Sortation Within the Context of Fulfillment Operations

Sortation is the process of organizing and separating items or packages based on specific criteria or destinations. It involves the systematic routing of goods to the appropriate locations within a facility or for further transportation in the supply chain. Sortation is used in distribution centers, warehouses, and logistics operations to streamline the flow of goods and optimize order fulfillment processes.

Sortation systems often require criteria to determine how to sort, route and allocate goods. As a result, sortation systems often depend on labeling systems such as barcodes, SKU’s, or RFID systems to determine how items are allocated. Other sortation systems can be set up to sort based on physical characteristics of goods such as size of the items.

There are many different types of sorting systems used, with varied benefits and use cases. Read more about different types of sorting systems and the technology behind them at our sorting technology page.

Where Does Sortation Occur in the Fulfillment Process?

Most of the time, sortation is qualified as being either inbound sortation, or outbound sortation.

Inbound sortation involves sorting items upon arrival at a facility. It ensures that incoming goods are directed to the appropriate storage locations, departments, or processing areas within the facility.
Routing & Processing sortation occurs withing the fulfillment processes of an operation. Sorters can route product from one area of an operation to specific destinations to perform operations such a value added services like applying ticketing or hangers. Product that is picked and gathered can be routed to a final destination where all the product for a specific order is consolidated just prior to packing and shipping.
Outbound sortation takes place before shipping items to customers or other distribution centers. It ensures that items are routed to the correct shipping lanes, carriers, or delivery routes based on factors such as shipping method, destination, or delivery schedule.

Sortation may also be needed elsewhere within the fulfillment process, such as in accordance with quality control sampling or in return processing.

Sortation Summary

Efficient sortation improves order accuracy, reduces processing times, and enhances overall productivity in material handling and fulfillment operations. By automating the sorting process and directing items to their intended destinations quickly and accurately, sortation systems enable efficient order fulfillment, reduce errors, and enhance customer satisfaction.