--- title: Zone Picking description: "Zone picking explained simply: how it works, its benefits and variations such as pick & pass. Ideal for large, scalable warehouses." --- This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 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Support Support - [Support Services](https://bitergo.com/en/support) - [AI Support-Assistant](https://bitergo.com/support-ai-assistant) - [Contact](https://bitergo.com/contact) ## Terms & explanations relating to logistics, supply chain management and e-commerce - [All](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/all-terms) - [A](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/a) - [B](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/b) - [C](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/c) - [D](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/d) - [E](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/e) - [F](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/f) - [G](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/g) - [H](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/h) - [I](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/i) - [J](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/j) - K - [L](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/l) - [M](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/m) - N - [O](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/o) - [P](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/p) - [Q](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/q) - [R](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/r) - [S](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/s) - 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Each worker is responsible exclusively for a specific zone and operates only within that area.  --- ## What is Zone Picking? In zone picking, orders are not completed by a single worker but instead pass through multiple warehouse zones or are processed in parallel within them. The goal is to reduce travel distances and increase efficiency through specialization. This method is particularly suitable for larger warehouses with a wide product range and high order frequency.   ## How does Zone Picking work in the warehouse? In practice, the warehouse is first divided into different zones, for example by product groups, storage areas, or physical structure. Each picker works exclusively in their assigned zone and has in-depth knowledge of the items stored there. Depending on the organization, there are two common approaches: In the so-called “pick & pass” method, an order is passed from zone to zone until all items have been picked. Alternatively, multiple zones can work on an order in parallel before the results are consolidated.   ## What role does a Warehouse Management System (WMS) play? A [WMS](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/warehouse-management-system-wms) plays a central control role in zone picking. It ensures that orders are routed correctly through the individual zones and that workloads are evenly distributed. In addition, the system helps prevent bottlenecks by monitoring the utilization of each zone and making adjustments if necessary. It also coordinates synchronization between parallel processes.   ## Advantages and challenges A major advantage of zone picking is the significant reduction in travel distances, as workers operate only within a limited area. At the same time, specialization enables higher speed and lower error rates. However, the method also presents challenges. In particular, coordination between zones can become complex, and overall performance often depends on the slowest zone.   ## When is Zone Picking useful? Zone picking is particularly suitable for large warehouses with a high variety of items and increasing order volumes. When combined with other methods such as [batch picking](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/batch-picking-multi-order-picking) or [wave picking](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/wave-picking), efficiency can be further improved. ##### Bitergo GmbH Saarlandstr. 117 44139 Dortmund Germany +49 231 878008-0 [wecare@bitergo.com](mailto:wecare@bitergo.com) ##### Company - [About us](https://bitergo.com/profile) - [Information Security](https://bitergo.com/information-security-iso-27001) - [People at Bitergo](https://bitergo.com/team) - [Career](https://bitergo.com/en/career) - [Contact](https://bitergo.com/contact) ##### Products - [Bitergo WMS](https://bitergo.com/bitergo-warehouse-management-system) - [Bitergo WMS Free](https://bitergo.com/bitergo-wms-free) - [Bitergo Warehouse Automation](https://bitergo.com/warehouse-automation-with-bitergo) ##### Resources - [Blog](https://bitergo.com/en/blog) - [WMS-Calculator](https://bitergo.com/cost-savings-calculator) - [References](https://bitergo.com/references) - [Media](https://bitergo.com/media) - [WMS Academy](https://bitergo.com/wms-academy) - [Glossary](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary)   ##### Support - [Support Services](https://bitergo.com/en/support) - [AI Support-Assistant](https://bitergo.com/support-ai-assistant) ##### [Prices](https://bitergo.com/prices)   [![ISO_27001_Horizontal](https://bitergo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ISO_27001_Horizontal.png?width=200&height=75&name=ISO_27001_Horizontal.png)](https://bitergo.com/information-security-iso-27001) ISO 27001-certified Information Management System for **Bitergo WMS** and **Bitergo Warehouse Automation**   © Bitergo GmbH [Legal information](https://bitergo.com/imprint) | [Privacy](https://bitergo.com/privacy) | Cookie-Settings [LinkedIn icon](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitergo-gmbh) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Bitergo", "url" : "https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/author/bitergo" }, "dateModified" : "2026-04-15T14:10:11.420Z", "datePublished" : "2026-04-15T13:39:26.000Z", "headline" : "Zone Picking", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/zone-picking", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://bitergo.com/hubfs/bitergo-logo-1.svg" }, "name" : "Bitergo GmbH" } } ```