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Returns processing with put-to-light: sort, restock, lose nothing

In returns processing, Pick to Light, or more precisely put-to-light, lights up the slot a scanned item belongs to: back to a specific storage zone, to inspection or to further handling. Staff do not decide from memory; they follow the light. Returns get back on sale faster, no unidentified pile builds up and stock levels match reality.

At a glance

  • The system decides each item's destination
  • Zone-by-zone restocking with a light-guided cart
  • Hardware and software developed in-house since 2018

Why returns pile up

Returns arrive in a random mix: different products, sizes and conditions in one box. Manual sorting is slow, requires product knowledge, and after Christmas or sales unprocessed goods pile up quickly. An item sitting in a pile cannot be sold, and if it is put away in the wrong place, the system shows it in stock but nobody can find it.

Returns processing with put-to-light: sort, restock, lose nothing

How light speeds a return back to sale

Sorting at the put wall

After a scan, the slot chosen by the system lights up, for example by storage zone, category or next step. The operator makes no choice.

Restocking by cart

Sorted items go back to the shelves on a cart with LED positions. The cart shows which item to take, and the shelf shows where to put it.

No product knowledge needed

New or seasonal staff can work on returns. They learn the system in about 30 minutes, because the system makes the decisions.

Stock levels you can trust

Every put and every restock is confirmed and recorded in real time, so an item becomes available in the system as soon as it is in the right place.

How it works

  1. 1The operator opens the return and scans the item.
  2. 2The WMS or ERP decides the next step and target slot.
  3. 3The slot lights up on the put wall and the operator confirms the put.
  4. 4A full slot moves onto a cart for restocking that zone.
  5. 5During restocking the light shows the shelf location and the confirmation updates stock.

WMS and ERP integration

The decision on where a return belongs stays in your WMS or ERP. The light system receives it via REST API, MQTT or WebSocket, turns it into a light signal and reports every put and restock back in real time. Where there is no warehouse system, Logisio WMS or simpler logic in the CI4 control software can be used.

Software

What to prepare for an inquiry

  • Returns per day and seasonal swings
  • How many destinations you sort into (zones, categories, steps)
  • Typical dimensions of returned items
  • How inspection and restocking work today
  • The system that records returns

Recommended products

Pick to Light Carts

Mobile picking for multiple orders simultaneously

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Pick to Light Shelves

Stationary workstation with fast access to thousands of positions

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Pick to Light Sortwall

Order sorting with maximum accuracy and speed

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Frequently asked questions

No. The rules for whether an item goes back on sale, to inspection or elsewhere are set by your WMS, ERP or the inspector. The light system turns that decision into an unambiguous signal at the right slot and ensures the item really ends up there. This lets you change the rules in the system without retraining staff.

Yes. What each slot means is a software setting, so the wall can sort outbound orders in the morning and returns in the afternoon. This suits small and mid-sized online shops, where a dedicated returns wall would sit idle. At high volumes, a separate workstation makes more sense so the two flows do not mix.

You add capacity with people, not with rebuilding. New staff learn the system in about 30 minutes because they do not need to know the range or the warehouse layout. Multi-operator mode with colour coding lets several people work at one wall at the same time. If that is still not enough, the wall or carts can be extended modularly.

Yes. If you have no WMS, we can provide the required logic, for example in the CI4 control software, or deploy Logisio WMS. To start, you only need to know which destinations to sort into and on what basis. For connecting your ERP or online shop, we provide a test environment where you can try the whole flow in advance.

Other applications

All applications

Shall we look at your operation?

Send us your number of locations, orders and shifts – we will propose a setup and a payback estimate.

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