It is estimated the average cost of a mis-pick can be up to $100 depending on product demand, current labor costs, and customer goodwill. Order fulfillment operations seeking to minimize costly mis-picks have turned from traditional paper-and-pencil picking to more automated solutions such as barcoding and voice technologies. However, today’s high labor turnover rates leave little room for complex technologies. Studies suggest companies can spend over $1,500 in replacing workers, averaging eight hours of training alone per worker. With more customers demanding same-day fulfillment, picking optimization solutions must be as seamless as they are intelligent.
Consequently, voice picking technologies have grown in popularity since they leverage voice-based commands for easy guided picking. Nevertheless, warehouses have still cited mis-picks as a costly consequence of transitioning to voice-picking. While the technology in itself is highly beneficial, successfully deploying and utilizing a voice automation solution also depends on careful planning and deployment services to truly be successful.
When implementing a voice picking system, support services enable:
- Faster employee training that considers diversity – Language barriers are no longer a major issue when integrating voice-based picking. Systems like Honeywell’s Vocollect contains over 40 languages to best adapt to your workforce. Moreover, with more warehouses welcoming younger generations of workers (millennials and gen-Z), easy-to-adopt solutions like voice picking reduces complex technologies from training schedules, empowering them to begin being productive within the first week.
- Future scalability for peak seasons and different customer expectations – Post-pandemic demands for faster shipping have not relented. As a matter of fact, warehouses must now plan for several picking methodologies such as split-case, batch, and discrete-order picking. To prevent mis-picks in these different formats, a knowledgeable team can help you pair your voice system with wearable technologies that streamline multiple workflows through an intuitive interface, thus enabling flexible picking methods without compromising accuracy.
- Fewer IT visits for system modifications and hardware updates – Lastly, to proactively guarantee flexibility, regular solution updates and maintenance, such as security patch installations and OS updates, must be regularly applied and performed. Furthermore, when devices reach end of life, data may need to be transferred and wiped before devices are decommissioned. Working with several leading hardware and software developers, the SMG3 EDGE team can draw from many years and experiences to successfully update solutions without interrupting workflows.
Integrating 99.99% picking accuracy starts with initial solution design. Contact SMG3 to see how we tailor Honeywell’s voice automated solutions to meet the most unique needs and expect higher returns from a complete solution that prioritizes today and tomorrow’s challenges.