Overview of Voice-Based Systems

In today's world, businesses face multiple challenges. Supply chains are becoming bigger, more complex, and time critical. Businesses continuously strive to keep pace with increasing customer demands, while keeping their operating costs low. These challenges apply to warehouses that are an integral part of the supply chain as well. An efficient warehouse management system enables a business to achieve better productivity. Many businesses have now recognized the benefits of using voice technology for warehouse-related tasks such as picking, replenishment, and putaway.

A voice-based system includes a mobile headset unit that can be used by warehouse users. These users do not have to hold a bar code scanner to perform picking activity, and do not have to take their eyes off the task they are performing to read the system prompts that appear on the barcode screen. This translates to immediate time and productivity gains in the overall warehouse process.

Users can not only receive voice instructions, but can also confirm their actions back to the system orally. A primary advantage of voice-based systems is the short training period associated with learning how to operate them. Additionally, users can send and receive instructions in their native language. Voice-based systems also increase accuracy because of real-time communication. They are ideal for use in locations with freezers, where users wear gloves and find it difficult to carry the bar code scanner in their hands. It is also ideal for use in high-rise locations because users' hands remain free, improving their accuracy and productivity.

Understanding Voice-Based Picking

Picking activity, which was traditionally performed using either papers or a radio frequency (RF) mobile device, can now be performed using voice technology. A warehouse user no longer has to read the instructions from either a paper or an RF device. Instead, the user wears a headset with an attached microphone, and listens to the picking instructions given by the system in the form of voice prompts.

A user receives a voice prompt from the system about the source location to visit, the number of items to pick from that location, and the destination at which to deposit the picked items. Accordingly, the user visits the corresponding location, performs the picking task, and deposits the picked items. After the task is completed, the user orally confirms to the system that the action is completed. This serves as an indicator to the system that the next picking task can be assigned to the user.

In order to enable voice-based picking activity in a warehouse, and ensure user safety, the Sterling Warehouse Management System has integrated with Voxware's VoiceLogistics Pro (VLP).

Advantages of VoiceLogistics Pro

The Sterling Warehouse Management System supports voice-based picking by integrating with Voxware's VoiceLogistics Pro, which provides user-defined, customizable workflows that match individual business requirements.

Following are some of the advantages of integrating the Sterling Warehouse Management System with Voxware:

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