CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Logistics Insight Asia, 1/11/2007

HAN KIAN KWANG explains how voice technology is driving warehouse productivity gains while assuring high accuracy in line order picks.

Voice recognition is a warehouse technology that has truly come of age. The problem of accurately understanding speaker commands in the presence of ambient noise was solved several years ago, and multimodal voice applications – voice plus scanning as well as voice plus RFID – are increasinglybeing utilized.

A new generation of voice systems is also emerging that implements more quickly and is more capable of changing along with business processes. Delivering dramatic gains in picking productivity, voice has one of the best ROIs of any warehousing technology available. With RF picking (instructions relayed wirelessly from the WMS to handheld terminals), the operator has to carry the RF terminal, read instructions from the terminal screen, work out where to go and what to do when they got there, scan the location and the products to pick, and then enter more data to confirm picks and get their nextset of instructions.

Operators can keep both hands free at all times with voice picking and, do not need to spend time looking at or reading data on an RF terminal screen or a paper list. And the scanning component, along with the voice confirmation of the quantity of items picked, ensuresclose to perfect accuracy.

PROCESS FLOW
Essentially, voice-directed computing works by prompting the operator through a series of tasks with clear, verbal commands. These are transmitted in real time by a radio frequency (RF) system that interfaces with the user’s host platform, typically a WMS or ERPsystem.

The warehouse operator wears a small headset, a bar code wrist scanner, plus a lightweight voice computer attached to a belt aroundhis waist.

The process begins with the picker going to the induction station to pick up a cart preloaded with cartons (in a preset sequence to facilitate picking). The picker is then directed to the pick location by the voice set. The voice picking system provides clear verbal commands and the picker responds with a few simple words like “Check”, “OK” and“Ready”.

Upon arrival at the location, the picker scans the location bar code with his wrist scanner, to confirm correct position, and then picks the number of items as instructed by the voice system through the headset. After verbally confirming the number picked via the microphone, puts the items in the carton, and scans the label on the carton. Typically, there are 30 orders per cart.

PEOPLE ON BOARD
The difficulties associated with adjusting to voice appear short-lived compared to difficulties with other types of technology. Companies that implement voice systems typically experience issues for one or two days before transitioning smoothly to the new system, with marked increases in order picking productivity over subsequent weeks.

Once this has been achieved, the picker’s commands can be understood with almost perfect accuracy by the system. A trainer then puts on a headset and follows the new employee. The headset allows the trainer to monitor the interaction between the trainee and the system, making it easy to catch mistakes. The new worker takes two one-hour tracks around the pick path. At the end of the two hours, the trainer signs off the system and lets the new pickerwork independently.

Han Kian Kwang is Regional Director (Business Development), Dematic SEA, www.dematic.com.sg