A mispick usually gets blamed on the picker. Sometimes that is fair. But a lot of mispicks start with the label: two locations with the same code, codes that look alike, a label on the wrong level, or an arrow pointing the wrong way. The picker does exactly what the label says, and the order still goes out wrong.
Each of those costs you twice. Once to fix the order, the return, or the customer call, and again to track down why it happened. Below are the label problems we see most often, how each one causes mispicks, and how to fix it.
Duplicate location codes
What happens: The same code appears on two locations. The WMS thinks it is one place, so stock gets put away in one and picked from the other. Inventory counts drift, and pickers find empty slots or the wrong product. The fix: Find duplicates in the location file before printing. Sort the file and use a duplicate check, then confirm every code is unique. If labels are already up, scan the suspect aisles and compare against the WMS. Our guide on how to check warehouse label data before printing shows the steps.Look-alike codes
What happens: Codes that differ by one character are easy to misread at a glance. A01-12-B and A01-21-B, or a letter O where a zero should be. A picker confirming by eye reads what they expect to see. The fix: Avoid letters that look like numbers (O and 0, I and 1) in your naming convention. Use fixed-width fields with leading zeros so every code has the same shape. Make the human-readable text large enough to read from the picking position.Missing check digits
What happens: Without a check digit, any scan of any location looks valid to the system. If the picker scans the slot next door, nothing stops them. The fix: Add check digits to your location labels, or a short confirmation code the picker reads or keys in. The scanner or WMS can then reject the wrong slot before the pick happens. If you already use check digits, recompute them whenever the location file changes.Labels on the wrong level
What happens: A label meant for level C goes on level B, or the file tags locations with the wrong level. The scan matches the label, but the label doesn't match the rack. The fix: Color code levels the same way across the building, so a wrong-level label stands out. Spot-check the level field in the location file against the rack drawing before printing, and scan-test each level after install.Arrows pointing the wrong way
What happens: When one beam carries labels for the slot above and the slot below, the arrow decides which slot the picker reaches for. A wrong arrow sends them to the wrong slot with full confidence. The fix: Drive arrow direction from the location file, not from memory. Before printing, pick a few bays in each aisle and check the arrows against the rack drawing. After install, scan a sample from each aisle.Unreadable labels
What happens: Torn, faded, glare-prone, or too-small labels force pickers to rescan, key in codes by hand, or guess. Hand-keyed codes are where typos come in. The fix: Size labels for the distance they are scanned from, use a matte face where glare is a problem, and use retro-reflective labels on upper levels. For more on that, see how rack label choices affect scan speed and picking. Replace damaged labels before they turn into workarounds.Track label causes separately
When a mispick is logged, add one question to the review: did the label play a part? Was the code duplicated, hard to read, on the wrong level, or pointing the wrong way? Most teams track mispicks by picker or by shift. Tracking them by location as well shows you quickly when the same few slots keep causing trouble, and those slots usually have a label problem behind them.
Where to start in a live building
If you already run a building and mispicks are creeping up, start with the data, not the labels. Pull the location list from your WMS and run a duplicate check. Then walk the aisles with the most errors and scan a sample of locations at every level. Note any label that won't scan, any code that doesn't match the WMS, and any arrow or level that looks wrong. That short list tells you whether you need a few replacement labels or a planned relabel. Our warehouse labeling audit walkthrough covers the full walk.
Fix the file before the labels
Most of these problems can be caught in the location file, before a single label is printed. That is the cheapest place to fix them. Once labels are on steel in a working building, every fix means a reprint and a crew.
CIS can run your location file through the CIS Label Data Validator, which runs 16+ automated checks for duplicates, sequence gaps, format errors, and more before production.
Send us your label data file for a pre-print check.Related reading
- How to check warehouse label data before printing
- How rack label choices affect scan speed and picking
- Warehouse barcode labels from CIS
- Warehouse rack labels in Atlanta and Georgia
Labeling a facility in Atlanta or North Georgia? Same-day quote. Call 770-561-5285 or email keaton@innovationandsupply.com.