Picking one order at a time is the slowest way to run a warehouse. Here is the cart-and-tote picking system we built for Natures Warehouse so a single walk down the aisle fulfils a whole batch of orders at once.
The problem: too many trips, too many mistakes
In a busy warehouse, the biggest hidden cost is walking. A picker who fetches one order, walks back, drops it, and starts again spends most of the day moving between shelves instead of picking. And when several orders are picked loosely together, it is easy for the wrong item to end up in the wrong box.
Natures Warehouse needed a way to pick many orders in one pass, keep each order cleanly separated, and prove that every item ended up where it belonged, all driven by the barcode scanner their team already used.
What we built: the Stock Pick Cart
We built a Stock Pick Cart module that turns a physical picking cart into a smart, barcode-driven container for a whole wave of orders. The idea is simple and maps directly onto how the floor already works:
- A cart carries a batch (or wave) of orders for one trip.
- Each tote on the cart belongs to a single order or package.
- Every cart and tote has a barcode, so the system always knows what is where.
The picker scans the cart, walks the route once, and scans each item into its assigned tote. One trip clears many orders, and nothing gets mixed up.
Built on batch and wave picking
The module sits on top of Odoo's batch and wave picking, so orders are grouped intelligently before anyone leaves the desk. Instead of a picker deciding what to grab, the system assembles the batch, maps it to totes, and the scanner guides the rest.
Cart types and tote types
Not all carts are the same. We modelled cart types and tote types so the warehouse can define how many totes a cart holds and how they behave. Configuration lives in Odoo, not in someone's head, which means a new cart can be set up in minutes and a new hire can be productive on day one.
Straight through to packing and delivery
Because each tote already represents an order's package, picking flows naturally into packing. The module ties into package types and Odoo's delivery layer, so the same container that was picked becomes the package that ships. Fewer hand-offs, fewer re-scans, fewer chances to send the wrong box.
Scanner-first, screen-second
The whole flow is designed to be run from a barcode device. Pickers keep their hands on the scanner and their eyes on the shelf, with the screen only there to confirm. That is what makes a batch of orders feel as fast as picking one.
The result
- One walk, many orders. Batching plus carts cuts the travel time that quietly eats a picker's day.
- Cleaner orders. One tote per order means the wrong item cannot quietly land in the wrong box.
- Full traceability. Barcoded carts and totes mean you can always answer "where is this order right now?"
- Faster onboarding. The scanner leads; new staff follow it.
If your pickers spend more time walking than picking, a cart-and-tote system like this can change the shape of your day. Talk to Shadail Technology about faster, cleaner fulfilment.
