> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Pick Lists
> Build single-order and wave pick lists, release a wave, work a pick list line by line, mark shortages, and understand what picking does and does not change.
Use **Operations > Fulfillment > Pick Lists** when you want to direct staff to the right bins in the right order before packing. A **single-order** pick list covers one order and is worked line by line on the screen. A **wave** groups many orders so one trip picks for all of them. Pick lists are an optional aid: picking does not gate packing, and a package can be packed and fulfilled without one.
## Before You Start
* **Permissions**: opening the list and a pick list needs **View Fulfillment**. The server asks for more on the actions: creating a single-order pick list, marking lines picked or short, completing it and starting a wave's picking need **Pack Orders**; building a wave, releasing it and closing it need **Build Pick Waves**; searching orders in **New pick list** needs **View Orders**. The buttons show either way, and Arcus refuses the action without the permission.
* **Location**: the list follows the location picked in the header. A single-order pick list shows at the location of its order, and waves and orders without a location show everywhere.
* **Bins**: a pick line names the bin to pick from when the product is stocked in a bin. How Arcus treats a product with no bin depends on **Track inventory by warehouse bin** at **Settings > Shipping & Fulfillment > Warehouse**. See [Bin Setup](/support/warehouse/bin-setup).
* **Orders**: a pick list can only be built for a sales order that still has unfulfilled lines.
Other ways in:
* Search for **Pick Lists** in the command palette.
* **Build pick list from these orders** on the [Fulfillment Station](/support/fulfillment/station) opens **Build a wave pick list** with the visible products filled in.
* The older Wave Pick and Pick List Builder addresses open this screen, and the older batch pack address for a pick list opens that pick list.
## Read the List
The list has three cards above it.
* **Active pick lists**: pick lists that are open or in progress.
* **Items to pick**: lines still waiting across the active lists.
* **Oldest active**: the age in days of the longest-waiting active list. It turns red at three days or more.
Tabs filter the list: **All**, **Open**, **In progress**, **Completed** and **Cancelled**. An **Attention** tab appears only when a pick list carries a status that none of the other tabs covers, so nothing disappears from the count.
Search matches the wave name, order number, account and assignee. The **Kind** filter limits the list to **Waves** or **Single-order**. **Saved views** and **Columns** let you keep a layout. The columns are **Pick List**, **Kind**, **Status**, **Customer**, **Assignee**, **Progress** (picked over total, with a bar), and **Created**. **Customer** shows "Multiple" for a wave and opens the order for a single-order list; an unassigned list reads "Unassigned". Select a row or **Open** to open the pick list.
With nothing yet, the list says "No pick lists yet. Pick lists route warehouse staff to the right bins, in the right order. Build a single-order or wave pick list to get started." If the list cannot load, a red notice reads "Could not load pick lists." followed by the reason.
## Create a Single-Order Pick List
1. Select **New pick list**.
2. In **Create Pick List**, search **Order** by number. The search lists unfulfilled orders and needs at least two characters. Choose one; the dialog confirms "Selected (order). Generating this order's pick list."
3. Optionally choose **Assign to** a team member.
4. Select **Generate Pick List**.
Arcus opens the new pick list. It builds one line for each unfulfilled product on the order, splitting a line across bins when one bin does not hold enough, with picking bins first and then by zone, aisle, rack, shelf and position. It leaves out drop-ship lines, lines whose requested ship date is still in the future, and virtual lines such as a kit parent.
When stock in bins cannot cover a line, the line reads **Insufficient bin stock**. A product with no bin reads **No bin assignment** when bin tracking is on, or **Location-level pick (bins not tracked)** when it is off. Each shortage, and every no-bin line while bin tracking is on, creates a pending backorder on the order line, adds an entry to the order's history, and emails the customer a backorder notice unless that notice is turned off at **Settings > Documents & Email > Email Configuration**. With bin tracking off, a no-bin line is simply picked from location stock and creates no backorder.
## Build a Wave
1. Select **Build wave** (or open it from the Fulfillment Station).
2. In **Build a wave pick list**, enter a **Wave name**. It starts as the current date and time.
3. Choose a **Strategy**:
* **By location**: orders shipping from your header location.
* **By carrier**: orders whose default shipping method contains the carrier you pick or type.
* **Same SKU**: orders containing the SKU you enter.
* **Custom (pick products)**: orders containing any of the products you add. Remove a product with the X beside it.
4. Set the **Order status filter** (**Unfulfilled**, **Partially fulfilled** or **Ready to pack**) and **Max orders** (1 to 500, default 50).
5. Optionally choose **Assign to**.
6. Check the **Preview**. It lists up to 50 orders with account, carrier and open quantity, and says "Showing first 50 of (n); the wave includes all up to your Max Orders cap." when there are more.
7. Select **Create wave**.
The footer says "Creates a wave with (n) orders." Arcus shows "Wave created with (n) orders" and opens the new wave, which starts as a **Draft**. From the Fulfillment Station, one product starts on **Same SKU** (which still needs the SKU) and several products start on **Custom (pick products)**.
**Create wave** stays disabled, with the reason under the form, until the name and strategy inputs are filled and at least one order matches: "Enter a wave name.", "Pick or type a carrier code.", "Enter a SKU.", "Add at least one product below." or "No matching orders. Adjust filters above." An empty preview says "No orders match these filters. Adjust the strategy, status, or location and try again."
## Work a Single-Order Pick List
The top shows how many lines are picked, how many are short, and a progress bar. Each line shows the product, part number, bin (with zone and aisle when set), the quantity to pick and any note. Lines come in pick-path order.
1. Walk to the bin shown. A line with no bin shows **No bin**, a link to the product's bin locations where someone can assign one.
2. Select the circle at the left of the line to mark it fully picked.
3. If you cannot pick the full quantity, select **Short**. In **Mark item as short**, choose a **Reason** (**Out of stock at bin**, **Damaged unit(s)**, **Cannot locate item**, **Bin holds wrong SKU**, or **Other (specify below)**), enter the **Quantity actually picked** (0 means unavailable), add **Notes**, and select **Confirm short**. **Other** requires a note. Arcus confirms "Marked short: picked (n)", or "Marked unavailable" when you picked 0.
4. When every line is picked or short, **Complete Pick** appears. With shortages it reads **Close with (n) short**. Select it to finish; Arcus shows "Pick list completed." and returns to the list.
A line reads **Short: picked (n) of (n)** after a short pick. A pick list with no lines says "This pick list has no physical lines to pick."
## Work a Wave
A wave moves through four steps shown in a status board: **Draft**, **Released**, **Picking** and **Complete**.
* **Release wave** moves a draft to released and says "Wave released. Pickers can start." Hovering the disabled button says "Already (status)."
* **Start picking** (it reads **Picking in progress** once started) marks it as being picked and says "Wave marked as in-picking." Before release it says "Release the wave first."
* **Mark complete** closes the wave and says "Wave closed." It is disabled for a draft ("Release the wave first.") and for a complete wave ("Already complete.").
Below the board, the wave shows its **Assignee**, the number of **Orders**, and when it was **Released** and **Closed**. Each order has a card with its status, account and carrier, an order link, and **Open pack station**, which opens that order's pack page. With no orders, the wave says "No orders in this wave."
## Statuses
| Where | Status | What moves it |
| - | - | - |
| Single-order pick list | Pending | Created by **Generate Pick List**. |
| Single-order pick list | Completed | **Complete Pick** or **Close with (n) short**. |
| Single-order pick list | Cancelled | Shown in the **Cancelled** tab. Nothing on this screen cancels a pick list. |
| Wave | Draft | Created by **Create wave**. |
| Wave | Released | **Release wave**. |
| Wave | Picking | **Start picking**. |
| Wave | Complete | **Mark complete**. |
| A pick line | Pending, Picked, Short | Marking the line picked or short. |
The **Open** tab holds pending and draft lists. **In progress** holds released and picking waves. **Completed** holds completed pick lists and complete waves.
## What Picking Changes
* **Stock and the ledger**: picking posts nothing to the ledger and does not change on-hand stock. Stock leaves inventory when the package is fulfilled on the Fulfillment Station.
* **Bin counts**: marking a line picked reduces the quantity recorded in that bin by the quantity you picked.
* **Short picks**: a short line raises the order line's pending backorder to the shortfall (it never lowers one that is already larger) and, for a new backorder, emails the customer a backorder notice unless that notice is turned off. The short is logged as a pick variance in the activity log and shows on the order's history, so purchasing can follow up.
* **Activity and refresh**: creating, releasing, starting and closing a wave, and every pick action, are recorded in the activity log. Everyone with the list open sees changes without reloading.
## Messages You May See
| Message | What it means | What to do |
| - | - | - |
| "Pick list not found." | The pick list does not exist for this company. Arcus first checks your other companies and, if it finds the pick list there, switches you with "Switched to (company name) to open this pick list." | Select **Back to Pick Lists**. |
| "Cannot perform fulfillment work on a (document type)." | The document is not a sales order. | Choose a sales order. |
| "Order not found" | The order is not in this company. | Search again. |
| "Release failed", "Start picking failed", "Close failed", "Complete failed", "Mark short failed" | The action was refused. Arcus adds the reason. | Read the reason; check your permission and the wave's status. |
| "Could not create wave" | The wave was refused. Arcus adds the reason. | Adjust the filters and try again. |
## Related Articles
Operations > Fulfillment > Fulfillment Station: pack, label and fulfill the picked work.
How waves group orders and hand them to batch packing.
Use wave order cards to finish package work.
Create bins and understand how stock reaches them.
Assign a product to a bin so pick lines name where to go.
Settings > Documents & Email > Email Configuration: turn the backorder notice on or off.
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