Skipping QC Barcode Scans After Distribution
Table of Contents
- 1. What This Scenario Is
- 2. How to Set It Up in the System
- 3. What Daily Operations Look Like
- 4. Boundaries and Related Features
1. What This Scenario Is
After wave picking finishes, the goods go to the distribution wall: Distribution sorts the mixed items from the picking tote back into each order's slot, checking "is the right product in the right slot." Before packing, there is another gate — Fulfillment QC — where each item's barcode is scanned again, checking "does what's in this fulfillment match the required items and quantities." Both gates scan the same batch of product barcodes once each, so the same motion happens twice on the packing line.
When shipping volume is high and packing staff are stretched thin, this duplicated verification adds up. The system now offers a choice at the moment distribution completes: whether this wave needs another round of scanning at QC. The choice applies to the whole wave at once — it covers every fulfillment in the wave, not one order at a time — and requires that distribution itself already filled every slot with no unresolved exceptions. Distribution has already checked each slot item by item, so a second full barcode scan at QC adds limited additional verification while costing extra time.
Serial-tracked products (such as 3C, electronics, or other high-value traceable items requiring a serial number per unit) still need every serial scanned — this choice does not skip that. The only difference is that the serial scan happens during distribution instead of waiting for QC. This serial-number behavior only applies to products with "Serial Number Management" turned on, and serial number management itself requires the Pro plan or higher.
| Business scenario | Duplicated work to solve | Settings to combine |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution already verified items and quantities slot by slot; shipping volume is high and packing staff are stretched thin | Scanning every item again at QC is duplicate verification of the same goods | Choose "Skip scan (QC packs and ships directly)" when distribution completes; every slot in the wave is filled and the exception area is clear |
| The wave contains serial-tracked products | Serials still need to be scanned, without waiting until QC | Scan the serials while distributing to each slot (requires the product to have serial number management enabled, Pro plan or higher) |
2. How to Set It Up in the System
Quick links: Choose at distribution completion | Serial-tracked products scan serials during distribution | The skip-scan experience at QC
2.1 Choose at Distribution Completion
In Distribution, when you complete a wave, a confirmation dialog asks whether QC should "Scan as usual (QC scans every item)" or "Skip scan (QC packs and ships directly)" for this wave.
"Skip scan (QC packs and ships directly)" can only be selected when every slot in the wave is fully distributed and the exception area has no unresolved items — distribution itself is not finished otherwise, so skipping the QC check too is not allowed. The option is grayed out until both conditions are met. "Scan as usual (QC scans every item)" has no such restriction, and QC behaves exactly as it did before this feature existed.
2.2 Serial-Tracked Products Scan Serials During Distribution
If the wave contains products with "Serial Number Management" turned on (configured in Edit Product, requiring the Pro plan or higher), scanning that product into its slot during distribution first opens a serial-number entry screen, requiring you to scan or enter the required number of serials before the item is recorded in the slot. This step is unaffected by choosing "Scan as usual (QC scans every item)" or "Skip scan (QC packs and ships directly)" — both modes require serials to be fully scanned during distribution, because once a wave chooses skip scan, QC no longer offers a second chance to scan them.
2.3 The Skip-Scan Experience at QC
In Fulfillment QC, scanning a fulfillment that chose skip scan loads with its item quantities already filled in, and serials for serial-tracked products are already filled in too — no item-by-item scanning or serial-entry dialog appears. You can pack the box directly and proceed straight to printing the shipping label. To switch back to item-by-item scanning, a "Resume Manual QC" button appears on the QC page — the only way back out of skip-scan mode.
3. What Daily Operations Look Like
Quick links: The trade-off between shipping speed and evidence strength | Regular scanning is completely unaffected | How serials are handled when clearing distribution progress
3.1 The Trade-off Between Shipping Speed and Evidence Strength
Choosing "Skip scan (QC packs and ships directly)" removes the item-by-item scanning step at QC, so packing staff can pack and confirm directly, speeding up shipping. But note: QC's continuous recording normally combines "item-by-item scan footage plus real-time system matching" as evidence of what shipped. With skip scan, the recording no longer contains footage of each item being scanned and confirmed — it only shows "someone placing items into a box." If a shortage dispute comes up later, a skip-scan wave provides weaker evidence than a regularly scanned one. That is the cost being traded for shipping speed. Skip scan does not affect QC fees: the outbound QC fee is charged the same way either choice is made.
3.2 Regular Scanning Is Completely Unaffected
For a wave where "Scan as usual (QC scans every item)" was chosen, QC behaves exactly as it did before this feature existed — item-by-item barcode scanning, serial scanning for serial-tracked products, and blocking under- or over-scans all work the same way. This choice is not restricted by operator permission level — anyone who can access distribution and fulfillment QC can choose "Skip scan (QC packs and ships directly)"; the system does not limit or recommend an option based on who is operating.
3.3 How Serials Are Handled When Clearing Distribution Progress
If a skip-scan wave has its distribution progress cleared on the distribution page before QC packs a box, the serials already scanned are not left behind as orphaned records — the system first revokes the serial-number bindings that have not yet been assigned to a box, returning the corresponding product to its original inventory location, before continuing to clear the distribution progress. Products already packed into a box at QC are not affected.
4. Boundaries and Related Features
4.1 Scope Boundaries
- The change in serial-number behavior (scanning during distribution instead of QC) only applies to products with "Serial Number Management" turned on; enabling serial number management for a product still requires the Pro plan or higher. Products without serial number management are unaffected.
- Skip scan only removes the "item-by-item barcode scan" step. Packing, printing the shipping label, and continuous recording all continue as usual; the outbound QC fee is also charged as usual and is not reduced because scanning was skipped.
- This choice is not restricted by operator permission level — anyone who can access distribution and fulfillment QC can choose skip scan, and the system does not set a higher permission bar for it.
- The wave page has a separate "batch complete fulfillments" feature that can close out a batch of orders at once. That path does not go through fulfillment QC's item-by-item verification and has no continuous recording — it is a different design intended for shipping that does not require QC, distinct from the "skip scan at distribution completion, pack directly at QC" scenario covered here and out of scope for this article.
4.2 Related Features
| Feature | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Distribute a wave and choose whether QC should scan at completion | Go |
| Fulfillment QC | Scan items one by one, or pack and print the shipping label directly with skip scan | Go |
| Edit Product | Turn on and configure serial number management for a product | Go |
| Shipped Serial Numbers | Trace which fulfillment a serial number shipped with | Go |