VOICE
technology
Success story
Belron sees
®
clear benefits in
Voxware Voice
technology
B
Autoglass® elron® is the world’s
largest dedicated vehicle glass repair and replacement company. Operating
under brand names, such as Safelite®
AutoGlass in the US, in the UK and
Carglass® in Europe, Brazil and
China, it has businesses in 32 countries across 5 continents.
The vision of Belron® is to be the
world’s natural choice for vehicle glass repair and replacement. Belron®
focuses on increasing
efficiencies and strives for excellence in everything it does to delight customers. It was that kind of thinking that drove the decision to implement Voxware Voice technology in the Laddaw® distribution centre, the largest European distribution centre operated by the Belron®
Group.
Results have been impressive, with a 20 per cent productivity increase and 99 per cent accuracy achievement.
Hightly tuned process
Prior to Voxware, order selectors worked with RF scanners, which had to be repeatedly holstered in order to handle the windscreens shipped from the Laddaw®
facility. Daily order selection is a highly
42
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICS
IT May 2010
tuned process in which pick sequence is extremely important. Because windscreens have varying curvatures, they must be picked in the correct order for packing into specialised containers, called Supplainers.
Time and accuracy are both of the essence. Laddaw®
distributes
to 18 local distribution centres in the UK, and also to many independent vehicle glass fitters. Products are picked only after ordered by a customer, so accurate and rapid delivery is a key factor in supporting the commitment of Belron®
to its customers.
Multiple benefits from Voxware Software
The focus of the Voxware 3 implementation was therefore on speed and quality of the order
“After deploying Voxware 3, we saw a tremendous jump in productivity,” said Richard Cooke, supply chain manager at Belron®
selection process. The solution utilises the standard Voxware 3 Order Picking software product, with configurable extensions that translate order data from the Belron®
, into properly sequenced pick tasks for selectors to perform.
Oracle system, based on business rules supplied by Belron®
the configurability and flexibility of Voxware 3. With the Voxware 3 solution, pick paths are shorter, products are handled in the
and an architect of the
new solution who oversaw the project. “Our staff were finally able to operate completely hands-free, so they were no longer burdened with having to put down and pick up the scanning gun – yet accuracy was just as good if not better.”
Cooke continued: “We worked with Voxware in configuring Voxware 3 and in particular the integration needed with our Oracle system. Prior to codifying these business rules, it was largely a manual process to determine the best sequence for picking – and if a selector picked products in the wrong order then they would not fit properly into the Supplainer, which necessitated a lot of re-work. We are impressed with
correct order and our cost to process the same volume of work is lower because it all gets done faster.”
Focus on customer service
Belron®
is intensely focused on
customer service, and the company is keenly aware that customers who need help need it promptly and correctly. The Voxware 3 implementation takes these same values and applies it to the distribution operation, ensuring that customers receive the goods they need on time – and doing so in a way that maximises efficiency yet minimises cost.
www.logisticsit.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52