Put to Light — Sort Faster, Ship Sooner
Put-to-light is the reverse of picking — operators sort pre-picked items into designated order locations using light-guided displays. Also known as sort-to-light or put-by-light, this wireless order sortation method uses Voodoo's IoT displays to show exactly where each item goes and in what quantity. The result: faster sorting, fewer errors, and orders that ship sooner. Pair it with a pick to light system for a complete light-directed workflow.
Scan. Light. Place. Confirm.
A streamlined put-by-light workflow that turns chaotic order sortation into a guided, error-proof process — fully integrated with your WMS.
Items Arrive
Pre-picked items arrive at the put station after batch picking, ready to be sorted into individual orders.
Scan & Light
The operator scans the item barcode — the correct order location instantly lights up.
Place Item
The operator places the item in the lit compartment. The display shows the required quantity for that order.
Confirm Put
A button press confirms the put. The system updates your WMS in real time and advances to the next item.
Sortation Results You Can Measure
Wireless put-to-light systems deliver measurable improvements from the first shift. No wiring, no complex installation — just faster, more accurate order sortation.
No wiring required — deploy in hours, reconfigure your sort layout in minutes.
When to Use Put to Light
- ●After batch picking, when items need sorting into individual orders
- ●High-volume sortation across dozens or hundreds of simultaneous orders
- ●Multi-client 3PL operations with frequent client mix changes
- ●Retail store replenishment (put-to-store) from distribution centers
- ●Any workflow where operators sort items to destinations, not retrieve from shelves
Why Wireless Sort-to-Light
- ●Turn any shelving into a smart sort-to-light station — no wiring
- ●Reconfigure sort stations in minutes as order profiles change
- ●Add or remove sort locations on demand during seasonal peaks
- ●Battery-powered displays last years — zero maintenance wiring
- ●Deploy a complete put-by-light station in hours, not weeks
What It Integrates With
- ●Any WMS via standard REST API — JSON over HTTPS
- ●Barcode scanners for item identification at the put station
- ●Upstream pick-to-light for a complete pick → sort workflow
- ●Downstream pack-to-light for ship verification
- ●Cloud dashboard for sort rate, accuracy, and order completion monitoring
Put to Light vs. Other Workflows
Put-to-light — also called sort-to-light or put-by-light — is a sortation workflow. Here's how it differs from retrieval and mobile approaches.
Put to Light vs. Pick to Light
Pick-to-light (pick-by-light) guides retrieval — displays light up at shelves where items are stored. Put-to-light guides placement — displays light up at the order location where items need to go. Pick-to-light handles the first half of the order; put-to-light handles the second. Both run on the same Voodoo hardware.
Put to Light vs. Put Walls
Put-to-light is the workflow method — using light-directed displays to guide sortation. A put wall (sort wall) is the physical structure — shelving with compartments. Put walls are a specific implementation of put-to-light. You can also run put-to-light on carts, conveyor lanes, or temporary staging racks.
Put to Light vs. Pick to Cart
Put-to-light sorts items at a stationary put station after batch picking. Pick-to-cart (cart-based picking) picks and sorts simultaneously on a mobile cart as the worker moves through the warehouse. Put-to-light handles higher order density; pick-to-cart handles more dynamic environments.
Where Put-to-Light Delivers
From eCommerce fulfillment centers to grocery distribution hubs, put-to-light systems streamline order sortation across industries. See all use cases.
eCommerce Fulfillment
Sort high volumes of individual orders from batch-picked items. Put-to-light displays guide operators to the correct tote or cubby for each order, keeping throughput high during peak season.
3PL Multi-Client Sortation
Handle multiple clients' orders at one sort station. Each display shows the client, order number, and quantity — eliminating cross-client mis-sorts and simplifying billing.
Grocery & Food Distribution
Sort temperature-sensitive items into store-specific totes quickly. Speed matters when perishables are on the line, and light-directed sortation minimizes dwell time in staging areas.
Retail Store Replenishment
Put-to-store operations use the same sort-to-light workflow to break bulk shipments into store-level allocations, ensuring every location gets the right product mix.
Subscription Box Assembly
Assemble multi-item subscription boxes by sorting components into subscriber-specific slots. Displays confirm each item, reducing incomplete shipments and returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is put-to-light?
What's the difference between pick-to-light and put-to-light?
How does put-to-light integrate with our WMS?
Can put-to-light work with put walls?
What industries use put-to-light?
How quickly can we deploy a put-to-light system?
Ready to Sort Faster?
See how Voodoo's put-to-light system transforms order sortation in your facility.