What is a voice, vision and mobility solution?

What is a voice, vision and mobility solution?

Voice, vision and mobility (VVM) – is a technology commonly used to support warehouse picking processes. Picking staff are directed to the location of an item and the quantity to pick via a headset. When they complete a task, they confirm verbally through the headset microphone along with any other important information, which is recorded by the system – for example if the quantity is short, or if there is any noticeable damage. The voice technology then directs the picker to the next task.

With no need for paper documentation or any kind of handheld device, the team member remains hands- and eyes-free, completely undistracted from their main task. The outcome is far greater efficiency, accuracy and information quality.

Due to its efficiency and productivity gains, the uptake of voice picking is growing rapidly. According to Research and Markets, the global value of the VVM market is growing at 15.3% per year and will reach $2.9 billion by 2025.

Main features and capabilities of voice technology

Voice can be used for multiple warehouse workflows, including replenishment, cycle counting and put-away. It can also be deployed for vehicle maintenance or manufacturing inspection processes. We outline some of the key features and capabilities in further detail below:

Multilingual capabilities

In an increasingly multicultural working environment, the latest voice picking technology can both speak in and detect up to 40 different languages. Furthermore, the technology can speak in one language and detect responses in another. This means, for example, that team members can all hear directions in English if they choose, but then respond in their chosen language.

Fast deployment and training

Time from design to go-live can typically happen within 60 to 90 days. Also, because each task is voice driven, team members do not need to train on reading printouts, applying labels or confirming information through a handheld device. They can create a voice template within minutes, enabling the whole step-by-step work process to be conducted through voice commands.

With VVM, new team members can be up and running in less than an hour, whereas previously it may have taken days or weeks. Training is provided through the voice system itself while “on-the-job,” with minimal product or site navigation knowledge needed.

Noise canceling properties

VVM headsets are noise canceling. This means team members can still hear instructions in a warehouse environment with loud noises such as forklifts and conveyors.

Multiple VVM applications

Voice technology is now being deployed across areas such as retail, goods inspection, cycle counting, stock replenishment and truck loading. Here are some examples:

Retail

Within a retail environment, a team member can receive voice instructions to pick parts of a sales order, confirming the retrieval of each item. When the last item is picked, the system can give the picker instructions to drop the completed order in the relevant shipping area.

Goods inspection

For businesses with a major inspection or manufacturing element, technicians or inspectors can operate hands free as they follow sequential voice process steps. This allows for improved data analysis on inspection results compared to manual processes.

Technicians or inspectors can hear “talk through” instructions hands free, then verbally record what they are doing in detail. Through optional interactive glasses, they can also see diagrams and visual instructions on the items they are manufacturing or inspecting.

Within a paper- or tablet-driven system, technicians or inspectors may not necessarily follow the prescribed sequential order, increasing the chance of error or even missing process steps altogether. Voice technology ensures steps are followed sequentially. Through its hands-free, eyes-free approach, VVM also increases safety, as the user remains undistracted and focused on the task.

Other capabilities

Similar voice principles can be applied to cycle counting, stock replenishment or truck loading. It is especially useful in goods returns where there is pressure to reinspect items and return them to their shelf location. For both new stock and returns, operations can lose millions of dollars every year through items being placed in the wrong locations. By processing goods quickly and accurately through voice technology, they do not build up in the receiving area and can quickly be made ready for resale.

9 VVM capabilities at a glance

1. Real-time visibility of the picking process
2. Hands-free operation for lifting or other tasks
3. Swift training of new team members
4. Significantly improved order accuracy
5. Ease of use and quick set-up
6. Faster processing of returned goods
7. Huge cost-, time- and paper-saving implications
8. Zero distraction from the task in hand
9. Multilingual capabilities

Benefits of voice technology

VVM can add 20% performance efficiency almost instantly. In terms of eCommerce fulfillment, it can quickly produce gains of up to 35% in productivity and 25% in accuracy.

With the labor shortages often associated with a warehouse environment, the productivity gains from voice solutions enable a business to allocate its workforce to the most value-added tasks. Other benefits include:

Seasonal benefits

During seasonal peaks, warehouses can sometimes expect to double their workforce through temporary staff. Under normal circumstances, these temporary employees would need significant settling-in time to learn the layout of the facility, where specific products are stored, how to document tasks as they complete them and what to do should there be a stock shortage or if goods are damaged.

Every day or hour lost in supporting temporary workers impacts the ability to meet seasonal demand, negating the value of new hires. The “on-the-job” training provided by VVM means that temporary staff can be up and running within minutes of taking up a new task.

Faster picking speeds and less data entry

VVM eliminates unergonomic and inefficient paper- or tablet-based inspection systems that involve handling a device or instruction sheet and manually checking off steps within the relevant columns or fields.

Voice picking can also help when the picker has to use a box cutter or needs both arms to lift heavy items. In addition, VVM is valuable for workers in cold and deep-freeze environments, where workers typically wear gloves, making it difficult to input data via keyboards.

Enhanced worker satisfaction

Because voice solutions make it much faster and easier for pickers to do their jobs, their work becomes far less laborious and more satisfying. This is particularly important in incentivized picking scenarios, where team members are compensated based on their speed and accuracy.

Greater efficiency and customer satisfaction

With smaller amounts of products in greater variety and in denser locations, there is a higher chance of mis-picks. These inevitably lead to returns, which then need to be inspected before being put back on the shelf for resale. In other words, it creates additional work, which could be substantial and easily avoided.

Increasing picking accuracy through voice technology reduces the number of returns, resulting in greater efficiency and customer satisfaction. Also, by returning products to their locations quickly and efficiently, they can be reintroduced into the sales lifecycle.

Higher safety levels

The distraction of switching from a current task to paper or tablet input can leave team members prone to work-related stress or injury. Through voice solutions, they remain completely task-focused and undistracted. At the same time, with the option of using the headset on one ear only, they can remain completely aware of their surroundings. VVM offers a more natural way to complete tasks – through conversation.

Four crucial considerations when implementing a voice solution

• If you run an international organization or have expansion plans, make sure you are partnering with a provider that can support you globally.
• A successful voice implementation does not rest on the shoulders of a particular department – IT or Operations, for example. It involves a network of different components and needs to include input from various aspects of the business. It is important to represent all departments and functional levels, from managers to users.
• Digital compatibility is key, so ensure your voice technology integrates with your host systems.
• Ensure that you partner with a provider with the experience and process methodology to perform the integration smoothly and successfully.

Integrating voice and AMR solutions

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are leading the way in warehouse automation systems. Equipped with sensors and cameras, they create digital maps of their surroundings, eliminating the need for guide rails or tracks. This helps them avoid obstacles and find efficient routes, while maximizing warehouse floor space.

While voice technologies and AMRs have their own distinct roles, their ultimate value lies in integration. The voice picking system knows how long it will take to complete a task, how many items are on the pick list, the average pick time and how far the robot needs to travel. By integrating AMR technology, both the team member and robot are in the right place at the right time.

In the case of multiple or heavier items, the picker can select the item(s), and place them on the robot to be transported to the relevant area in the warehouse, while the pickers continue with their work.

Both solutions are completely scalable as the business’ needs change. They can be leased and off-hired as needed. This helps the business meet peak seasonal demands without significantly increasing their headcount, then scale back down again. That way, the company can budget through operational rather than capital expenditure. Reducing training time through voice technology makes it even easier to scale.

Infios’s Screen-to-Voice Solution

Infios’s Software Screen-to-Voice solution is designed for swift implementation with minimal disruption or IT overheads. Through advanced voice recognition, regardless of a team member’s first language, accent or dialect, you eliminate errors and repetitions and save time on every task.

Compatibility with existing systems

The solution is supported by Android (version 6.0.1 and higher). Honeywell made-for-purpose devices are also supported. It maintains the format of data interactions for your enterprise resource planning (ERP) or warehouse management system (WMS) systems, so there is no need to change or reconfigure them.

All your current warehouse management system updates, reports and tools function as normal, so there is no need to change any core systems or IT interfaces. There is also no lengthy software implementation, easing the burden on your IT team.

Easy integration

By reading information from your WMS and other data sources, you can enhance process improvement. Even if not supported by a warehouse management system, you can conduct operations such as multi-order picking, check-digit management and product identification without scanning. Our Screen-to-Voice solution also seamlessly integrates with any existing direct voice interfaces you may have.

Visibility, insight and analysis

Used in conjunction with Data Analysis, Infios’s Screen-to-Voice gives your supervisors enhanced visibility and reporting of operations. By analyzing trends, you can use it as a valuable continuous improvement tool.

10 reasons to use Infios’s Voice solution

1. Increased accuracy and productivity
2. Reduced training time
3. Improved operator comfort
4. Enhanced safety
5. Fast implementation
6. No need to modify your existing WMS system
7. Minimal IT support needed
8. Ability to voice-enable any workflow
9. Lower operating costs
10. Fast return on investment

Voice, vision and mobility case studies

Nassau Provisions: Delivering tangible productivity increases

US-based Nassau Provisions distributes specialty and general groceries to supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores and delicatessens. The company’s main peak season is the Passover holiday, when it typically processes up to 15,000 cases of product per day.

During this peak period, the company still relied on the tacit knowledge of long-standing employees who used a paper-based system to run the operation smoothly. They soon realized the risks of processing complex products using an outdated manual system.

The logical next step to improve the operation was to add Infios’s Screen-to-Voice solution. The hands-free functionality quickly became integral to the operation. Screen-to-Voice created a safer work environment for team members and having both hands available increased accuracy in double pallet picking.

In the previous 65,000-square-foot facility, there were 29 associates picking 9,000 cases a night. In the new 125,000-square-foot facility using voice technologies, there were only 13 associates picking upwards of 21,000 cases a night. This was an increase of 133%, despite 55% fewer warehouse associates.

Dorfman Pacific: Reduced pick times and faster order delivery

Dorfman Pacific is one of the world’s largest headwear and handbag companies, shipping close to 1.5 million boxes per year to leading US retailers. With 6,500-plus stock keeping units, a scarcity of warehouse labor made it difficult to keep up with demand.

The company chose Infios to introduce a voice solution that would help them reach their time-to-ship goals. They were also able to:

• Achieve their return on investment in just six months
• Increase their outbound picking accuracy by 99%
• Reduce the number of temporary associates throughout the building from 12–15 to only 2 or 3 at a time
• Decrease the outbound picking group from 28 to 18 people, while picking at faster speeds and meeting productivity goals

The company also reduced the time to train new hires. Previously, they could train only one or two employees at a time. This meant that despite the considerable time managers spent on training, they were not able to get new employees up to speed quickly enough. With voice technology, shortly after receiving instructions new hires can get straight to work.

The multilingual feature of voice solutions helped Dorfman Pacific recruit a diverse group of pickers from Mexico, Cambodia, America and the Philippines.