Coca-Cola Bottler Southwest Beverages and CONA Services talk about their LYDIA Voice Implementation Success!
Automation has intralogistics firmly under control - this seems so at first glance. Nevertheless, manual processes continue to be an important part of the industry. And that will continue to be the case in the future. Compared to automated systems, the human factor with its cognitive abilities is still the more reliable and faster option for controlling complex processes - especially when dealing with special cases that occur in the process flow.
In the context of digitization, intelligent assistance systems are required that optimally support employees in their work processes and guarantee a continuous digital data flow. Pick by Voice is such a supporting IT solution. And for good reason: In addition to scalable costs - many providers pursue rental models for the hardware and offer cloud solutions for the software, for example - the intuitive usability is particularly appealing. Even new employees or seasonal staff do not require long training, not least because modern solutions function speaker-independently and therefore without training. In addition, Pick by Voice can be used in almost all processes in which goods have to be moved in the warehouse. And voice guided solutions such as the Lydia® Voice Suite are available to warehouse staff as personal assistants for all these processes.
Sympathetic support throughout the working day
The sympathetic voice of Lydia® accompanies order pickers through the working day in many warehouses worldwide and guides them on the shortest route to the right destination for order compilation. Similar to a navigation device, it gives the user orientation in the extensive warehouse by voice announcements. Thanks to the intuitive operation of the software, every employee gets along with the system right away. And that's no wonder: Language is the most natural way for people to communicate. Before we can read and write, we hear and speak. Even in everyday life, language systems are establishing themselves and are increasingly supporting us in various tasks. Voice technologies are also available in all the world's languages. Even dialects are taken for granted by modern voice software like Lydia®. It doesn't matter which hardware is used: headset and mobile voice computer, modern order picking vests such as the Lydia® VoiceWear® or industrial smart devices. This has no influence on the functioning of the speech software. Additional visual information on a device display can also facilitate activities for users. Smart Watches or Smartphones, on which product images and additional information are displayed, once again significantly increase process reliability.
Low error rate
Statistics prove the high efficiency of voice solutions in the warehouse: Since the integration of the technology towards the end of the 1990s, the system has shone with particularly low error rates in the picking process. In addition, the technology is already established on the market and has become an important element in the networked logistics world. With an average error rate of 0.08%, it beats the classic picking list (0.36%), PDC units (0.46%) and Pick by Light (0.4%) by far. The reason for this is obvious: the speech software functions as a virtual co-driver who keeps an eye on all further steps and the entire route. In the meantime, the picker can fully concentrate on the picking process and is not distracted, for example, by a control view of the list. Another advantage is the direct connection of the solution to the higher-level Warehouse Management or ERP system.
Employee satisfaction through ergonomics
Pick by Voice is constantly evolving. Solutions such as Lydia® VoiceWear® have established themselves on the market to meet the increasing demands on ergonomic working methods. The microphones and the mobile Voxter® voice computer are integrated into a vest that the user simply wears over his clothes. Wearing a headset is therefore no longer necessary. This also supports ergonomics in work processes and increases employee satisfaction. It is also not necessary to adjust the language software to the individual employees: Sophisticated voice technologies are speaker-independent. This is of particular benefit to temporary employees who can work directly with the system. The potential of speech solutions is far from being exhausted. Pick by Voice has become an important component in the context of Logistics 4.0 and makes a decisive contribution to the digitization of intralogistics processes. Speech solutions will never disappear from the warehouse.