ShipStation Batching Automation
How we doubled warehouse productivity and saved clients thousands with intelligent batch processing
The Challenge: Scaling Without Breaking
We were already good at fulfillment. Our accuracy rates were excellent, customers were happy, and we had solid processes in place. But our clients were growing fast, and we faced a new challenge: how do you handle 2x the volume during peak season without doubling your staff?
Two clients highlighted the problem perfectly:
Science Artifacts Client
Sells historical specimens and meteorites from across space and time. Each item is individually numbered and tracked.
- • Large crowdfunding campaigns (thousands of orders at once)
- • Sequential numbering absolutely critical
- • Pre-created batches from custom order management
- • High-value items requiring careful handling
Gaming Publisher Client
Ships board games, accessories, and promotional items with complex SKU combinations.
- • Mixed orders (base game + expansions + promos)
- • Subscription box fulfillment
- • Need intelligent consolidation of similar orders
- • Promotional items requiring special filtering
The Breaking Point
Staff were spending 60% of their time on paperwork - printing labels, sorting orders, matching packing slips. During Friday rushes, we couldn't consolidate orders fast enough to ship same-day. Weekend delays were killing our speed advantage.
What We Needed
- Faster workflow: Get orders batched and labeled in minutes, not hours
- Cost reduction: Less paper, fewer labels, reduced waste
- Peak capacity: Handle holiday rushes and crowdfunding campaigns without hiring
- Maintain accuracy: Keep our excellent metrics while moving faster
Understanding Batch Processing
Before we dive into the solution, let's explain what batching means in fulfillment:
Without Batching
100 orders = 100 individual shipping labels + 100 packing slips + 100 pick lists
Each order printed separately, sorted by hand, matched to packages individually.
With Batching
100 orders = 5-10 batch labels + 1 consolidated pick list per batch
Orders going to the same zone via the same carrier get grouped together. One label for the whole batch, one pick list, one workflow.
Real Example
Friday's 120 orders used to generate 120+ pages of labels and packing slips. After batching? 12 pages total (10 batch labels + 2 summary sheets). That's a 90% reduction in paper and printing time.
The Solution: Custom ShipStation Integration
We built two specialized automation tools that integrate with ShipStation's API to handle intelligent batch processing. Each client had completely different needs, so we custom-built workflows for each:
Science Artifacts Tool
Excel-based workflow for pre-created batches
- • 5-step guided workflow
- • Handles sequential numbering with collision detection
- • Warehouse filtering for split shipments
- • Friday booster batch logic for same-day shipping
- • Manual ship workflow for special orders
Gaming Publisher Tool
CSV-based intelligent auto-consolidation
- • Exact-match consolidation (same SKUs = one batch)
- • "VARIOUS" batch strategy for mixed orders
- • Auto-splitting at 50 orders to prevent overload
- • Smart filtering for promotional items
- • Empty SKU filtering for coupons and GWP
The Technical Challenge
This wasn't simple automation. We had to interface with:
- ShipStation's API: Not always consistent, sometimes cranky, requires careful error handling
- Custom order systems: One client's proprietary system, another's CSV exports
- Warehouse workflows: Real-world edge cases like split shipments and manual overrides
72 Hours to Go Live
We deployed the first working version in 72 hours. Then we refined it daily based on detailed feedback from warehouse staff in a living lifecycle development process. Features turned around in hours, not months. This is the advantage of experienced team members using AI as a development accelerator.
Accelerated by Claude Code
AI-assisted development that turned 3-month projects into 72-hour deployments
What Claude Code Enabled
- Rapid prototyping: Core functionality live in 72 hours
- Same-day fixes: Bugs discovered and resolved within hours
- Pattern recognition: Applied fixes across 7,500+ lines of code instantly
- Comprehensive testing: Suggested edge cases we hadn't thought of
The Technology Stack
Why This Approach Works
Claude Code isn't magic - it's a force multiplier for experienced developers who know what they're building. The combination of:
The Results: More Than Just Cost Savings
Staff reallocated from 60% paperwork to 85% shipping
70% reduction in paper and printing costs per client
Maintained excellent accuracy even at 2x volume during busiest times
The Real Impact: Scaling Without Breaking
Peak Season Performance
Before: 2 FTE staff shipping 400 orders/day
After: Same 2 FTE staff shipping 850 orders/day
Friday Rush Handling
Orders received by 2pm can now be batched, labeled, and shipped same-day. No more weekend delays for Friday orders.
Crowdfunding Campaign Success
Handled thousands of simultaneous orders with complex sequential numbering requirements - something that would have required temporary hires before.
Client Cost Savings
Each client saves over $7,000/year in paper and printing costs alone. Plus avoided recall costs from reduced shipping errors (~$2,160/year).
How We Built It: Human + AI Collaboration
This Is Not Something You Hand to AI and Walk Away
AI accelerated our development dramatically, but it required experienced team members who understand warehouse operations, ShipStation's quirks, and the real-world edge cases that break automation.
Real Problems AI Helped Us Solve
The Cascade Failure Bug
When batch N failed to create, the script marked it as created anyway and continued. Batch N+1 would take slot N, creating sequence chaos. Warehouse staff were pulling wrong orders because batch numbers were misaligned.
Solution: Fail-fast exception handling - abort entire workflow on any failure, preserve sequence integrity. This is warehouse operations knowledge meeting code - AI suggested the pattern, we knew the business impact.
The "Ship From HQ" Mystery
Orders with items split between warehouses were getting batched incorrectly. One shipment was manually tagged "SHIP FROM HQ" by staff, but the script only filtered by warehouse ID.
Solution: Enhanced filtering with tag-based overrides. AI didn't know we needed this - our warehouse staff did. Once we explained the problem, AI helped implement it correctly across both tools.
Insurance Funding Mid-Batch Failures
Midway through generating labels for 50 orders, insurance balance would run out. Entire batch would fail, requiring manual cleanup.
Solution: Pause-and-retry pattern with friendly user dialogs. Staff can add funds in ShipStation and continue without losing progress. This is where human workflow understanding meets code.
Batch Renumbering Collisions
Processing batches in forward order caused collisions when renumbering (batch 1233 → 1500, then 1234 tried to become 1501 but it already existed).
Solution: Process in reverse order - renumber highest batch numbers first. This is the kind of algorithmic thinking AI excels at once you explain the constraint.
Living Lifecycle Development
We didn't try to build the perfect system upfront. We deployed a working version in 72 hours, then refined it daily based on real-world use:
- 1 72 Hours: Core automation live - basic batch import, ShipStation export, label generation
- 2 Daily Refinement: Warehouse staff provided detailed feedback, we pushed improvements same-day
- 3 Error Discovery: Real-world edge cases surfaced - cascade failures, split shipments, funding errors
- 4 Continuous Improvement: Added sequence gap detection, tag filtering, pause-and-retry - all driven by actual use
The AI Advantage
Claude Code excelled at:
- • Understanding 7,500+ lines of existing code without choking
- • Making surgical edits that didn't break existing functionality
- • Applying the same fix pattern across both tools (adapting for differences)
- • Suggesting comprehensive test scenarios we hadn't thought of
- • Turning features around in hours instead of days or weeks
The Living Lifecycle Advantage
Traditional development says: plan everything, build it perfectly, then deploy. We did the opposite: deploy fast, learn from real use, improve daily.
How It Worked
Deploy Within 72 Hours
Core functionality live - not perfect, but working and solving the immediate problem.
Gather Detailed Feedback
Warehouse staff used the tools daily and reported what worked, what broke, what was confusing.
Push Improvements Same-Day
Bug discovered in the morning? Fixed by afternoon. New edge case found? Handled next day.
Focus on Speed and Accuracy
Each refinement improved speed while maintaining our excellent accuracy metrics - critical when 0.1% matters at peak volume.
Traditional Approach
- • 3-6 months planning and development
- • Big bang deployment
- • Discover issues post-launch
- • Change requests go into backlog
- • Updates take weeks or months
Living Lifecycle Approach
- • 72 hours to working version
- • Daily incremental improvements
- • Issues discovered and fixed same-day
- • Feedback loop measured in hours
- • Continuous evolution based on real use
Why This Matters for Your Business
Speed to Production
Live in 72 hours, refined daily. Living lifecycle development means continuous improvement based on real feedback - not months of planning followed by deployment.
Built for Your Workflow
Not one-size-fits-all SaaS. We build tools that match how you actually work, not force you into generic processes.
Scaling Without Hiring
Handle 2x volume with existing staff. This isn't about replacing people - it's about letting them focus on high-value work instead of paperwork.
Real Cost Savings
$7,000+/year in paper alone, plus avoided recalls, faster fulfillment, and ability to handle peak seasons without temporary hires.
Maintained Excellence at Scale
We already had solid accuracy metrics. This let us maintain that excellence even during peak seasons at 2x volume - when 0.1% can mean hundreds of orders.
Knowledge Stays In-House
No vendor lock-in, no ongoing licensing fees. The tools are yours, maintained and enhanced as your needs evolve.
Download the Full Case Study
Get a shareable PDF with all the technical details, metrics, and implementation insights.
Have a Complex Automation Challenge?
We love solving the unusual. If you need custom integrations, API work, or automation that doesn't fit into off-the-shelf solutions, let's talk.
Schedule a Consultation