Warehouses are under constant pressure to improve picking and fulfillment processes – whether they are adapting to increased demand, responding to labor shortages, or looking for ways to streamline work across an expanding facility network.
Automation is often the answer to these challenges, and there is a wide range of high-tech solutions to choose from – including automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and collaborative robots that work alongside humans to speed up picking and fulfillment. More mature technologies sit well alongside newer entrants, and for many warehouses they are an essential part of their automation journey.
Voice-guided technology is a prime example. Relatively easy to install and use, voice systems allow businesses to move beyond paper picking to a technology-based solution that can scale quickly and increase productivity in a short time.
In fact, the demand for vote selection solutions is on the rise. Market research firm Grand View Research reports that the market globally was worth $2.5 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow 15% by 2030. The need for advanced technologies that can boost productivity in fulfillment processes is driving the growth.
The food and beverage industry is one of the largest users of audio capture technology worldwide, according to Grand View. Two recent projects illustrate this point, illustrating the impact that sound has on that segment of the economy.
Extend easy usage
UK-based baking supplier Bako Group has decided to modernize its order selection process to accommodate the company’s continued expansion across the region. The baking supplies and baked goods distributor recently added a location in Northern Ireland, for example, and wanted to upgrade its existing voice picking solution to a more scalable product that could be seamlessly integrated into its new ERP (enterprise resource planning) software environment. The company has sought to improve operations across its existing network as well.
Baku turned to warehouse technology development and consulting company Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) and its Lydia voice technology to do the job.
As the two companies describe, the current Baku system has been a reliable tool for many years, but it has reached its limits as volumes have grown and operations have become more complex. The biggest issue was functionality: cumbersome audio templates, error-prone recognition, and limited flexibility meant that workers increasingly came to view the solution as an obstacle rather than a benefit to their daily work. In contrast, Lydia’s AI-powered speech recognition system works without prior training and works reliably even in noisy warehouse environments, according to EPG. For on-site users, this simply means putting on their headphones and getting to work, helping workers boost buy-in and reduce training time.
Baku has begun implementing the solution at its facility in Preston, England.
“With Lydia Voice, there’s no need to set up or worry about background noise. Employees can start right away, just like in a normal conversation,” Dan Oxley, assistant warehouse manager at the Preston site, said in a case study describing the project. “That’s what convinces the team the most.”
Faster onboarding of new employees, fewer errors, and quality improvements were the greatest benefits of the new system, according to both companies.
Following the Preston installation, Baku immediately rolled out the solution at two additional facilities, including the new warehouse in Northern Ireland. As of early fall, about 75 employees were picking and packing orders using the updated voice technology, and another 20 to 30 users across the network are scheduled to follow suit.
Double productivity
Texas-based wine and spirits distributor Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) has a similar story to tell about using voice technology to accommodate growth. With roots dating back to before Prohibition, the company has grown steadily over the years and today has a network of 44 facilities nationwide, totaling more than 11.5 million square feet with over 10,000 employees. Voice automation has been the driving force behind keeping those facilities running smoothly — a huge task, given the company’s reach and customer demands. RNDC ships approximately 9 million orders annually to more than 250,000 customers, and most of these deliveries are made within 24 hours. The company stocks more than 400,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) across its network and ships nearly 45 million bottles annually. Accuracy and timeliness are essential to RNDC’s business presentation.
“Our customers expect their orders to be delivered within 24 hours,” Steve Platt, vice president of distribution services for RNDC, said in a case study describing the project. “So it’s really important for us to have accurate, on-time and complete deliveries for all of our customers.”
RNDC partnered with audio technology provider Lucas Systems 21 years ago as a way to meet these requirements, implementing Lucas’ voice-guided picking solution, called Jennifer, in one of its distribution centers (DCs). RNDC now uses the Lucas system at 21 locations – the company’s largest facility by volume and with the largest number of employees – and has incorporated software improvements, upgrades and specialized solutions along the way. This includes what Lucas describes as a “robust bottle selection solution” developed for RNDC and now used in the warehouses of many other wine and spirits companies as well.
RNDC uses the Lucas system in its can and bottle picking operations. Company leaders point to the system’s ease of use as one of its biggest benefits. New employees can be trained and selected almost instantly.
“It took me about 30 minutes to learn how to use Jennifer,” RNDC warehouse assistant Macquarie Marks said in the case study, emphasizing the hands-free, screen-free nature of the voice technology. “Jennifer helps me be better at my job, allowing me to be quicker by telling me the location, and I can just go directly to the location instead of reading the screen.”
RNDC Fellow Elijah Blanchard echoes these sentiments.
“Before working with Jennifer, I had to opt for paper tickets,” Blanchard explained in the case study. “It’s much easier with Jennifer because she tells me what to do, where to go, [and] How much she would choose, and always rephrase it if I asked her to repeat something. “It’s perfect.”
Speed and accuracy also rank highly.
“Using Lucas software, we see, on average, facilities doubling their productivity while also improving their accuracy,” said Platt, who noted in the case study that the RNDC facility in Louisville, Kentucky, is now at 99.6% accuracy thanks to Jennifer.
