In This Article
Definition
Put Wall is a freestanding warehouse structure divided into numbered cubbies — each typically equipped with a small digital display panel and confirmation button — used to sort and assemble individual orders from large batch picks before packaging. The put wall sits between the picking operation (where items are pulled from inventory in large batches) and the packing operation (where individual orders are boxed and labeled), dramatically accelerating order assimilation by organizing items into order-specific slots in real time. Put walls handle both mixed-SKU and single-SKU orders and are particularly well-suited for high-volume distribution center environments where multiple orders contain overlapping items that can be picked efficiently in a single pass.
Distribution centers handling high volumes of e-commerce and wholesale orders face a fundamental efficiency problem at the boundary between picking and packing: items are most efficiently picked in large batches across multiple orders, but packing requires those items to be organized by individual order. The put wall is the solution to this transition — a physical sorting mechanism that converts a batch of mixed items into organized, order-specific slots that packers can process without searching, matching, or manual sorting.
Quick Answer
A put wall is a warehouse structure divided into numbered cubbies used to sort batch-picked items into individual orders before packing. The process: large batches of items are picked, brought to the wall, and each item is scanned. The wall's system lights up the cubby corresponding to the order that needs that item. The picker places it and confirms with a button press. Once all items for an order are assembled, the packing side signals readiness — indicating box size, carrier, and priority. Robotic put walls, like Berkshire Grey's AI-powered version, can process up to 240 simultaneous orders compared to the industry average of 80 for manual walls.
TL;DR
A put wall is a freestanding structure divided into numbered cubbies — each with a digital display and confirmation button — positioned between the batch picking operation and the individual order packing operation. It handles the order assimilation step: converting a batch of items picked across multiple orders into organized, order-specific slots that enable fast, accurate packing. Put walls handle both mixed-SKU and single-SKU orders, are well-suited for high-volume items, and compress the space required for order sorting while increasing throughput. The picker workspace faces the front of the wall; the packing workspace faces the back.
TL;DR
The put wall process begins when a picker scans their tote or batch container, alerting the system to the incoming items. Each item is scanned, and the wall's system lights the cubby corresponding to the order that needs it. The picker places the item, confirms with a button press, and moves to the next item. Some systems light multiple cubbies simultaneously for items needed across multiple orders, allowing a single item scan to trigger placements in several cubbies at once. When all items for an order are assembled, the packing side signals readiness with box size recommendation, shipping carrier, multi-cubby order flags, and priority information.
TL;DR
Robotic put walls replace the manual picker with AI-powered robotic systems that scan, sort, and place items automatically. Berkshire Grey introduced its AI-powered Robotic Shuttle Put Wall (RSPW) in September 2021 — processing up to 240 simultaneous orders compared to the industry average of 80 for manual put walls. The system addresses both throughput limits and the labor availability challenges that make manual fulfillment scaling difficult during peak demand periods.
Berkshire Grey's Robotic Shuttle Put Wall represents the next evolution of put wall technology: instead of a human picker scanning and placing items, AI-enabled robotics handle the sorting process automatically. According to Berkshire Grey founder and CEO Tom Wagner, the system "increases order processing speeds, optimizes the fulfillment workforce, and most importantly gets more orders out the door more quickly."
The performance difference between manual and robotic put walls is significant: the RSPW processes up to 240 simultaneous orders, compared to the industry average of 80 for manual put walls. For distribution centers managing high e-commerce volumes during peak seasons — when labor is simultaneously scarce and most needed — robotic put walls provide throughput that manual systems cannot match.
TL;DR
Put walls deliver ROI through two primary mechanisms: increased throughput (more orders processed per shift means more revenue per square foot of DC space), and improved accuracy (reduced error rates mean lower return volumes and higher customer satisfaction). The systems are customizable to specific warehouse configurations and can be scaled incrementally — starting small, evaluating performance, and expanding as volume and confidence grow. Multiple vendors offer put wall solutions, including Berkshire Grey, Lucas Systems, Honeywell Intelligrated, Softeon, and Bastian Solutions.
BOLD VAN integrates with warehouse management systems and ERP platforms to ensure that fulfillment events — shipment confirmations, ASN transmissions, and invoice generation — flow automatically to your retail trading partners. Schedule a free demo to see how EDI automation connects your fulfillment operations to your trading partner network.
Schedule a Free DemoA put wall is used to sort items from batch picks into individual orders — items are "put" into order-specific cubbies. A pick wall operates in the opposite direction: inventory is stored in wall cubbies, and pickers pull ("pick") items from the wall to fulfill individual orders. Both use similar physical structures and cubby-lighting technology, but they serve different positions in the fulfillment workflow. Put walls are used after batch picking to assemble orders; pick walls combine inventory storage and order picking in a single step.
Put walls provide the most benefit in high-volume fulfillment environments where many orders contain overlapping items — the scenario where batch picking delivers the biggest efficiency gain over discrete order picking. E-commerce fulfillment operations with large SKU counts, many daily orders, and items frequently appearing across multiple concurrent orders are the primary use case. Put walls are also effective for distribution centers handling replenishment orders to retail stores, where similar item mixes appear across multiple store orders simultaneously.
The capacity of a manual put wall depends on the number of cubbies — typically ranging from 50 to several hundred cubbies per wall. The industry average for manual put walls is approximately 80 simultaneous orders. Berkshire Grey's AI-powered Robotic Shuttle Put Wall (RSPW) processes up to 240 simultaneous orders — three times the manual average — by replacing the human picker with robotic automation that operates continuously without the speed limitations of manual sorting.
Put walls typically integrate with the distribution center's Warehouse Management System (WMS), which in turn connects to the EDI infrastructure handling trading partner document exchange. When the put wall signals that an order is complete and ready to pack, the WMS triggers the relevant fulfillment events — including EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice generation and carrier label printing — so that the outbound EDI documents transmit to the trading partner automatically as the order is packed rather than requiring a separate manual step. BOLD VAN's EDI integration connects these WMS events to trading partner document exchange without additional manual touchpoints.
Key Facts — Summary
A put wall is a warehouse structure divided into numbered cubbies — each with a digital display and confirmation button — that converts batch-picked items into organized, order-specific slots before packing. The five-step sequence is: tote scan, item scan with cubby lighting, item placement with button confirmation, packing signal when the order is complete, and immediate cubby reassignment. Put walls handle mixed- and single-SKU orders and are particularly efficient for high-volume items that appear across many concurrent orders.
Robotic put walls — like Berkshire Grey's AI-powered Robotic Shuttle Put Wall — process up to 240 simultaneous orders compared to the industry average of 80 for manual systems. ROI comes from two sources: increased throughput (more orders per shift from existing floor space and staff) and improved accuracy (reduced returns from scan-and-confirm workflows). Put wall systems are scalable and customizable; notable providers include Berkshire Grey, Lucas Systems, Honeywell Intelligrated, Softeon, and Bastian Solutions.
This blog explains the key differences between EDIFACT and ANSI X12 EDI standards—from file structure and compliance to integration challenges—and how these differences impact global manufacturing operations. It also highlights practical solutions, including dual-standard management with BOLD VAN, to streamline supply chains and control costs.
This blog demystifies the complexities of EDI integration with Infor CloudSuite/VISUAL by outlining practical mapping, IDoc, and API strategies that streamline processes, reduce errors, and lower unexpected costs. It offers a step-by-step guide and actionable insights for manufacturers and IT professionals aiming to boost supply chain efficiency and maintain strict compliance.
