Pick and Pack Time Tracking: Where Fulfillment Speed Is Won or Lost

Shipping speed gets the headlines, but pick and pack time decides whether those promises are realistic. Orders cannot ship until they are picked accurately and packed correctly. This is why pick and pack time tracking matters for brands that want fast fulfillment without sacrificing accuracy.

When pick and pack work slows down, everything downstream backs up, even if carriers are performing perfectly.

Why Pick and Pack Time Is Often Invisible

Many warehouses track when orders ship but not how long they spend being picked or packed. That gap hides inefficiencies that quietly grow as volume increases.

Maureen Milligan, Director of Operations and Projects at G10 Fulfillment, describes what customers often lack. "Most of the customers who come to us from another 3PL, their challenges have always been access to their data, order accuracy and efficiency, and basically just meeting the committed requirements." Pick and pack time tracking brings that missing visibility.

Picking Speed Depends on Layout and Process

Pick time is shaped by slotting, travel paths, and system guidance. Without measurement, slow paths and poor layouts persist.

Bryan Wright, CTO and COO of G10 Fulfillment, explains the role of systems. "A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point that you touch it," Wright says. "That tracking allows us to see how long picks actually take."

Packing Time Reveals Accuracy Tradeoffs

Packing is where accuracy checks, inserts, and labeling happen. Rushing this step creates errors that show up later as returns or chargebacks.

Joel Malmquist, VP of Customer Experience at G10 Fulfillment, points to disciplined execution. "We have over 99.9% ship accuracy of these orders." That accuracy depends on controlled pack workflows that are measured, not guessed.

Scan-Based Workflows Make Time Measurable

Pick and pack time tracking relies on scan timestamps tied to real work. Manual reporting cannot keep up with fast operations.

"A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point that you touch it," Wright says. Those scans turn motion into data that teams can act on.

Pick and Pack Time Predicts Same-Day Success

Same-day and next-day shipping depend on short pick and pack cycles. If those steps run long, cutoffs are missed.

Holly Woods, Director of Operations at G10 Fulfillment, explains the pressure. "We start planning peak times months ahead of time." That planning depends on knowing exactly how long pick and pack work takes.

Visibility Helps Balance Speed and Accuracy

Tracking time does not mean pushing people to rush. It means finding where work slows unnecessarily.

Connor Perkins, Director of Fulfillment at G10 Fulfillment, describes the benefit of transparency. "Our clients get best-in-class visibility and transparency. They can see their daily orders, they can see KPIs, and they can see historical transactions." That visibility supports smarter decisions.

Shared Metrics Improve Collaboration

When pick and pack time is visible, conversations become constructive instead of defensive.

Matt Bradbury, Director of Sales at G10 Fulfillment, connects data to confidence. "Transparency and predictability help us build trust." Shared metrics align expectations.

What Pick and Pack Time Tracking Really Delivers

Strong pick and pack time tracking reduces delays, protects shipping promises, and keeps accuracy high as volume grows. It shows where fulfillment speed is actually won or lost.

For growing brands, tracking pick and pack time is not micromanagement. It is how fast fulfillment stays reliable.

The next step is simple. Choose a 3PL that tracks pick and pack time in real time, so speed improves where orders are actually handled.