See how a machine shop uses pick lists to tell operators which items to pick for a job — and how many. Four configuration patterns cover reusable job templates, work-order consumption, fixed kits, and net demand from an MES.
The customer
Generic Machining Solutions is a machine shop running multiple machines and tooling stations. Operators pick tools and consumables from CRIBWISE devices throughout the shift.
Choosing the right tool for the right job depended on operator knowledge. Picks were inconsistent between shifts, and planners had no way to state how much of each item a job should consume.
Why they chose pick lists
CRIBWISE offers several ways to narrow down what an operator sees:
- Product Access Groups — control which items a user or device is allowed to pick at all.
- Cost allocation hierarchies — steer operators toward the right items through the machine, project, or operation they select.
- Pick lists — name a job, list its items, and state the quantity to pick.
Pick lists won for two reasons. First, only a pick list carries a quantity — access groups and hierarchies show which items, not how many. Second, a flat list of named jobs is quicker to build and maintain than a deep cost allocation hierarchy.
Note: Pick lists must be switched on before they appear anywhere. Enable Enable predefined pick lists in System settings > Stock daily use.
Pick list types at a glance
Two fields on each pick list decide how it behaves. Allow change quantity controls whether the operator can adjust quantities. Fixed quantities controls whether the list survives being fully picked.
| Type | Allow change quantity |
Fixed quantities |
Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Reusable job template | ✅ | ✅ | Recurring parts — a standing recommendation operators can adjust |
| 2. Work order with a consumption target | ✅ | ❌ | A production run with a planned material budget |
| 3. Fixed kit | ❌ | ✅ | A standard kit that must always be picked complete |
| 4. Net demand list | ❌ | ❌ | Lists generated by an MES or tool management system |
Tip: A third field, Allow pick more than requested, lets operators exceed the listed quantity. It only takes effect when Allow change quantity is also TRUE. Leave it FALSE to cap picking at the planned amount.
How they configure each type
1. Reusable job template
Operators see the recommended items and quantities for a part and can increase or decrease them. The list keeps its original quantities and stays available for the next operator.
Generic Machining Solutions uses this for parts they produce regularly. The list acts as a standing recommendation — “when you run this part, use these tools” — rather than a budget.
Example: Pick list Engine block 123 holds Item 1 (qty 4), Item 2 (qty 2), Item 3 (qty 1), and Item 4 (qty 5). Every operator who selects Engine block 123 sees those same four items at those same quantities, no matter how many times the list has been used.
Settings: Allow change quantity = TRUE · Fixed quantities = TRUE
2. Work order with a consumption target
Operators see the list and can reduce quantities, but not exceed them. Every pick deducts from the remaining quantity. Once every item is fully picked, the list closes and disappears from the Shop Floor Interface.
The shop creates one of these per production run — for example, a week of a specific part. Operators pick against it over the week, and the remaining quantities show how much of the planned material is left. When nothing remains to pick, the run has consumed its budget.
Example: Pick list Engine block 123 starts with Item 1 (qty 100), Item 2 (qty 20), Item 3 (qty 15), Item 4 (qty 50). After an operator picks 20 of Item 1, the next operator sees Item 1 (qty 80), Item 2 (qty 20), Item 3 (qty 15), Item 4 (qty 50).
Settings: Allow change quantity = TRUE · Fixed quantities = FALSE
3. Fixed kit
Operators see a locked list and must pick every item at the stated quantity. The list keeps its quantities and stays available for reuse.
Use this when a job needs an exact set — a maintenance kit, a setup kit, or a calibration set. Because quantities cannot be changed, every pick against the list produces the same consumption record.
Settings: Allow change quantity = FALSE · Fixed quantities = TRUE
4. Net demand list
Operators see a locked list, and the list closes once everything on it is picked.
This type is built for integrations. An MES or tool management system knows what is already loaded in the machine and creates a pick list containing only the delta needed for that work order on that day. Lists are created through the export/import function or the REST API, so the sending system stays in control of both the contents and the timing.
Settings: Allow change quantity = FALSE · Fixed quantities = FALSE
Two settings that made the biggest difference
Pre-filled cost allocation
Each pick list can carry its own cost allocation values. When they are set, CRIBWISE skips those wizard steps on the Shop Floor Interface and books the pick against the right machine, project, and operation automatically.
For Generic Machining Solutions this removed steps from every pick and closed off a common source of miscoded transactions: an operator choosing the wrong project under time pressure.
Purchasing that reacts to planned demand
Pick lists can be tied to a specific device. Combined with the Consider pick list demands option in a purchase order script, the outstanding quantity on active pick lists is added on top of the minimum stock defined in the device assignment.
This let the shop lower order points on individual items without risking a stockout: routine consumption is covered by the minimum, and a large planned run pulls in extra stock on its own. It works best with types 2 and 4, where the remaining quantity reflects real outstanding demand.
Important: An order script only orders items that are assigned to the target device. If a pick list requires an item that is not assigned in that device, the script will not order it.
Common confusion
| People often think… | But actually… |
|---|---|
| There is only one way to create a pick list. | There are three. Build one list at a time on the Admin Portal pick list form, create many at once with the export/import function, or let an ERP or MES own them through the REST API. |
| “Fixed quantities” means the operator cannot change the quantity. | It means the list is reusable — it stays available after everything has been picked. The field that locks quantities is Allow change quantity. |
| Lowering order points is enough to cover pick list demand. | Purchase order scripts ignore pick lists unless Consider pick list demands is switched on, and they only order items assigned to the target device. |
| A pick list is a replacement for Product Access Groups. | They solve different problems and are often combined. Access groups decide what a user may pick; a pick list tells them what to pick for this job. |
The outcome
- Consistent picking — the same job produces the same picks regardless of who is on shift.
- Fewer taps per pick — pre-filled cost allocation removes the wizard steps operators used to work through.
- Cleaner cost data — picks land on the intended project and operation instead of whatever the operator selected.
- Visible consumption against plan — remaining quantities on a work-order list show how much of the planned material is left.
- Lower maintenance — named job lists replaced hierarchy levels that existed only to funnel operators to the right items.
Take action
Want to set this up? Enable Enable predefined pick lists in System settings > Stock daily use, then build your first list – by hand on the Admin Portal pick list form, or in bulk with the export/import function. Operators pick against it as described in How to pick items from a pick list on the Shop Floor Interface.
Related articles
- How to create pick lists with the export/import function — every pick list field, including the full quantity-behavior combination table.
- How to pick items from a pick list on the Shop Floor Interface — what operators see and do on the shop floor.
- How to manage pick lists with the REST API — create, update, and delete pick lists programmatically from an MES or ERP.
- Understanding purchase order scripts: automated reorder rules — where Consider pick list demands lives and how it changes ordering.
- How to restrict item access with Product Access Groups (PAG) — the access-control alternative, often used alongside pick lists.
- Understanding cost allocation: structure, setup, and examples — the structures a pick list pre-fills.
- System settings reference — all Stock daily use settings, including the pick list toggle.