Packing station and multi-modal interface

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

• (a) display an interface;
• (b) identify an order to be shipped, wherein an identifier of the order to be shipped is displayed on the interface and the order to be shipped is placed in a package;
• (c) retrieve order information related to the order to be shipped from a package database;
• (d) retrieve a weight of the package;
• (e) shop for postage based on the order information and the weight;
• (f) printing shipping information on at least one of a label or the packaged product, the printing being performed based at least in part on the order information and the postage;
• and
• (g) update the order information in the package database.

A method comprising:

• receiving an item at an input of a packaging system;
• retrieving order information related to the item from a package database;
• inserting the item into a packaging material to create a package;
• retrieving a weight of the package;
• identifying a postage rate for shipping the package based on the order information and the weight;
• printing shipping information on at least one of a label or the packaged product, the printing being performed based at least in part on the order information and the postage rate;
• and
• updating the order information in the package database.

A packaging system comprising:

• a conveyor for conveying a product through the packaging system;
• a packager for placing the product in packaging to create a packaged product;
• a package database storing information related to an order;
• a printer for printing shipping information on at least one of a label or the packaged product, the printing being performed based at least in part on information in the package database;
• a scale for measuring a weight of the product;
• a link to a postage database storing postage rates;
• a workstation comprising a display and one or more interfaces for linking the workstation to at least the sensor, the scale, the package database, and the postage database, wherein the workstation is a multi-modal workstation that has:
• a pack mode wherein the product is placed in the packaging by the packager;
• a look up mode wherein the display displays information from the package database for a selected order;
• and
• a shipping mode wherein the workstation searches the postage database based on the information related to the order stored in the package database and the weight measured by the scale, and returns postage information to be used to ship the product.