Pick-by-Voice has been the primary application for Voice in the warehouse for over 20 years. During this time new features and functionalities have been developed in order to improve also other warehouse operations. Voice directed solutions decrease errors, enhance customer satisfaction, improve ergonomics and diminish carbon footprint. Here some interesting features:
Cross-docking - Hectic Moments in Order Handling
The hectic atmosphere of a cross-docking terminal provides an environment where costly supply-chain errors can happen, and there Voice fits perfectly. Supplier delivers one pallet of a product. When the pallet arrives to cross-docking terminal, instead of entering the products into the warehouse, they are redirected to dispatch area, where they are divided to single deliveries to the right customers. Cross-docking is very hectic, batches are often large, and there can be dozens of pallets with thousands of separate customer orders. All deliveries have to be handled quickly and without errors. Voice is the perfect solution.
Batch picking enhances operations
Batch picking is one example of how voice enhances warehouse operations. Batch picking means picking several orders (to several customers) at the same time. The benefits can be seen when picking small orders with few order lines and small amounts. The picker can pick even over 50 orders at the same time. When picking to multiple customers at the same time, it is easy to make a mistake and add products to wrong pallet and then it will be delivered to a wrong customer. This problem is eliminated with the confirmation dialogue included to pick-by-voice. With batch picking it is also very easy to combine customer´s smaller orders into one bigger batch. By creating consolidated orders picking errors are eliminated and efficiency increased.
Picking list display brings optimum
picking order
In a 3PL company the product range is usually very large varying from cement sacks to furniture, from crowbars to fluorescent lamps. And everything in between. Large scale of the products has inspired to develop a picking list display to support the pick-by-voice solution. With the help of the display the picker can pick the products in an optimized order so that bigger or heavier articles are picked to the bottom of the pallet and fragile and smaller products are placed on top of the pallet. The touch screen display is mounted on a forklift or a picking cart. On the display the picker can see all order lines and picks the big and bulky items first.
It is also possible to divide larger amounts of a
product to several batches and place them on different pallets. From the screen
the picker chooses the line he wants to divide, picks it partially and then
later return to pick the rest when he has a new empty pallet. This enables the
picker to balance larger batches on several pallets. Combining Voice with
picking list display, you receive multiple benefits. Voice enables hands free -
eyes free operation and picking list display allows the picker to use his
professional knowledge to optimize the picking order. Pickers´ objective is to
produce well packed pallets that endure the whole delivery route.
