Picker assignment lets you assign a specific warehouse staff member to each order. The assigned person knows which orders they are responsible for, and sees only those orders on their board view. Managers see all orders regardless of assignment.
Why Assign Orders to Pickers?
In a busy warehouse with multiple staff members working at the same time, unassigned orders can cause two problems:
- Duplicate work: Two pickers accidentally pick the same order at the same time.
- Missed orders: Everyone assumes someone else will pick an order, so nobody does.
Assigning each order to a specific picker solves both problems. The picker knows “these are my orders,” and the manager can see at a glance who is working on what.
How to Assign a Picker to an Order
Open the order detail panel
Click on any order card on the Order Board to open the detail panel for that order.
Find the "Assigned To" or "Picker" field
In the order detail panel, look for the picker assignment dropdown. It shows a list of all users who have the Warehouse Staff or Warehouse Manager role.
Select a staff member from the dropdown
Click the dropdown and choose the person you want to assign this order to. The order card on the board will immediately update to show the selected picker’s name.
The picker receives an email notification
As soon as you assign the order, the plugin automatically sends an email to the assigned picker. The email tells them: which order number has been assigned to them, and includes a link to the warehouse board. See Email Notifications for email details.
You can also reassign an order to a different picker at any time. Simply open the order detail panel and select a different person from the assignment dropdown. The new picker receives a notification, and the old picker does not receive any notification.
What Each Role Sees on the Board
The assignment system works differently depending on the user’s role:
| Role | What They See on the Board | Why? |
|---|---|---|
Warehouse Staff |
By default, only orders assigned to them personally. Unassigned orders and orders assigned to other people are hidden. |
Keeps their board focused. A picker with 5 assigned orders does not need to see 200 other orders on the board – it just creates confusion. |
Warehouse Manager |
All orders – assigned, unassigned, and assigned to others – across all staff members. |
Managers need the full picture to distribute work, spot bottlenecks, and reassign orders if a staff member is absent. |
Administrator |
All orders – full board view, same as Warehouse Manager. |
Admins have all capabilities by default. |
Fields Reference
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
Assigned To |
The warehouse staff member currently assigned to this order. Shows as a dropdown in the order detail panel and as a name/avatar on the order card. |
John Doe |
Assigned By |
Recorded in the status history – shows which manager or admin assigned the order and when. Not shown on the card itself, but visible in the order detail history. |
Manager Sarah (2025-06-24 09:15 AM) |
Tips for Managing Assignments
- Assign orders at the start of each shift. The manager should review unassigned orders in the Pending Pick column each morning and assign them to the available pickers based on their capacity and the warehouse area they cover.
- Reassign if a staff member is absent. If a picker calls in sick, a manager can quickly reassign all their orders to someone else using the order detail panels.
- Do not leave high-volume days with unassigned orders. On busy days, every order in Pending Pick should have an assigned picker. Unassigned orders risk being overlooked.
- Use the staff member’s real full name when setting up user accounts – it makes the assignment dropdown and order cards easy to read at a glance.