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10 Benefits Voice Directed Picking Order Fulfillment Provides Your DC Operation

Jennifer Maloney
August 6, 2015

At Numina Group, we pride ourselves on providing clients with warehouse automation design services and technology innovations that streamline pick, pack, and ship processes and increase profitability.

We have earned an excellent reputation for delivering lean warehouse automation solutions that streamline warehouses and order fulfillment operations that exceed specifications. 

Our technologies are highly scalable and can be deployed to match the size and scope of your operation. We are laser-focused on increasing order throughput and efficiency for our customers.

Our voice directed order fulfillment solutions are orchestrated by our RDS™ Warehouse Execution and Control System, WES-WCS.

RDS is a modular family of modules that includes Victory Voice™, a state-of-the-art speaker-independent voice-directed picking technology that requires zero voice training. That means faster and simpler operator training and lower cost of ownership.

By combining lean-voice-directed picking processes with real-time warehouse order execution and material handling control, we are able to automate not only picking, but the entire order fulfillment operation.

Voice Directed Work – Picking Systems: Features and Benefits That Optimize Operations

Numina’s Victory Voice™ Suite uses voice commands and responses to direct and validate operator work tasks. What distinguishes our voice technology is the speaker-independent voice engine that requires zero operator voice training!

Just put the headset on, request a work task, and voice directs the operator step by step through the picking process. Voice technology, used in combination with hands-free 2-D barcode scanning directs the order picking and packing validation in a single step process.

Numina’s picking solution is more than voice, it comes with several pre-developed order picking processes like our Smart Pick Cart™ for batch picking a dozen or more orders at a time, as well as picking line items directly to the shipping carton. 

We maximize productivity gains even further by directing the operator in the most optimized travel path; an all essential step to order pick in the leanest and most efficient manner.

Combining voice-directed work commands and hands-free barcode scanning to automate a paper or RF terminal-based picking application will increase picking productivity 15 to 50%.

The Victory Voice Suite includes built-in modules that manage order release optimization, picking direct to the shipping carton guided by applying cartonization logic, and picking in parallel operations like mixed case and pallet picking at the same time.

Victory Voice complements current WMS and ERP systems by integrating best practice order fulfillment picking to increase employee productivity by streamlining order prioritization, and balancing work levels by directing workers to the highest demand work zones.

Speaker-independent voice picking requires zero voice training, a cutting-edge advantage over older speaker-dependent systems with a cumbersome operator recording requirements.

Numina Group delivers an impressive range of advantages in voice, and once the system is deployed, changes are easily accomplished because the majority of the voice application is configurable on web screen selections and database table edits.

Top 10 Automation Benefits Gain with Numina’s Voice Picking Solution

#1 – Paperless, Hands-free, Eyes-Forward Picking

Voice picking provides a simple and fast hands-free, eyes focused pick and pack process. Our voice terminal/PDA uses-off-the shelf hardware and a palm size lightweight PDA that runs continuously for 14 hours. A feather-weight headset and back of the hand 2D camera-based scanner directs the operator pick sequence and validates each sequence and SKU pick, quantity, lot and serial ID capture throughout the operation.

#2 – Streamlined Order Fulfillment

We don’t just bolt on a voice system – we provide lean pick and pack processes that improve current practices, and direct employees through prioritized work tasks. Voice-directed picking keeps the operator focused on the task resulting in a reduction in the time it takes to complete order pick, pack, and ship tasks.

#3- Optimized Pick-to-Carton

Stop shipping air and reduce UPS and FedEx transportation costs. Add RDS cartonization software to automatically choose optimal carton size. Victory Voice then directs the operator to pick and pack directly to the shipping carton. Think of the touches this takes out of the pack operation!

#4 – Higher Productivity

Faster order picking completion rates equal higher productivity. You’ll be able to finish more work in shorter order fulfillment time windows each day. Increasing the number of orders your operators pick while simultaneously interleaving other work activities like replenishment and cycle counting is not possible with paper or even many RF-based picking processes.

#5 – Minimized Human Error

Everyone knows the more manual a process, the more that can go wrong. RF-based picking errors occur with number inversion and picking of each and inter-pack SKU’s. These errors can be virtually eliminated with our multi-modal voice.

Lean pick-by-voice technology eliminates touches and includes step-by-step voice and scan validation to automate out the human error. Voice also makes it possible to enforce uniform work practices across your team, while maintaining a time-stamped history of each operator picking activities and order level detail tracking.

#6 – Real-time Error Tracking

Of course, even with automated voice system accuracy KPI’s of 99.9%, an occasional human error happens. However, using our integral order and labor tracking reporting module you’ll never have to guess what went wrong: You’ll be able to view and identify order picking data and labor reports with our simple to use web-based dashboard tools.

#7 – Reduced Labor Expenses

Streamlining order picking means your workers can do more and our voice application allows consolidating and interleaves picking, replenishment, and cycle counting to optimize worker efficiency. This means you may be able to eliminate overtime, weekend operations or reduce the shift work time window!

#8 – Built in Quality Control (QC)

Manual RF picking is not a cost-effective way to check orders and manage quality control costs.  With our system you’ll be able to direct and flag specific workers, customers, and SKU specific orders to receive an additional QC check and ensure client order accuracy.

#9- More than Voice

Integrated activity messages, real-time order wave completion progress and reporting, plus work zone activity displays provide you with real-time feedback to view how your operation is running.

#10 – Employee Satisfaction

Finally, our voice picking systems logs operator picking productivity and shows employee value to increase your employees’ performance satisfaction. Operators with higher performance and zero errors require recognition. We provide reporting tools to empower your work force. Voice makes them more productive and accurate to minimize stress in their daily responsibilities.  

Want to learn more about voice-directed order fulfillment or are other pack and ship automation technologies and benefits? Contact Numina Group today!

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