Mobile Picker & Scanning
Cycle counting with blind counts
Define count zones, schedule them on a rotation, and let counters verify quantities without seeing the expected number.
Defining count zones
A count zone is a group of bins that get counted together—usually an aisle, a velocity tier (A/B/C), or a category. Go to /admin/warehouses/[id]/cycle-count-zones and create zones by selecting bins from your layout. Each zone has a name, a list of bins, and a target frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly).
The daily scheduler
Every morning, ShipWave looks at when each zone was last counted and queues the ones that are due. High-velocity A-zones might cycle weekly, slow-moving C-zones quarterly. The scheduler respects an upper cap on counts per day so your floor team is not overwhelmed. Managers see the day’s queue in Admin → Cycle Counts.
Blind count UI
When a counter scans a bin, the mobile app shows the SKUs in that bin but not the expected quantity. They count and enter what is actually on the shelf. This blind-count pattern eliminates the "confirmation bias" trap where counters round to the expected number. Skewed counts caught this way are how we surface real shrink instead of paperwork shrink.
Manager review queue
After a count finishes, it lands in the manager review queue. Each line shows expected, counted, and the variance in units and dollars. Managers can approve, reject (send back for recount), or split-approve—accept some lines and recount others. Approval requires a one-sentence note when variance exceeds a configurable threshold.
Approval as a single atomic transaction
When a manager hits Approve, ShipWave runs a single database transaction that updates the
BinAssignment, adjusts the InventoryLevel, writes one InventoryLedgerEntry per line (with reason cycle_count_adjustment), and queues a marketplace push so Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Shopify see the new on-hand quantity within the next sync window. Either everything updates or nothing does—there is no partial state.FAQs
Can the same zone be counted by two counters in parallel?
No. While a count is open on a zone, the zone is locked. Other counters see it as "in progress" and pick a different zone.
What happens if a counter walks away mid-count?
The count auto-saves as they go. They can resume on the same device or a different one. After 24 hours of inactivity, a manager is alerted.
Does ShipWave support ABC velocity tiering?
Yes. The scheduler can frequency-weight zones by tag—A zones get pulled in more often than C zones. Set tier frequencies in <strong>Settings → Cycle Counts</strong>.
Does the approval push to marketplaces immediately?
It queues a push within the next marketplace cron run (typically 5–15 minutes). Listings on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Shopify update with the new on-hand count.
More in Mobile Picker & Scanning
- Setting up the ShipWave mobile picker app
Install the PWA on any phone or tablet, sign in with a PIN, and start picking, packing, or counting in under five minutes.
- Bin management and warehouse layout
Build out your aisle, shelf, and bin structure once—then let ShipWave route pickers down the shortest path automatically.
- The mobile pick workflow
Scan bin, scan SKU, confirm quantity, move on. The mobile app guides pickers through each line and catches every mismatch.
- Scan-to-verify pack stations
Stop labels from going on the wrong box. Every pack scan is verified against the pick, and label purchase is blocked until pack is clean.
- Lot and serial number tracking
Track expiry dates, run recall workflows, and pick units in FEFO order with built-in GS1-128 barcode parsing.