VOICE
technology
Interview
<< company to ensure that any from the perspective of quality overall costs. However, by deploying and retain the same amount
systems integrator engaged in assurance and the need to a Voice-directed solution the of staff. This gives companies
the task of implementing a Voice improve customer service company could increase its more scale without increasing
solution has the right credentials. levels by reducing error rates contracts by taking on more work expenditure. It’s a win win.” circlesolid
“As a systems integrator, you as well as costs. However,
have to demonstrate that you different companies, often
have done this time and time depending on the type of
again and know what the products being picked, tend
The business and operational
potential shortfalls are,” he said. to prioritise one of these
“Take duplication of data, for metrics more than the other. benefits of Voice
example”, he continues. The “Many of our customers, in the
worst thing for a picker is to go high-volume supply chain, are Gary Glessner, managing director, Vocollect EMEA,
to a location and find that the really focusing on improving commented: “The business and operational benefits of
required product isn’t there. accuracy as a priority,” he said. Voice are well documented and return on investment,
Pickers should be going round “This is because even if they usually well within 12 months, far exceed the Industry
the warehouse following a only improve their accuracy by norm for IT. Whilst Voice alone delivers operational cost
methodical path and not having 1 per cent on a large volume, savings, efficiencies or accuracy gains; the greatest
to hesitate and break their millions of pounds could be benefits are achieved when the technology is
routine because a product isn’t saved very quickly.” integrated into the ‘engine’ of each supply chain
operation. To do this, Vocollect has built a global
network of certified partners who, like Zetes, are
immersed in the business of supply chain
enhancement. Continually reviewed by Vocollect, these
partners understand fully the nuances of small, one or
two site private enterprises through to multi-site, multi-
national conglomerates, knowing that no one supply
chain organisation replicates another, and therefore the
requirements of Voice can vary from installation to
installation. It’s together with this deep understanding of
how the warehouse works, its processes, and how
warehouse personnel make these happen, that
Vocollect Voice technology can deliver maximum ROI.
Increasingly, our partners are hearing from customers
wanting to build on the successes of Voice being seen
in the warehouse, and look at the value of Voice at
other points of the supply chain. This includes back-of-
store processes and at the point of manufacture. Voice
in stock or is in the wrong bay. Hannay pointed out that, when is fast becoming the supply chain partner of choice in
For every second they stop, it comes to smaller companies, its own right.” circlesolid
the business is losing money, there is a more even split between
so the goal should be to ensure focusing on productivity and
this never happens. If the picker accuracy. “Companies that have
is able to pick efficiently and had an accuracy problem realise
Gary Glessner:
all the rules and regulations of they need to fix this, whereas
“Increasingly,
the data are handled by the others are really focusing on
our partners
software seamlessly, then this productivity because they’re keen
are hearing
is the utopia.” to drive cost down within their
from customers
business – and one of the largest
wanting to build
Recouping the outlay costs is people,” he said. “If an
on the successes
SME can improve its productivity
of Voice being
In terms of metrics for ROI on and is also in growth mode as a
seen in the
a Voice-directed solution and company, one of the biggest
warehouse, and
all the integration costs that go challenges is how it successfully
look at the value
with it, Hannay maintains that scales the business. This is
of Voice at other
these can be summed up in because every time you need to
points of the
two words – productivity and take on more staff you’re adding
supply chain.”
accuracy. In the case of in more expense and business
accuracy, this is often driven gains might not outweigh the
32
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICSIT July 2009
www.logisticsit.com
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