Knowledge Base

SolvingMaze Batch Pick turns order, item, location, cart, barcode, and warehouse layout data into optimized picking work. With that data in place, the software can group orders, reduce walking distance, assign cart bins, guide pickers, and support barcode confirmation. Pick-to-box workflows add packing output from Pack and Quote so picked items can be directed into the right box or container.

This guide explains what to prepare before using SolvingMaze online Batch Pick software or the Batch Pick API. The same basic data drives both paths, but the way teams use the output is different.

Online Batch Pick software or Batch Pick API?

The online Batch Pick software is for teams that want to run picking work in the browser. A warehouse user uploads an order CSV file, creates a pick job, chooses the maximum orders per batch, selects pick-to-cart or pick-to-box, and then uses browser-based picker task pages to guide the work. Pickers can confirm items with barcode scans and update picked quantities as the job progresses.

The Batch Pick API is for system integration. A WMS, ERP, shopping cart, or custom fulfillment system submits structured order, item, location, and cart data, then retrieves optimized batches, route-ordered pick tasks, route distance, and cart-bin assignments. API users usually build their own picker workflow or connect the output to existing warehouse software.

For API-based pick-to-box, your integration combines Batch Pick API output with Pack and Quote API packing output. Batch Pick supplies the optimized pick work, while Pack and Quote supplies the box or container guidance.

A practical way to think about the difference is simple: the online software is a ready-to-use warehouse workflow, while the API is the optimization service behind an integrated workflow.

Data SolvingMaze uses for batch picking

Data	Used for
Orders	Group customer orders into efficient pick batches.
Item locations	Show pickers where each item is stored.
Warehouse layout	Plan route sequence around shelves, aisles, depots, and zones.
Cart rules	Assign cart bins and respect cart capacity.
Barcodes	Confirm picked items before quantities are updated.
Pack and Quote output	Support pick-to-box workflows with box or container guidance.

Why layout data is more than a location list

A simple pick list can tell a picker which shelf to visit, but it does not necessarily understand how the picker moves through the warehouse. Two shelves with nearby names may be far apart if the aisle direction, cross aisle, wall, or depot location forces a longer path.

SolvingMaze Batch Pick uses the warehouse layout to plan the pick route around aisles, shelves, depots, traversal rules, and zones. That makes the output more practical than a spreadsheet sorted by shelf name. The result can include route-ordered work, route distance, and visual route guidance, so the picker sees not just what to pick, but the sequence in which to pick it.

Why packing data matters for pick-to-box

Pick-to-cart and cart-bin picking keep batch-picked orders organized while the picker works through the warehouse. The cart bin, tote, or slot is the destination for the picked quantity, and packing decisions can still be made later at the packing station.

Pick-to-box moves that decision earlier. When packing output is available from Pack and Quote, the online Batch Pick workflow can direct picked quantities into the right box or container. In an API workflow, the same idea requires both APIs: Batch Pick API supplies the optimized pick batches and route output, while Pack and Quote API supplies the packing output your system uses for box-level guidance. That reduces sorting and repacking work because a filled box is much closer to ship-ready, subject to final checks, sealing, labeling, and shipment.

What SolvingMaze returns

Using that data, SolvingMaze can turn the request into optimized warehouse work. Depending on whether the online software or API is used, Batch Pick output can include pick batches, pick zones, route sequence, shelf, level, position, SKU, item name, quantity, order ID, barcode fields, cart-bin assignments, route distance, route visualization, and progress status. Box or container guidance is added when Pack and Quote output is combined with the picking workflow.

For warehouse teams, this means the same setup can support several workflows: pick-to-order, batch picking, zone picking, wave-style picking, pick-to-cart, cart-bin picking, and pick-to-box. The best workflow depends on the warehouse layout, order profile, cart design, barcode data, and whether packing decisions are available before picking starts.

A practical starting point

If the team is still moving from paper pick lists, start with the online Batch Pick software, a small CSV file, and an existing warehouse layout. Test a few orders, verify shelf IDs, and confirm that cart-bin assignments make sense to the picker.

Once the process is stable, the Batch Pick API can connect the same optimization capability to a WMS, ERP, shopping cart, or custom fulfillment system. If packing is already mature, combine Batch Pick API with Pack and Quote API so pick-to-box can move items closer to shipment during the pick instead of waiting for a separate sorting step later.

Good batch picking starts before the picker leaves the depot. When the data is clean, SolvingMaze can do more than print a pick list: it can create layout-aware batches, guide picker tasks, confirm items with barcode data, and connect picking work to cart bins or, when Pack and Quote output is available, shipping boxes.