Voice Picking

Picking and sorting with voice support

The employee receives the commands via the headset and confirms the activities via voice commands or barcode scanner.

Pick by Voice Solutions are among the standard options for many picking methods. The voice-assisted picking method was developed around 1995 and was intended to help pickers improve their picking performance. At that time, however, voice recognition did not work well.

What is Pick by Voice?

Pick by Voice a modern picking method that works with voice commands.

How does Pick by Voice work?

The pick list (order) is prepared by the warehouse management system in the route-optimized process sequence and LUCA-Server to the LUCA-Server . Paperless picking can begin.
The LUCA-Server the process and sends the commands to the voice terminal. The instructions are given to the picker via a headset.
(e.g. , "go to aisle 7, " "storage location A02 05 14, " "3 items").
While working, the picker can have the current voice instruction repeated over and over again by saying "repeat."
The picker confirms the aisle ("7 OK"), the storage location ("57 OK" as a check digit), and his removal ("3 OK") via voice input. The software on the voice terminal analyzes his voice. The high-quality software converts the voice commands into text commands.

Confirmation of the withdrawal (acknowledgment) is sent to the warehouse management system via the LUCA-Server. Further processing, the next voice dialog of the picking process, and communication with hardware are also handled centrally via the server.

The picker can adjust the volume, speed of speech, and other parameters via voice control during picking.

The hardware

The standard system consists of the following components:

Headphones with a microphone (headset). Alternatively, the picker can use a system vest with a built-in microphone and speakers when picking orders.
Voice terminal with a belt or clip ensures WiFi communication with the system and performs voice recognition.
Replaceable battery (sufficient for 10-12 hours of operation) with chargers.

extensions

As a system provider, we have the following extensions available:

Back-of-hand barcode scanner for scanning items or serial numbers (logistics standard for order picking)
ePaper displays as dynamic check digit displays on each storage compartment (changing every 10 minutes, for example)
Pick-by-Point^® as a supplementary picking system for direct display of storage locations. This hybrid solution greatly increases efficiency and performance.

If you have any questions about the voice-activated system, we as your supplier will be happy to assist you. In further articles, we will discuss the topic of Pick by Voice in even greater detail.

We have many years of experience in paperless order picking.

s for logistics and production

Voice Picking

Would you like advice? Send inquiry

Pick by Voice SAP

No problem. Our LUCA-Server optimal connectivity to any warehouse management system, including SAP. The systems can exchange data with each other via RFC, IDOCs, databases, or TCP/IP.

benefits

The advantages of Pick by Voice a glance:

Flexible use in warehouse logistics thanks to lightweight, portable voice technology (wearables)
Order-oriented, voice-guided picking with direct data capture of picking lists
Ideal for working on a single task (high efficiency only then)
Hands and eyes free during order picking (freedom of movement and good voice output)
With^Lydia® from topsystem: speaker-independent voice recognition (voice system without teach-in). We trust^Lydia® as a system provider.

disadvantages

However, Pick by Voice also Pick by Voice some disadvantages that weigh on the system:

High error rate due to memorizing check digits for smaller warehouses
Loss of picking time and picking performance due to numerous voice inputs (the picker has to talk a lot).
Not suitable for Multi-Order-Picking only simple pick lists work well). The picker may lose track of the storage location when distributing goods across multiple orders.
Relatively low picking performance compared to other pick-by systems.
High stress levels for employees due to fast pace (poor cognitive ergonomics with the system and low employee acceptance in case of incorrect use).

When should a Voice Picking be used in warehouse logistics?

The voice-guided (voice-controlled) method can be used very effectively in a company's logistics for slow and medium-speed paperless picking in large pallet warehouses. However, the demands on the operator (picker) must not be too high. The picker must adapt to the voice control. Otherwise, errors will increase very quickly and productivity will drop. This is where voice-assisted picking has its limitations.

Pick by Voice not well suited for high-performance picking from shelf racks or flow racks in logistics. Pick by Voice is Pick by Voice well suited for picking from pallets.

As a provider of many picking methods, we are happy to combine Pick by Voice with other systems to create an optimal overall solution (read more about our hybrid concepts).

Supported languages

Voice output

Arabic, Basque, Bengali (India), Bhojpuri (India), Bulgarian (Bulgaria), Cantonese (Hong Kong), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dongbei (China), Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), English (Australia, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, USA), Farsi, Finnish, French (Canada, France), Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (China, Taiwan), Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Shanghainese (China), Sichuanese, Slovak, Spanish (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Spain), Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Valencian, Vietnamese

Voice input

Arabic (Gulf Region), Bulgarian (Bulgaria), Cantonese (Hong Kong), Czech (Czech Republic), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Netherlands, Belgian), English (USA, England, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, India, South Africa), Farsi, Finnish (Finland), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Greek (Greece), Hebrew (Israel), Hindi (India), Hungarian (Hungary), Indonesian (Indonesia), Italian (Italy), Japanese (Japan), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin (China), Norwegian (Bokmal, Norway), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), Russian (Russian Federation), Sichuanese (China), Slovak, Spanish (Spain, Catalan, Basque, Mexico), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand), Turkish (Turkey)

Conclusion

Pick by Voice, a voice-assisted solution for paperless picking, is highly flexible in intralogistics and is ideal for use in large storage areas with slow and medium picking speeds. The speaker-independent software ensures easy implementation for pickers and delivers excellent voice analysis results in the set language. Even in difficult and noisy environments, the error rate is very low! Also suitable for logistics in a cold storage warehouse. The check digits at the storage locations should be replaced by scanners or various extensions.

You can find more information on Wikipedia.

Alternative pick-by systems:
Pick-by-Light, Pick-by-Point ^®, Pick-by-Cart, Pick-by-Frame ^®

You can find an overview of all LUCA picking systems on the page: LUCA systems.