VOICE
technology
Opinion
Voice systems for
pharmaceutical warehousing
By Gary Glessner, VP and managing director, Vocollect EMEA.
he European drug result from improved flexibility, weight of the trolley, removes a daily roles instead of responding
T
manufacturing accuracy, productivity and screen that can block the pickers to delivery errors. However,
market is mature and inventory management, the view and eliminates the need to the wearable design of Voice
experiences steady integration of Voice ensures charge batteries on the trolleys. systems is probably the greatest
growth year on year. greater compliance with stringent The result is a faster, easier single contributor to increased
There are over 3000 companies industry regulations, many of which picking task and reduced costs productivity in the warehouse.
developing and distributing change as borders are crossed. and management. While users’ hands are free to
drugs across the European pick and load products without
region, representing one of the Flexibility Accuracy stopping to put down and pick
world’s largest and most complex up lists or handheld devices at
supply chains. Voice is fast Perhaps the most welcome Order accuracy is vital; this is each location, the result is a
emerging as the rising star within benefit of Voice within the where Voice comes into its own. smoother, faster pace of picking.
pharmaceutical warehouse pharmaceutical warehouse is its Most pharmacies have limited As previously mentioned,
operations, particularly within ability to introduce flexibility into storage facilities and many drugs organisations already deploying
order picking. Operatives wear the sometimes complex picking have active ingredients that Voice are reporting productivity
a compact, lightweight mobile process. Most DCs deal with need to be kept in controlled gains in excess of 20 per cent
computer that clips onto a belt. thousands of different drugs, environments. Using Voice, over paper methods, and far
The device is connected to the each requiring careful handling pickers have to verify each pick higher productivity gains over
host warehouse management to avoid contamination or damage before moving onto the next, handheld terminals; figures that
system (WMS), either directly or to time-release coatings. To introducing almost 100 per cent could make all the difference
via middleware, using an industry add yet more complexity to the accuracy. A paper-based picking in the competitive world of
standard Radio Frequency link. picking process, the best way system has no checks whatsoever pharmaceutical distribution.
to select a high-volume product and can neither guarantee the
Cahill May Robert in Ireland and can vary dramatically from a correct product is picked or the Inventory management
Sanofi in France and Belgium more niche drug. This means right quantity. RF scanning
are just two pharmaceutical applying a single methodology, addresses both of these problems The pharmaceutical sector is not
distributors in Europe who are such as pick-to-light or RF scan to a certain extent, but there still unlike its grocery retail counter -
benefiting from productivity picking, could result in over- remains scope for errors. It is the part in calling for more visibility
increases of over 20 per cent investment and poor ROI. hands and eyes free process of products as they travel
and reported picking accuracy enabled by Voice where the through the supply chain. When
of up to 99.9 per cent since Voice is far more adaptable and efficiencies are realised with dangerous or regulated drugs
installing Voice in their DC. can be better adapted to the typical pick accuracies of 99.9 such as narcotics are flowing
Voice systems utilise speech current need. It allows the per cent. The end customer through the system the ability
recognition and speech warehouse manager to better benefit is a controlled supply of to monitor the flow of inventory
synthesis technology to verbalise manage the work force to ensure drugs to meet patient demand through every stage of its journey
commands from the WMS and labour is distributed to where and reduced administration. from manufacture to retail is
feed them to operatives through the work is rather than having critical. With a capability for
a headset as they move freely some pickers under considerable Productivity delivering up-to-the-minute stats
around the warehouse. The pressure whilst others are on pick status at all times, Voice
result is two-way, real-time twiddling their thumbs. A major Needless to say, accuracy plays offers the ideal solution when
conversation between operatives benefit of migrating from RF an important part in improving visibility and product tracking is
and the WMS. In addition to the scan picking to Voice is the productivity in the warehouse, required. Moving forward, RFID
cost and efficiency savings that flexibility it offers. It reduces the with staff employed in their usual with its track and trace >>
50
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICSIT October 2009
www.logisticsit.com
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