How to Create Documents That Show Warehouse Bin Locations for Faster Picking

A picking document listing only product names sends staff searching the whole warehouse for every item. A bin location beside each line turns that search into a direct walk, and the difference compounds across every order of the day.

This guide is for merchants with organized storage, bins, shelves, aisles, who want picking documents to display exactly where each item lives, not just what it is.

Quick Answer

Yes, picking documents can display bin locations pulled directly from your product data. Order Printer Pro supports full template customization via code, so a bin or shelf reference stored against each SKU can print beside every line item on the picking document, and lines can sort by location so the whole list follows a logical walking route. Staff pick faster because the paper tells them exactly where to go.

What This Involves

A bin-location picking document pulls a stored location reference, aisle, shelf, or bin code, into each order line on the printed document, and can additionally sort the whole list by that location so pickers move through the warehouse in one efficient pass rather than backtracking.

Who Needs This

• Warehouses organized by aisle, shelf, or bin systems
• Stores with growing SKU counts where memory no longer suffices
• Teams onboarding new warehouse staff regularly
• Merchants whose current picking involves visible searching
• Any operation measuring and wanting to improve pick times

Why It Matters for Your Business

• Location references eliminate search time on every pick
• Route-sorted lists prevent backtracking across the warehouse
• New staff become productive without memorizing the layout first
• Faster picking raises daily order capacity without adding headcount
• Location data doubles as documentation for warehouse audits
• The improvement scales with volume, mattering more on busy days

How to Create Documents That Show Warehouse Bin Locations for Faster Picking on Shopify

Step 1: Prepare Your Store

Start by ensuring bin locations exist in your product data.

• Assign each SKU a location code, aisle, shelf, or bin
• Store the code in a consistent product field or metafield
• Number locations in the sequence a picker naturally walks

Step 2: Install and Configure Order Printer Pro

Install Order Printer Pro and build the location-aware picking document.

• Pull the location field into each line item on the template
• Sort lines by location code so the document follows the walking route
• Use code customization or 24/7 support for the sorting logic

Step 3: Create Your Logic

Make the location reference impossible to miss.

• Position the location prominently beside SKU and quantity
• Use a font size and weight that stands out on the printed page
• Match the printed format exactly to your physical shelf labels

Step 4: Test

Test the document against the actual floor.

• Walk a printed list and confirm the sequence matches the real route
• Verify location codes match physical labels exactly
• Time a pick against your previous document format

Step 5: Go Live

Roll out and keep location data accurate as stock moves.

• Update location codes whenever products change shelves
• Retrain the route whenever the warehouse layout changes
• Review pick times periodically to catch data drift

Examples & Use Cases

Growing Home Goods Retailer
Industry: Home goods
Problem: A warehouse organized into forty bins had no location data on picking documents, so new staff searched blindly
Setup: Added bin codes to every SKU and built a location-sorted picking template through Order Printer Pro
Result: New hires picked productively within their first day and overall pick times fell noticeably

Electronics Accessories Warehouse
Industry: Electronics
Problem: Picking lists sorted by order line sent staff crisscrossing a large warehouse on every order
Setup: Sorted the picking document by bin location, following the actual aisle sequence
Result: Walking distance per order dropped substantially and daily throughput increased

Read more case studies for our apps here.

Best Practices

• Store a consistent location code for every SKU before building the template
• Sort documents by location, never by arbitrary order line sequence
• Number locations along the picker's natural walking route
• Match printed codes exactly to physical shelf labels
• Position the location field prominently, not as an afterthought
• Keep location data current whenever stock moves
• Time picks periodically to confirm the system still delivers gains

Summary

Picking documents work best when they tell staff exactly where to walk, not just what to find. The core steps are storing accurate bin locations against every SKU, building a template that displays and sorts by them, and verifying the printed route matches the real warehouse.

If your pickers are still searching the warehouse, Order Printer Pro can print the location on every line so they walk straight there.