Web/HHT- Pigeon Hole and Sorting bay/station

Software Plan : Growth & Enterprise

Account Type : Seller Account & Aggregator 3PL

Inventory Type : Serialized & Non-Serialized

Overview

Pigeon Hole (PH) is a small movable bin with a unique Bin ID used to sort picked items order-wise before packing.

A Pigeon Hole contains items belonging to one order and is mainly used for multi-item orders. Single-item orders can be sent directly to the Packer without using a Pigeon Hole.

The Pigeon Hole process involves four warehouse roles:

Role	Responsibility
Picker	Picks items from warehouse bins and hands the picked items to the Sorter.
Sorter	Sorts picked items order-wise into Pigeon Holes.
Pigeon Hole Picker	Picks filled Pigeon Holes and takes them to the packing station.
Packer	Receives the Pigeon Hole, verifies the items and packs the order.

Tote: A Tote is a container used to keep picked items together while moving them through the warehouse picking and order processing flow. During B2C picking, a Tote is assigned to a Picklist and carries the picked items to the next applicable stage.

Process Flow

Pick Inventory → Sort Items into Pigeon Holes → Pick Filled Pigeon Hole → Pack Order

Use Case

Pigeon Hole is used when multiple orders are being picked together and the picked items need to be separated order-wise before packing.

Example

Suppose the Picker brings items for three orders to the sorting area:

Order A: 3 items
Order B: 2 items
Order C: 4 items

The Sorter places:

all items belonging to Order A → Pigeon Hole A
all items belonging to Order B → Pigeon Hole B
all items belonging to Order C → Pigeon Hole C

This keeps the items of each order together until they reach the packing station.

Pigeon Hole is especially useful for multi-item orders. A single-item order can be handed directly to the Packer.

Prerequisites

Pigeon Hole (PH) is controlled through backend feature settings.

The following settings must be enabled for the warehouse:

pigeon_hole_enabled
tote_enabled (applicable only if Tote-based sorting is required)

These settings are not configurable from the EasyEcom UI.

If Pigeon Hole (PH) options are not visible on HHT or Web, contact EasyEcom Support to verify and enable the required settings.

Important:

If Tote functionality is enabled, Tote confirmation becomes mandatory during sorting.
Pigeon Hole (PH) is not supported in Lite Kitting
Pigeon Holes must be configured from Masters → Bins Master.

Workflow

Process Flow

Picking → Sorting / Pigeon Hole Putaway → Pigeon Hole Picking → Packing

Step 1: Picking

The Picker picks inventory from the warehouse bins according to the Picklist.The picked items are then brought to the sorting bay/station for order-wise sorting.

HHT Flow

HHT Home → Picklist

Select the Picklist

Open the required Picklist Batch.

Scan the Item

Scan the item using SKU/EAN/UoM or Serial.

Select the Bin

Scan or select the bin from which the item is being picked.

Confirm the Pick

Once the required item is picked, confirm the order from the Orders picked & ready to confirm screen.

The HHT displays a success message after confirmation.

Result

The picked items are now available at the sorting area for the Sorter.

Note: Picking is the inventory-picking stage. Pigeon Hole Picking described in Step 3 is a separate process used to move filled Pigeon Holes to packing.

Step 2: Sort Items into Pigeon Holes

After picking, the Picker brings the picked items to the sorting bay. The Sorter sorts the items order-wise into Pigeon Holes.

2.1 Select the Picklist

Open Pigeon Hole (PH) Putaway on the HHT and select the required Picklist.

2.2 Scan the Item

Scan the SKU/EAN of the item to be sorted.

2.3 View Item Details

The HHT displays the details of the scanned item.

2.4 View the Allotted Pigeon Hole

The HHT displays the allotted Pigeon Hole for the item.

2.5 Scan the Pigeon Hole

Place the item in the allotted Pigeon Hole and scan the Pigeon Hole barcode.

2.6 Continue Sorting

After the Pigeon Hole is scanned, the HHT returns to the item scanning screen. Repeat the process for the remaining items.

Step 3: Pick Filled Pigeon Holes

After sorting is completed, the Pigeon Hole Picker moves the filled Pigeon Holes to the packing station.

3.1 Select the Picklist Batch

Open Pigeon Hole (PH) Picking on the HHT and select the required Picklist Batch. The batch displays the number of Filled Pigeon Holes, along with Picked PH and Not Picked PH.

3.2 View the Filled Pigeon Hole

Select the required filled Pigeon Hole.

3.3 View Items in the Pigeon Hole

The HHT displays the items and quantities contained in the Pigeon Hole.

3.4 Scan the Pigeon Hole

Scan the Pigeon Hole to confirm the pick.

3.5 Confirm the Pick

After successful scanning, the Pigeon Hole is marked as Picked.

The Pigeon Hole Picker then takes the picked Pigeon Hole to the packing station.

Step 4: Pack the Order

The Packer receives the Pigeon Hole at the packing station.

4.1 View the Order

The system displays the order associated with the scanned Pigeon Hole. Move to Packing Station.

4.2 Scan the Pigeon Hole

Scan the Pigeon Hole in the packing station.

4.3 Verify and Pack the Items

Verify the items received from the Pigeon Hole and proceed with packing.

4.4 Generate Invoice and Shipping Label

After the scanning, the system generates the applicable invoice and shipping label for the order.

Important Points

One Pigeon Hole contains items belonging to one order.
Pigeon Holes are used primarily for multi-item orders.
Single-item orders can be sent directly to packing.
The Sorter scans the item and then scans the Pigeon Hole to record the putaway.
The system suggests the Pigeon Hole to be used during sorting.
Pigeon Hole Picking and regular Picking are separate processes.
Pigeon Hole Picking shows Picklist Batches with at least one Filled Pigeon Hole.
Pigeon Hole statuses are Empty, Partially Filled, Filled, and Picked.
Pigeon Hole configuration is done from Bins Master.

FAQs

1. Can a Tote be manually assigned to a Picklist?

Yes. When Tote functionality is enabled, the user can scan or enter a Tote when prompted while opening the Picklist. The Tote is then assigned to that Picklist. One Tote can be assigned to one Picklist at a time.

2. Does HHT show picked and pending quantities separately?

HHT displays Total, Picked, Non-picked, and Item Filled quantities during picking.
3. Is the Pigeon Hole name/number visible in the HHT flow?

Yes. During sorting, the HHT displays the allotted Pigeon Hole ID for the item.

During Pigeon Hole Picking, the HHT displays the Pigeon Hole ID, status, Order, SKU, and quantity associated with the Pigeon Hole.

4. Does EasyEcom prioritize orders based on Order SLA?

Yes. Order-SLA-based prioritization is supported. Orders with an earlier SLA are prioritized for picking/release.

5. Can a Pigeon Hole be mapped to the Order, SKU and quantity?

Yes. The Pigeon Hole Picking flow displays the Pigeon Hole ID, Order, SKU, and quantity associated with the Pigeon Hole.

6. What happens when a Tote or Pigeon Hole is completed?

Tote: When processing is completed at the applicable stage, the Tote becomes Empty and can be used for another Picklist.

Pigeon Hole: After the Pigeon Hole is successfully scanned during Pigeon Hole Picking, it is marked as Picked. The Pigeon Hole Picker then takes it to the packing station.