Now Hear This: Voice technology delivers in the LBM warehouse

By Scott Yetter Voxware

fN TODAY'S evolving marketlplace. wireless voice technology can help building material companies better manage their warehouse and distribution operations. The technology operates through the use of wearable computers and headsets, which allows a running dialogue with the worker as tasks are performed.

To decrease product delivery time and increase competitiveness, businesses are running more regional warehouses and distribution centers than ever before. However, with a greater number of warehouses, there are increases in warehouse worker injuries-and decreases in accuracy and productivity rates. Many distribution centers are assessing their warehouse management programs and searching for cohesive methods to help reduce injuries, help increase accuracy rates, and improve working conditions overall. safety to the next level. Distribution centers are always assessing their warehouse safety programs and searching for methods to help reduce severe injuries, lower the return-towork rate, and decrease workers' compensation claims. Voice-based warehousing takes care of everything. Workers now can do their jobs handsfree and without any distractions. In fact, after implementing voice software, one company reported it virtually eliminated accidents on the floor while reducing workers' compensation claims costs by more than'7OVo. Even more impressive, these costs were reduced even though the total workforce increased by approximately 257o. increases accuracy and productivity.

Voice technology is gaining traction forjust these reasons. It's helping increase efficiencies and improve bottom-lines, while improving working conditions and retaining trained employees.

One of the most attractive features of wireless voice technology is the fact that it relies on wearable computers instead of hand-held devices. Because it's hands- and eyes-free, voice technology allows workers who focus on the manual handling ofproducts-and those in demanding physical environments-to improve their safety conditions, accuracy rates, productivity rates, and, in many cases, morale. As a result, labor retention rates increase-a tough feat in the warehouse environment.

Voice-enabled warehouses allow workers to get their job done with their eyes and hands free so they can better concentrate on making sure their orders are correct. In an environment where an accuracy mistake can be a deal breaker, voice technology is changing the landscape. In many cases error rates drop by 507o, which translates into accuracy rates as high as 99.98Vo. These errors, including picking the wrong quantity or product, often have a major negative impact at the store level in terms of serving the customer. With increased accuracy rates also comes a higher productivity rate.

Another benefit is that workers love the technology. Voice technology has taken a repetitive job and mdde it more fun and interesting. Many workers appreciate voice technology's sense of interaction, as they receive and respond to verbal instructions through their headsets. In addition, workers can ask the system for performance updates throughout the day-allowing them to keep track of how they are faring against their daily goals and targets.

Voice technology is also taking

Many companies have begun to implement worker incentive plans to reward warehouse workers for higher productivity and accuracy ratessomething they couldn't offer before voice implementation. The incentive programs are set up in accordance with worker pick rates and usually result in additional compensation for hitting a certain number. Because these types of programs didn't previously exist in the warehouse environment, workers feel more valued by their companies and organizations. An added bonus is that workers complete tasks more efficiently and accurately because they are trying to reach their bonus.

Today, voice technology is more affordable than ever, largely because of the shift from proprietary software to open, service-oriented, standardsbased software. Basically, standardsbased software is a collection of services that communicate with each other and address specific business or technical problems. The services are self-contained and do not depend on the context or the state of any other service. The system is designed for the type of environment in which voice operates: distributed systems in the distribution center where many small, wearable computers are networked to back-end applications in order to drive work processes.

The big idea behind standardsbased software is that services can be independent of each other, but can be combined to accomplish a business objective. In the warehouse, the same voice services can be assembled in different ways to voice-enable different processes in the distribution center. Also, since standards-based soft- ware is based on commonly available, internationally recognized standards, upgrades can be accomplished much faster and more cheaply because the pool of developers who can work with the technology is greatly expanded.

Voice technology is becoming an increasingly important part of warehouse operations-and for good rea-