order
On Void	A BTO pick may not be voided. To remove a BTO committed pick the SO item must be deleted or the WO must be voided.
Load	Items that have a status of Built to Order have inventory automatically Committed once the item has been Manufactured. The Location tag and tracking selected for this pick item will be selected from the Work Order's Finished Good. If the inventory has not yet been manufactured the inventory will show as short on the Pick.
On Start	BTO items may not be manually Started. BTO items are automatically Started and Committed upon the manufacture completion.
On Commit	BTO items may not be manually Committed, as the BTO Committed status is controlled by the item's Bill of Material. A BTO is automatically completed when the item has been manufactured and inventory is available.
On Finish	All items that have been Committed will be finished.
Hold	Items that have been manufactured and are Committed may not be placed on or off Hold. Items that are in Short status may be placed On or Off hold.

Search

In the search pane on the left of the module, orders can be filtered by Number, Order, Order type, and Status. Click the Advanced Search button to search the Custom Fields and the following search options.

TABS

The General tab contains nearly all of the information about the pick.

• Priority - The Priority field allows each pick to be assigned a level of priority, which defaults to the priority assigned to the order. There are five levels of priority ranging from 1-Highest to 5-Lowest. The list of picks in the search results can be sorted according to priority by clicking the Priority column header in the search pane.
• Scheduled - The Scheduled field is used to set the scheduled date of the pick. A date can be entered by typing in the field or by clicking the Calendar button. Clicking on the arrows by the month name will move the calendar back and forth between months or years. Clicking the text for the month or year will display a drop-down selection box.
• Location Group - The location group of the order that created the pick. This can also be modified by clicking the field and selecting a different location group. Unless the option is selected in the Picking module options, only locations that belong to the selected location group will be available in the Location field below the pick items.
• Status - The status of the pick is automatically updated to Entered, Started, Committed, or Finished.
• Type - Picks generated from transfer orders can have a type of Move or Putaway. All other picks will have a type of Pick.
• Order - The Order section provides a link to the order that created the pick and a link to the customer or vendor on the order.
• Items - Below the Order section, all of the items on the pick are listed as well as their current status. To hide or show columns, right-click any column header. Columns can also be rearranged by dragging them to a new position. To modify a line item, click on it and then change the values below.
• Pick Location - Displays the location the item will be picked from. Unless the option is selected in the Picking module options, only locations that belong to the pick's location group will be available in the Location field. When the pick is started, the location will be set to the part's default location if inventory is available.
• Tag - A tag is a collection of matching inventory. The same part may be stored in multiple tags because it was created on different dates, or because the tracking values are unique. Fishbowl will automatically select the tag according to the Pick From Tag module option (oldest, newest, or smallest quantity). Other tags can be selected in the Tag field or by clicking the Search button to the right.
• Destination - Displays where the picked item will be moved after being picked. For example, when a sales order is issued, the destination of the pick will be set to the default Shipping location in the order's location group. The Destination and the Location Group can also be manually changed on the pick.
• Slot - Slots are primarily used when grouping picks. Each order in a grouped pick will automatically be assigned a slot so that the person picking the items can keep the items organized by order on the picking cart.
• Tracking - If an item has tracking information, it can be viewed in the Tracking area. The tracking can be changed by clicking the Edit Tracking button located to the right of the Tracking field.
• Notes - The Notes section displays any notes that were added to the selected line item when the order was created.

The Details tab displays some additional information about the pick.

• Username - The name of the user assigned to the order. This field defaults to the user that issued the order. There is also a module option to change the username to the user that finishes the pick.
• Total Time - The total time it took to complete the pick. This calculates from the time the Start button is clicked until the Finish button is clicked.
• Date Created - The actual date and time the pick was created.

The Memo tab can be used to add information to each pick. The upper pane displays the memos, the date they were created, and the user that created them. Highlighting a memo will display the details of the memo in the lower pane.

• Click the New button to create a new memo.
• To edit a memo, highlight the memo in the upper pane and then click the Edit button.
• To delete a memo, highlight the memo in the upper pane and then click the Delete button.
• Click the Print Memos button to print the memos for a pick.

The Custom tab stores additional fields for the pick that can be customized to fit the needs of each company.

• Custom fields can be created and modified by opening the Custom Field module and selecting Pick from the search pane to the left of the module.
• To search for picks using the custom fields, click the Advanced Search button in the search pane to the left and then click the Custom tab.

MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Picking module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

• Pick creation

This option controls how picks are created. If By Order is selected, one pick will be created for every item on the order. If By Item is selected, a separate pick will be created for every line item on the order. If By Item Fulfillment Date is selected, all order items with the same fulfillment date will placed be on the same pick.

• Pick method

This option controls which inventory is picked by default. The pick order is determined by several factors.

1. If the part has a default location, the options below will apply first to the inventory in that location, for example, the oldest inventory in that location. If there is no default location, these rules will look at all available inventory, for example, the oldest inventory in all locations.
2. If a part has an expiration date, the inventory with the oldest expiration date will be picked first.
3. If FIFO (First In, First Out) is selected, the oldest inventory will be selected by default. If LIFO (Last In, First Out) is selected, the newest inventory will be selected by default. If Pick to Clean is selected, the tag or group of inventory with the smallest quantity will be selected by default.

• Default orders per pick

This option sets the default number of orders to be grouped when clicking the Group button. Picks can also be grouped by highlighting several picks, right-clicking a highlighted pick, and then selecting Group.

• Allow picking from all location groups the user has access to

With this option on, the Pick Location field will show all locations that a user has access to. If this option is off, only locations that belong to the location group selected for the pick will be visible in the Pick Location field.

• Warn users if picking an expired part

With this option checked, a dialog box will be displayed warning users if they are picking a part that is expired.

• Update priority when SO priority changes

With this option checked, the priority of the pick will be updated when the priority of the sales order is changed.

• Assign user to pick on finish

With this option checked, the username on the pick will be changed to the user that finishes the pick.

• Add custom fields to Ship

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the Picking module to the Shipping module. If the Add custom fields option is also enabled in the Sales Order module options, custom field data can transfer from the sales order, to the pick, and then to the Custom tab of the Shipping module.

• Automatically commit issued sales orders

This option will automatically commit inventory as soon as a sales order is issued.

• Automatically commit issued work orders

This option automatically commits inventory as soon as a work order is issued.

• Automatically commit issued transfer orders

This option automatically commits inventory as soon as a transfer order is issued.

• Automatically finish picks that are automatically committed

This option will automatically finish any pick that was automatically committed.

• Print pick ticket

This option sets the default print behavior for the Pick Ticket report. Options include Always, Prompt, or Never.