Peak efficiency for peak season
How a cold storage grocery distributor implemented a WMS and Voice technology to manage elevated pandemic demand.
Voice Solutions
Our industry-leading voice-directed solutions empower warehouse workforces to complete tasks in a more ergonomic and efficient way. These systems can dramatically increase productivity and accuracy, while making life easier and safer for workers.
TALK TO AN EXPERTWhat are the challenges?
- Labor shortages: Labor shortages are a challenge across the globe, especially in manual work. Seasonal peaks and periods of unpredictably high demand only intensify the shortages. Onboarding and training temporary workers can also impact warehouse productivity and efficiency.
- Seasonal peaks: Every warehouse is different, but nearly all experience seasonal peaks. This brings a unique set of challenges. Heightened demand during these periods can introduce new process issues and exacerbate existing ones.
- Increasing demand: As companies strive to meet and exceed customer expectations while cutting costs, warehouses face higher demands than ever before. In response, they are turning to technology for help.
- Sustainability requirements: Consumers and governmental bodies are pushing corporations to take responsibility for their actions through sustainable efforts. As companies seek to expand these policies company-wide, warehouses are expected to follow suit.
- Adaptability needs: Warehouses are constantly adapting to meet new market and consumer expectations. Ideally, they need technology that evolves with them and adapts to support them at every stage of development.
What are the benefits?
Voice, Vision and Mobility Solutions (VVM) offer users a more natural way to complete tasks – through conversation. Voice technology means that warehouse workers can focus on the task at hand, enabling eyes-free and hands-free picking at all times.
Voice delivers excellent results for picking and can be used for multiple warehouse workflows, including replenishment, cycle counting, put-away and more. It can also be employed for maintenance and inspection procedures on vehicles, industrial equipment, etc.
Boost productivity while reducing costs
Greater accuracy, minimized errors
Faster onboarding, lower training costs
Enhanced warehouse experience for workers
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35 %+PRODUCTIVITY GAINSDrive efficiency at scale with hands-free, distraction-free focus.
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~ 25 %HIGHER ACCURACYImproved task focus leads to fewer errors and more consistent performance across operations.
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~ 50 %TRAINING TIME REDUCTIONOnboard in hours, not days—thanks to intuitive, streamlined workflows.
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50 +LANGUAGESSupports & enables seamless communication in multilingual warehouse environments.
Our Körber One Voice solution has been validated on 9 of Zebra’s android models.
Körber One Voice has been verified by Zebra’s Global Enablement Center to drive labor engagement in the warehouse. We have successfully completed Zebra Technologies’ Solution Validation Program for its Körber One Voice platform, which orchestrates voice-directed workflows for all warehouse operations using Zebra’s Android devices to improve productivity. Infios’s voice solution meets Zebra’s high standards for performance and functionality with the company’s mobile computers.
Success stories
Voice expands labor pool
How multilingual Voice technology exceeded a global retailer’s expectations.
From paper to voice-directed pallet picking
Boosting productivity with Infios’s voice-directed pallet build solution.
Driving operational productivity
Major gains with Infios Voice: 26% more productivity, higher accuracy and real-time visibility.
Where safety meets efficiency
Regis Corporation, a global haircare leader, replaces RF scanning with voice to boost warehouse safety and efficiency
FAQs
Voice is a dialogue between your systems and team members through the simplest means possible: a conversation. It unburdens workers from RF scanners or paper by translating picking orders into plain language delivered through a headset. Through voice-directed warehousing (VDW), productivity, accuracy and safety will increase while training time and damage probability will decrease.
Voice picking, also known as voice-directed warehousing (VDW), is a paperless, hands- and eyes-free system that feeds easy-to-understand verbal instructions to warehouse workers. Voice picking devices are connected to the WMS and convert the system’s orders into verbal commands via a headset.
Voice picking is the most common use of voice in today’s warehouses. Its introduction into the warehouse has helped our customers increase productivity levels, as well as improve accuracy rates and employee safety.
Once all the agreements are in place, the time from design to go-live can typically range from 60 to 90 days.
Voice technology can function in cold storage warehouse facilities. The wireless headset that delivers instructions to workers is certified for use in the freezer environment, and can withstand temperatures as low as −30 °C. They even have noise-cancelling capabilities, so instructions can be heard over freezer fans and through hats or balaclavas. This also helps to improve employees' quality of life, since they can keep hats and gloves on in below-zero temperatures.
Yes, voice technology (both hardware and software) has been adapted to work in the warehouse, even with loud noises like forklifts and conveyors. The headsets are noise-cancelling to ensure the worker can still hear the instructions.
Explore this topic further
- Whitepaper
7 min
10 common myths about voice
Addressing the most common myths around voice in the ware...
4 min
Using voice to achieve a sustainable warehouse
15 min
Return to peak
8 min
Voice your opinion
5 min
Manage rising customer expectations with voice in the warehouse
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