Picking with SAP: From hand scanners to AutoStore.

Seamless processes and intuitive interfaces for modern warehouse logistics with SAP WM and SAP EWM.

When thinking of classic picking, one often imagines an employee with a scanner in hand, walking step by step through the warehouse and picking items from the shelves. This image is still reality – but the requirements for modern logistics processes are very different today: real-time postings, transparent inventory, and seamless SAP integration are now the standard. What matters is not only the technology in the background but also the user interface: logistics in the SAP environment must not appear complicated but must be intuitive and easy to control securely.

Our authors and experts

Pascal Contursi

Business Development & Digital Marketing

Author

Olaf Siefken

Board of Directors

Expert
Last updated on 09.12.2025

Three scenarios. Three picking types. One platform.

Picking in SAP can basically be divided into three categories:

Manual picking: In manual picking, the employee works directly in the warehouse, usually supported by mobile devices such as handheld scanners or tablets. With status C scan:IT, the worker is guided step by step through the workload, receives clear instructions for item removal, and can confirm each posting directly in SAP. This results in fewer errors, and the process speed increases significantly, even with manual work.

Semi-automated systems: In semi-automated scenarios, such as paternoster warehouses, the system automatically delivers the required items to the employee. Through status C connect:IT, the system is directly connected to SAP, allowing orders, replenishment requests, or prioritizations to be managed in real time. This reduces waiting times and ensures that picking is efficiently aligned with SAP process logic.

Fully automated systems: In fully automated solutions such as AutoStore or Ragbot systems, robots handle the complete transport and provision of items. Through status C store:IT, these systems are deeply integrated into SAP, enabling picking orders to be automatically assigned, inventory to be seamlessly maintained, and feedback to be processed in real time. This ensures maximum process speed, scalability, and transparency across the entire warehouse logistics.

The added value lies in the unified picking interface: Whether it is a warehouse worker with a handheld scanner, an operator at a paternoster system, or a user of an AutoStore system – all work on the same platform, with the same user guidance and seamless SAP integration. This ensures that picking remains intuitive, consistent, and efficiently manageable for everyone involved.

Whether picking in SAP WM or SAP EWM - intuitive usability is the key.

A major success factor is the user interface. Good usability ensures that an SAP-supported solution is perceived in daily operations not as a hurdle but as a helper. That means:

  • Simplicity – even complex processes are clearly displayed and can be operated intuitively.

  • Safety – clear user guidance helps to avoid errors.

  • Flexibility – whether handheld scanner, forklift terminal, or tablet: the same application can be used across different hardware platforms. With status C scan:IT and status C guide:IT, both manual and forklift picking can be mapped equally.

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SAP as a real-time logistics system.

The integration of your picking processes into SAP means that all warehouse movements are recorded in real time – inventory is always up to date, orders can be continuously monitored, and maximum transparency is achieved. For logisticians, two requirements are crucial: safety and efficiency gains. Both are ensured through the direct connection between the status C picking applications and SAP.

Whether manual, semi-automated, or fully automated: picking in SAP does not have to be complicated. With a consistent, user-friendly interface, intelligent optimization, and real-time integration, processes can be accelerated, errors avoided, and warehouse logistics elevated to a new level.

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