What is pick-face validation?
Pick-face validation checks that required stock exists on active pick-face locations (types 7 and 8) before a bundle is released to a picker. Dark Store Systems runs line-level validity, bundle gates (assert_bundle_pickface_pickable), and supervisor bulk checks — reducing walks to empty bays and forced short picks.
What is a pick face in warehouse terms?
A pick face is the forward location where operators collect stock during a pick walk. In Dark Store Systems, pick-face validation targets location types 7 and 8 — the active faces pickers reach on the handheld bundle station.
Stock sitting in bulk or reserve locations does not satisfy the gate until it is on the face. That distinction matters when supervisors wonder why an order shows available stock in the system but the bundle still reads Not valid on the pick queue.
How does pick-face validation work in Dark Store Systems?
- Orders release from the pool — Bundle building places work on the pick queue upstream of assignment.
- Line-level checks run — Each bundle line gets an
OrderBundleItemsStatus: Valid, Not valid, or quantities that contribute to Short pick. - Bundle gate applies —
assert_bundle_pickface_pickableandPreBundlePickblock release when the face cannot fulfil the bundle. - Supervisors confirm before volume — PickFace Check on orders and bulk V2 prefix replay on the queue catch drift after replen or stock movement.
- Pickers see status on assignment — Only bundles marked ready should reach the floor; forced short picks drop when the gate runs before the walk.
Status labels are always shown in text — Valid, Short pick, Empty, and Not valid — not colour alone.
Why gate the pick face before release?
Empty bays waste walk minutes and create silent short picks — the costliest failure mode because nobody records the decision at the shelf. Gating before release shifts the conversation to supervisors and replen, not to a picker standing at an empty location.
In our experience, teams that run morning PickFace Check before releasing peak volume see fewer rebundles and less consolidation dwell time. Pick-face validation connects directly to assisted fill when stock must move to the face before work is safe to assign.
How does pick-face validation relate to bundle picking?
Bundle picking splits orders into zone pick-work units (OrderBundles). Each unit passes through the same validation gate before a picker collects totes and starts the walk.
Validation is not a separate product module — it is the control layer between order release and the handheld station. For the full release-to-pack sequence, see the warehouse picking hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pick face in warehouse terms?
A pick face is the forward pick location an operator visits during a walk. Dark Store Systems validates stock on pick-face location types 7 and 8 before a bundle is assigned. Bulk or reserve stock does not pass the gate until it sits on the active face.
What does “short pick” mean on the pick queue?
Short pick means the bundle cannot be fully fulfilled from current pick-face stock — some lines are short or forced-skip quantities apply. The bundle may still release with explicit short status, but supervisors should review before assigning. This is different from Empty (no face stock) and Not valid (line-level failure).
How does assisted fill relate to pick-face validation?
Assisted fill moves stock onto pick faces and triggers pickface validity recompute. After replen, supervisors can rerun bulk checks on the queue so bundles flip from Not valid to Valid without pickers walking to bays that were empty an hour earlier.
Can a picker be assigned a bundle that is Not valid?
Only ready bundles should be assigned. The gate (assert_bundle_pickface_pickable) is designed to block release when the face cannot fulfil the work. Supervisors use PickFace Check and queue rebuild when validity drifts after stock changes.