The verification of a picked item is an internal quality control procedure conducted within a warehouse or distribution center to ensure order accuracy before packing and shipping. Standard industry practices include technological methods like hand-held barcode scanning and traditional methods like cross-referencing with a pick list. These internal checks are designed to catch errors early. Contacting the customer to verify a pick is not a standard operational procedure; it is inefficient, impractical, and occurs at the wrong stage of the order fulfillment process. Customer contact is typically reserved for order confirmation or post-delivery service.

A. hand-held bar code scanning: This is a primary and highly effective technological method used to scan item UPCs or SKUs to instantly verify them against order data in the Warehouse Management System (WMS).

B. verify with pick list: This is a fundamental manual verification method where the warehouse associate physically compares the retrieved item's description, SKU, and quantity against the printed or digital pick list.

D. manual scanning: This refers to manually keying in an item's identifier (like a SKU) into a terminal or handheld device for verification, serving as an alternative to automated barcode scanning.

1. Richards, G. (2017). Warehouse Management: A Complete Guide to Improving Efficiency and Minimizing Costs in the Modern Warehouse (3rd ed.). Kogan Page. In Chapter 10, "Order Picking," the text details various methods for ensuring picking accuracy, including paper-based lists and barcode scanning, emphasizing these as internal warehouse functions (pp. 215-220).

2. Bartholdi, J. J., & Hackman, S. T. (2019). Warehouse & Distribution Science (Release 0.98). Georgia Institute of Technology. Chapter 6, "Order Picking," discusses technologies and processes for accurate picking, such as pick-to-light, barcode scanning, and voice-directed picking. Customer verification is not mentioned as a viable method for this internal process (pp. 145-148).

3. Frazelle, E. (2016). World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Chapter 5, "Order Picking Operations," outlines best practices for accuracy, focusing on system-driven verification methods like barcode scanning and pick-to-light systems, which are executed by warehouse personnel during the picking cycle (Section: "Order Picking Accuracy").