The most significant issue recently discovered in the field when implementing a warehouse voice picking system as an augmentation to an existing system, turned out not to be a technical issue. The attitude of the users was a significant contributor as to whether or not productivity gains were strong.

In one voice implementation, the users were told that the voice picking tools that were added to the “gun” (mobile computer) had to show improvement immediately or the project wouldn’t continue. Given the reluctance to change, the users ensured that no gain was delivered so they could go back to “scanning as usual.”

In another voice implementation, the users were told if the voice picking tools that were added to the “gun” did show an improvement immediately, everyone on the testing team would have free pizza for lunch all week. You know what happened next. The system worked like a champ. Amazing!

For the last several years, Voice Picking activities in the warehouse have been moving away from full process and technology replacement, toward a strategic augmentation of a current workflow process to leverage inventories of existing mobile devices and existing terminal emulation interfaces. Reports from the field in sticking to existing infrastructure in lieu of undergoing a technology replacement has shown mixed results. Although the marketing dogma of relying on standardized mobiles has been highly touted, have enterprises really seen the expected ROI? If so, what has the feedback called out as the key to a successful implementation?

After years of field research, the findings are quite interesting. ROI for the implementation of Voice Picking tools has been successful enough to migrate Voice to shipping and receiving, cycle counting and replenishment. However, the high productivity and accuracy increases are NOT a result of the addition of Voice alone. The fine-tuning of the workflow, the process that is used to manage the workers on the mobile devices, has to be considered a major contributor to the ROI when implementing voice.

For example, a major US CPG firm, prior to implementing Voice Picking, took baseline productivity and accuracy measurements. After the completion of a series of process changes, the addition of a pay-per-productivity model, the introduction of Voice and various additional changes in warehouse layout, the firm took productivity and accuracy measurements once again and realized a 23% productivity gain. Management was overjoyed and reported that Voice was solely responsible for the gain. However, subsequent engineering audits uncovered that pay-per-productivity and process changes unrelated to Voice were significant contributors to the efficiency gains. The gain from adding Voice to the process was found to deliver an increase in productivity (by their definition) in the high single digits.

The bottom line is that warehouse managers should not rely on anecdotal evidence when investigating the implementation of Voice because the underlying efficiency gains are due numerous factors,Voice being one of the components. In order to determine a clear picture of the effect of Voice systems in the warehouse, first a clear definition of productivity and accuracy must be made. These metrics are unique per implementation. If the plan is to leverage an existing process, that process MUST be streamlined and the warehouse staged for maximum efficiency as the project unfolds. Where Voice should be used in the system becomes far more clear once the initial cleanup is done.

One of the clear challenges to adopting Lean is the significant culture change that often is required. Training for key employees to the highest levels is typically required because if top management is not fully committed to the Lean program, it WILL fail.

Because external organizations and partner companies need also buy in to the Lean methodologies for a smooth fit, implementation can often be time ands resource consuming. The risk of a disruption in business as usual is fairly significant.

However difficult adopting Lean may seem, the payback is demonstrable. Nearly all of the Aberdeen study respondents reported that Lean practices have met or exceeded the expectation in the following categories:

• Inventory and asset reduction
• Design cost reduction
• Improved flexibility
• Improved product quality
• Improved customer service

Imagine using cellular carriers to handle your network instead of maintaining internal WANs.

"But," you say, "we get terrible cellular coverage inside the warehouse."

On the horizon you can expect in-building pico-cells and repeaters. On the horizon you can expect the 802.11x WAN to be obsoleted by the giant cell carriers looking to expand network coverage to the inside of every building where materials flow. The warehouse is the next frontier for carriers.

Anticipated benefits range from better overall coverage at a lower cost of ownership, to a major reduction in IT personnel required rto manage network infrastructures as they slowly get outsourced to the cellular carriers.

But, this isn't science fiction. The initial pilot programs are happening right now!

For further details visit:

http://industrial-embedded.com/cellular-networks-more-voice

What is warehouse management anyway? Isn't just the efficient integration of space, equipment, inventory and people? Yes! Optimize your distribution operation by effectively managing all of these important resources – and that spells success. The right warehouse management system (WMS) is imperative to keeping that goal.

HighJump™ offers the Warehouse Advantage WMS which is an advanced warehouse management tool to facilitate optimization even in the most complicated distribution environments. Warehouse Advantage ensures quick, accurate fulfillment through a highly directed, optimized workflow, implementing state-of-the-art bar code and other wireless technologies such as RFID. Additional efficiency algorithms include wave planning, slotting optimization and containerization.

The HighJump™ Warehouse Advantage WMS manages all of your strategic processes such as receiving, put-away, inventory management, order processing, replenishment, pick/pack, loading and shipping. In addition, Warehouse Advantage is adaptable to the way YOU do business.

This is a complete WMS solution worth your time for further investigation.

The UC Voice Picking Solution from Cisco and Datria is the industry’s first enterpriseclass warehouse solution, delivering voice-enabled supply chain solutions via VoIP and the network, and enabling manufacturing operations increase order accuracy while improving worker productivity. This innovative solution is the first to be completely open standards-based, enabling rapid ROI and establishing a voice resource that can be used throughout the enterprise.

In today’s competitive manufacturing and supply chain operations, companies are increasingly focused on growing capacity, quality, and agility while reducing facility and labor costs. Logistics operations are challenged to increase volume without adding to existing square-footage, improve delivery speed while advancing order accuracy, and to enhance productivity while reducing dependency on labor-intensive costs. Competitive pressures also require an unprecedented level of flexibility in operational capabilities, in order to rapidly adapt to changing business needs.

The Cisco and Datria Unified Communications Voice Picking Solution for Manufacturing is a ground-breaking solution that integrates proven voice-over-IP (VoIP) and network-centric speech recognition technologies to connect mobile warehouse workers to ERP, WMS, IM, and SCM systems in real time. Results from existing installations include:

• Order fulfillment accuracy approaching 100%

• 10-30% productivity improvements, including ability to leverage advance ship

notification (ASN) systems for speedy deliveries

• Regulatory tracing compliance

• Removal of redundant QA processes

• ROI payback in 3-9 months

With this powerful solution, manufacturers take advantage of a paradigm shift in thinking about warehouse management, based on a technology that provides better affordability, scalability, and conformity with third-party service-oriented architectures (SOAs), and a reduced total cost of ownership.

 The Challenges of Order Fulfillment

Today’s retailers demand a high level of accuracy in their orders from manufacturers and distribution centers. An especially powerful trend is the Advance Ship Notification (ASN), which gives preferential treatment on delivery if vendors conform to ASN policies. For example, the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, requires 99.8% shipment accuracy as part of its ASN policies. By meeting this standard, manufacturers gain preferential treatment for their trucks and faster processing on Wal-Mart’s docks, significantly cutting the time needed for delivery. This faster timeto-shelf, in turn, results in improved sales and lower logistical costs.

 Regardless of whether a manufacturer is using pallet, case, or piece-pick operations, it is challenged to optimize the order fulfillment process and minimize the amount of time it takes workers to find, load, check, and ship the correct items. It also means, however, that the seemingly simple task of picking a product off a warehouse shelf to match an order becomes a critical factor in order fulfillment. At the same time, business growth requires increasing warehouse capacity and agility without expanding facilities or staff.

In most warehouses today, the entry-level workers known as “pickers” receive a printed order, or pick sheet, physically look through the warehouse to locate each item, and load it onto a pallet. With only a few SKUs to choose from, this is not such a difficult task. However, in the case of manufacturers that produce hundreds or even thousands of different items, with a constant flow of new products in unfamiliar packaging, the warehouse becomes a much more challenging environment—labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to error.

Complicating matters is the fact that turnover for warehouse staff tends to be high, resulting in greater levels of inexperience among employees. Some pickers may be struggling with language differences. They can also often be distracted from their work by fellow workers, managers, and the need to repeatedly traverse the warehouse searching for products. As a result, there is no coordinated system to assure order accuracy, and additional time is spent double-checking each pallet.

Manufacturers require a flexible, powerful solution that provides the precision, ease-of-use, and ability to scale within the warehouse and throughout the extended logistical chain. They also need to improve cost-effectiveness by controlling operational expenses and lowering training costs, as well as improving worker retention.

The Cisco and Datria UC Voice Picking Solution for Manufacturing Cisco and Datria’s UC Voice Picking Solution meets these challenges by providing a flexible pick system designed for the needs of the mobile warehouse worker. Based on the existing IP network and standard Cisco Unified Communications platforms and networking capabilities, mobile workers equipped with Cisco wireless VoIP handsets or VoIP-capable multimodal devices leverage Datria’s warehouse interface for real-time voice communications with enterprise warehouse and logistics management systems.

The Cisco and Datria solution is unique in today’s voice-based supply chain solutions: it is the only network-centric approach and the only solution to use VoIP capabilities. In conjunction with existing business process rules in ERP, inventory, supply chain or warehouse management systems, it enables speech recognition technologies to be applied across all of these work processes. The result is close to “perfect order” accuracy and optimal productivity in a very labor-intensive operation. The Cisco and Datria solution also permits voice technology to be seamlessly combined with other automation technologies, such as RF scanning and RFID.

Each Cisco and Datria UC Voice Picking solution includes:

• Configurable Datria application package: An open VoiceXML and Java-based application providing mobile workers with a real-time voice-user interface to existing corporatesystems.

• Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal (CVP): A flexible VoiceXML platform providing the robust run-time environment for the Datria application.

• Cisco Voice Gateways: Integrated Services Routers (ISR) equipped as VoiceXML Gateways, acting as the integration point between VoIP callers, speech recognition technologies and VoiceXML applications.

• Mobility devices: Cisco wireless 792X VoIP handsets, equipped with extended batteries and ruggedized cases for manufacturing environment use.

• Cisco Unified Wireless Network, VoIP for wireless phones and other mobility devices.

• IP Telephony: Cisco Unified Communications Manager (or its Express version) to manage and support VoIP calling for mobile devices.

• Routing and Switching: Cisco’s industry-leading wide area network (WAN) solutions, forming the manufacturing enterprise backbone from the warehouse and throughout the supply chain

Voice-activated picking technologies in themselves are not new—this technology has been used for years in the grocery and automobile industry. However, the agile Cisco and Datria solution maximizes this proven functionality for manufacturing and warehouse applications based on its industry-leading, secure IP-based networks and UC platforms. By leveraging the eight-to-ten hour battery life of its 7921G wireless IP phone and existing VoIP infrastructures to assure constant wireless access point coverage, Cisco and Datria provide an affordable solution that improves order accuracy, streamlines the packing process, and increases employee productivity. In this environment, unlike traditional client-based voice solutions, voice becomes a network resource within a standard, open IT web services architecture. This allows manufacturers to leverage voice automation technology as a shared resource on their preferred enterprise vendor platform.

The Cisco and Datria UC Voice Picking Solution is based entirely on open industry standards and Internet protocols for voice such as VoiceXML, MRCP, Eclipse, and standard web services. It functions out of the box and is built using commercial, off-the-shelf components, including a voice engine from Nuance and the most advanced industry algorithms. The solution is available in various packages that can be configured to each manufacturer’s particular needs.

For more information visit us online.

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An important part of Warehouse Management is the accurate accounting for the time it takes for the pickers to pick product, for the replenishers to replenish product, for the shippers to quickly cross dock or move pallets onto trucks. Tracking the time of the actual moves and the dwell time, or the time between moves, is also very important. Clues as to how to streamline a process of human interaction with product comes from such simple studies. You may find that a slight change in process such as removing the use of labels, or adding/removing a process step from the user interface on the barcode scanning software, or perhaps moving from paper picking to a scan, pick-to-light or voice solution can save valuable time.

The best teachers in the warehouse are the people that work the line. Pickers and dispatchers, replenishers and shippers that know their jobs well, can tell you exactly where the inefficiencies can be found. So, listen. And, ask lots of questions. Process improvement may be the most important process in Warehouse Management!

Addressing the most demanding business problems in today's competitive environment requires applying new technologies, and Intermec® computers stand up to the rigors of even the toughest applications. Intermec mobile computers are well known for their rugged design, unquestionably reliable performance and state-of-the-art technology to support any onsite and field applications in the warehouse management space.

Here is the latest handheld device list:

CN3 Mobile Computer »
The smallest, most advanced, rugged computer in the world, the CN3 with integrated GPS and Bluetooth increases efficiency and safety by enabling hands-free turn-by-turn voice navigation. With 3G WAN and Cisco Compatible WiFi and Bluetooth radios, users are connected with voice and high-speed data (GSM/EDGE or CDMA/EV-DO) anywhere they go. 

CN3e Mobile Computer »
An extension to the popular and proven CN3 mobile computer series, the mid-sized CN3e features large keys, integrated GPS and robust communications options, making it the ideal handheld for key-based, data-intensive DSD and ITV applications.

CN4 Mobile Computer »
With integrated 3.5G wireless technology, the fully rugged Intermec CN4 enables enterprises to leverage the benefits of high bandwidth data collection and communications to achieve gains in worker productivity, improvements in service offering, and overhead reductions.

CN4e Mobile Computer »
The fully rugged Intermec CN4e mobile computer with enlarged keyboard and integrated 3.5G enables enterprises to leverage the benefits of high bandwidth data collection and communications to achieve gains in worker productivity, improvements in service offering and overhead reductions. 

CN50 Mobile Computer »
The Intermec CN50 is the only 3.75G wireless mobile computer that combines a small and light-weight form factor with a rugged design to deliver the most advanced, high performance voice and data communication solution specifically designed for the highly mobile field worker.

CK3 Series Mobile Computer »
The CK3, with Windows Mobile 6.1 and all imager-based scanning, packs a breadth of capabilities into a slim case, allowing users to easily and comfortably adapt to ever-changing data capture and communications needs, now and in the future.

CK31 Mobile Computer »
The CK31 blends the right features with the performance of the Microsoft Windows CE .NET operating system to provide the optimum combination of real time operation, tools support and standard connectivity. Multiple keyboard options provide flexibility for applications that range from shipping and receiving, put-away and picking to cycle counting.

CK31ex Mobile Computer »
The rugged CK31ex mobile computer integrates our breakthrough EX25 scan engine, enabling workers to scan any kind of barcode, from near or far, in any orientation, and to capture images too. Ideal for warehouse management applications.

CK32 Intrinsically Safe Mobile Computer »
Certified to meet the highest ratings from UL, ATEX and IECEx, the powerful CK32 Intrinsically Safe Mobile Computer delivers real-time information when and where you need it. The CK32IS is designed from inception to provide double-fault, intrinsically safe computing in even the most hazardous environments, and can be deployed virtually anywhere in the world.

CK61 Mobile Computer »
Intermec's CK61 mobile computer provides everything required by the most demanding environments; a rugged design, all-day battery capacity, next generation processor technologies, and non-volatile storage combine to provide years of reliable service. The Intermec CK61 does it all.

CK61ex Mobile Computer »
The Windows Mobile® based CK61ex integrates breakthrough EX imaging technology and advanced computing capabilities, enabling users to scan any kind of barcode, in any orientation, from 6 inches to 50 feet away, and capture images too.

Today, mobility in supply chain execution is essential to efficient operation and its fingerprint is everywhere. Tour any modern warehouse ranging in size from 10K to 10M square feet and you’ll see mobile devices in use all over the warehouse. Fork-lifts use mobile devices for bulk moves, cross-docking and non-conveyor order picking. Operators with carts and totes move about the warehouse picking orders by mobile systems. Workers with wearable systems and headsets, wired and Bluetooth, are using voice technology (voice picking) in every imaginable configuration. Having a strong mobile infrastructure is critical for service and maintenance activities as well as asset tracking and of course standard inventory control functions like cycle counts and inventory audits. So, with mobile everywhere is there anything really new?

Mobile devices continue to get more powerful in speed and in total user memory. In addition, device manufacturers like Intermec are integrating peripherals that can be used simultaneously by client software applications. The age of multimodal mobile has arrived! The productivity gains associated with multimodal mobile systems that allow seamless use of multiple database systems, RFID, GPS, VoIP, digital imaging, voice technology (for voice recognition for security and speech recognition for the translation of spoken voice to readable text), and barcode scanning are as strong as those realized moving from paper to terminals.

Consider an upgrade to multimodal mobile technology to help you find additional cost reductions throughout the warehouse with an ROI that is measured in just months. In most cases switching to multimodal mobile from single task based systems doesn’t require an infrastructure change; it’s just a better way to use the mobile equipment in which you already have a significant investment.

When industrial computing equipment became available, distributors leveraged the insatiable consumer demand for imported goods and realized quick return on investment, ROI, when replacing paper-driven methods with computerized inventory control. By automating the warehouse, managers could reduce labor costs while keeping pace in productivity. As with any change in technology, complexities from process redesign to solution migration were exacerbated by the lack of trained personnel. Enter the Supply Chain Execution Consultant.

The fact is that with any move from one technology to another within supply chain activities, there are always issues to be confronted that are solely based on the case at hand. The Consultant's role can be as simple as identifying the roadblocks by conducting a technology survey to managing the project lifecycle of a complete warehouse management system. Customers do not stop placing orders just because the warehouse needs a technology makeover. The Consultant takes into consideration whether the product has a shelf-life constraint or if it's seasonal. In addition, the Consultant notes the available staging area, the number of resources available, the quantities moved, transportation issues, communication issues, and other such details for each warehousing task when designing technology migration plans.

When selecting a Consultant, be sure to interview the individual as you would any of your key, high-level employees. Most Consultants are willing to take an initial phone interview and many are willing to visit gratis when the opportunity is a fit. Additionally, if the Consultant is an employee of a consulting firm, review the financials of the private firm through Dunn & Bradstreet or Hoovers, and the public firm through financial investor statements, to ensure the financial stability of the firm. Be sure that when a technology selection is the goal, the Consultant is able to be neutral as to the package or product that is selected. Then, once you've selected your consulting partner, trust their advice, but don't trust it blindly. Stay abreast of the decisions and to the progress by requesting weekly or bi-weekly status reports to include action items and outstanding issues.

Consultants are truly a warehouse manager's business partner. Typically the Consultant is an excellent communicator that is able to take an overview of an operation and deliver the desired solutions to such problems as inventory shrinkage, throughput speed, individual resource productivity, training, staffing and more by helping to implement process and technology enhancements with minor if any disruption to supply chain activities. Some of the solutions to these complex problems include speech-enabling activities such as voice picking, multimodal mobile applications that can adapt RFID, barcode scanning, GPS, Bluetooth and more. The Consultant can intelligently guide managers through the integration of complex systems such as paletizers, AGV forks, pick-to-light, pick-by-voice, warehouse management systems, WMS, and other packages to make warehouse activities more efficient.

Every few years a major technology enhancement promising deep cost reductions with quick ROI flashes onto the scene. If operations attempted to adopt all such changes, it would no doubt cripple their supply chain activities. With the experienced advice of a qualified industry consultant, a warehouse management team can rest assured that only the right technology enhancement will be undertaken at the right time with an assurance that the technology fits firmly within the framework of company goals.