Order-Level Special Instructions: Keeping Pick and Pack Notes Visible at a 3PL

Every so often an order needs something the standard workflow doesn’t cover. A gift note goes inside the box, not on the packing slip. Two units ship together but get wrapped separately. The customer asked for no invoice. These are small requests, and they’re exactly what gets missed when the instruction lives in an email thread instead of on the order itself.

What I do first is find out where the picker actually reads. At most 3PLs there’s an order notes field that shows on the handheld or the pick ticket, and a separate one that only appears on the packing screen. Putting a pack instruction in the pick field is noise; putting a pick instruction in the packing field means it arrives too late. I ask the account manager to show me both screens before I commit to a process.

From there I keep instructions short and imperative. One line, one action: “Wrap mug in bubble, box separately.” I avoid sentences that need interpretation. If a request is conditional, I split it into two notes or ask the brand to simplify it.

• Put the note in the field that displays at the station where the work happens.
• Use one line per action, never a paragraph.
• Flag high-risk orders so a scan or supervisor check is required before the box closes.
• Keep a plain-language glossary of your shorthand so new pickers aren’t guessing.

Audit trail matters as much as the note. I want to see who added the instruction, when, and whether the packer acknowledged it. Photos at the pack bench settle most disputes, and a note that was viewed on the handheld is stronger evidence than a note that merely existed in the system.

Numbers help make the case internally: say a mispick costs $45 in reship and support time, and 20 of them a month adds up quickly. But check your provider’s own current terms on how notes are stored and whether they carry into their warehouse system.

When I compare providers, I ask each one to walk me through how a note travels from order import to the packer’s screen. I review warehouse providers against that question first, before price.

— Mike Carter