Understanding Voice Directed Picking Technology

Why does voice picking technology reduce cost and improve quality? There are two fundamental reasons. 

First, voice picking enables workers to operate hands-free and heads-up. When workers are not distracted by paper lists, or forced to pick up scanners and then put them aside to handle products, they work faster and make almost zero mistakes (click to see a "put to store" example of hands-free work). This is why “push to talk” systems can’t deliver the real benefits expected from voice technology – they aren’t hands-free. 

Second, voice picking works only if the system always recognizes what the worker says. If the voice recognizer makes a mistake, the worker must repeat himself and productivity suffers. Any time this happens, voice directed picking is not delivering … if it happens more than a few times, workers get frustrated and fed up. This is why speaker independent recognizers fail to deliver results. 

The right software is always the key element of any voice picking solution. In the past, voice applications were sold primarily on the basis of the solution provider’s ability to “understand” the customer’s operation and custom-program an exact-fit solution. 

While this sounds like a good idea at first, it masks the painful fact that custom-programmed solutions are frozen on the date of delivery and can only be changed by more programming – for a price. 

An open and configurable software is now available: Voxware Voice Management Suite. 

Want to know what Voxware VMS can do for you? Contact Us for a free analysis of the impact Voxware VMS software can have in your world.