Flawless Shipping Order Picking – 3 Real-World Client Case Studies

Published: 28 listopada 2025

We present 3 genuine examples where the HDF WMS warehouse management system completely eliminated these types of problems and brought tangible savings to our clients.

Case 1: Export of Small Metal Parts (screws, washers, etc.)

The client packaged goods in small bags and shipped them abroad. The products had a low unit value (a few cents/piece), but any shortage or a few missing items in the bag led to a claim and the need to reship the entire carton. The cost of fuel, freight, and labor exceeded the value of the missing goods by 20–30 times. Annually, losses reached tens of thousands of PLN.

HDF WMS Solution:

• Integration of the Waga xT with the WMS system during the order picking process.
• Automatic weighing and counting of every item during packaging.
• 100% certainty that every bag and carton contains the exact number of pieces required.

Result:

The number of claims dropped to zero, and the client stopped losing money on re-shipments.

Case 2: Brake Caliper Manufacturer

The client's products were visually very similar (sometimes differing only by markings). The client lacked a system for loading verification, which resulted in incorrect calipers landing on the pallet every few shipments. Each claim resulted in a contractual penalty of several thousand EUR plus the cost of goods replacement and transportation.

HDF WMS Solution:

• Mobile terminals forced the operator to scan every item on the pallet before loading.
• The system compares the scanned goods with the order in real-time.
• Physical lock-out (alert/light barrier), alert sent to the warehouse manager, stopping the shipment until clarified.

Result:

Zero contractual penalties for many years.

Case 3: Shipments to Multiple Sites of the Same Contractor

One trailer served 4–6 different locations of the same customer. Drivers loaded pallets "as they pleased." During delivery, it was often necessary to unload the entire trailer to retrieve a pallet that should have been the first one off. The cost of vehicle downtime + the labor of additional personnel during unloading/loading equaled several thousand PLN for each such operation.

HDF WMS Solution:

• Load Sequence Planning Module (optimal pallet sequence according to the route).
• Large monitors above the docks showing the exact instruction: "Load pallet No. 12 now."
• Automatic barcode readers at the trailer entrance; the system blocks the loading of a pallet in the wrong sequence.

Result:

The cost of loading errors dropped to 0 PLN. Drivers save many hours on every delivery.

What Should Modern Shipping Order Picking Look Like?

• Retrieval of the complete order manifest.
• Scanning of every item/package/pallet with a mobile terminal.
• Immediate comparison with the order (the system signals an error audibly and visually).
• Releasing only the correct shipment for loading.
• Automatic report for controlling (who, what, when, and at what time loaded it, providing proof in case of claims).

Devices that Maximize the Efficiency of this Process

• Collectors/mobile terminals with a large screen and long-range reader.
• Automatic gates with barcode readers at the trailer entrance.
• Very large barcodes on the pallet (readable even from 8–10 m) plus DataMatrix codes on packaging, resistant to damage.
• Large monitors above each dock with the current loading plan.

The HDF WMS warehouse management system performs all of this.

If you have unusual challenges, or are incurring high claims costs, our system can help.

We are not afraid of challenges!