Voice and WMS Special technology report
operation will not deliver such a fast payback as picking there are still big benefits to be had from accuracy, ergonomics, transparency and fixed processes. It will be a lot easier to sell Voice to run these other processes if the customer already uses Voice for picking.”
Harper also comments that dedicated Voice terminals – those terminals that can only be used for Voice operations – have remained at a fairly
middleware in the current financial climate. There will still be many small- to medium- sized order fulfilment operations that would prefer to spend a comparatively small amount on a middleware-based Voice interface to their current WMS in preference to the much higher cost of upgrading their WMS to the latest Voice-enabled version (assuming there is one available). We should also bear in mind that traditionally, Voice-directed middleware has provided a much more feature-rich, flexible and low-risk solution than that available as a direct interface from the WMS providers. A direct Voice interface is usually restricted by the functionality that resides within the warehouse management system and therefore not as easy to customise as middleware is.”
Harper adds that, with most of the major players now contented Voice users, the Voice suppliers are also looking at alternative uses for the technology. “Traditionally, most companies adopting Voice have used it for picking only,” he said, “as this is the most costly part of the logistics operation and therefore potentially where the biggest and quickest savings can be made. Suppliers will be offering Voice for other areas of the order fulfilment operation such as pallet movements, stock counting, marshalling, consolidating and packing. Although these parts of the
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steady price since their inception. “So they are still priced higher than a traditional handheld/wearable terminal with scanner,” he said. “However, over the last year or so, Vocollect has brought out a smaller, lighter dedicated Voice terminal (the T1) for light industrial use that will compete directly with traditional handheld terminals on price. So it can be said that the cost of Voice is starting to come down, but the customer should always consider the ROI rather than the initial cost of the implementation; as the difference in hardware costs won’t increase the time to ROI by much.”
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Truly configurable applications
Stephen Gerrard, vice president, marketing & strategic planning at Voxware, comments that a major current development within the Voice- directed systems space is the emergence of truly configurable Voice software applications. “Warehouses are dynamic work environments
where managers continually look for ways to improve business processes,” he said. “Configurable software enables enterprises to control the cost of change far more effectively, whilst making it possible to evolve the use of Voice within the operation.”
In Gerrard’s view, industry consolidation is another major development, with the acquisition of US-based Vocollect by Intermec earlier this year. “Vocollect was the last boutique manufacturer of Voice-only devices,” he said, “so this sets up a showdown between the major manufacturers for market share in the arena of rugged Voice-capable mobility devices. Naturally this benefits customers because device prices will continue to drop, allowing for wider marketplace adoption.” Gerrard adds that customers also benefit from a clearer playing field of Voice vendors, and can more readily discern between hardware manufacturers, system integrators and software solutions providers who all play in the Voice market.
Warehouses are dynamic work environments where managers continually look for ways to improve business processes. Configurable software enables enterprises to control the cost of change far more effectively, whilst making it possible to evolve the use of Voice within the operation.”
– Stephen Gerrard, Voxware.
So what has driven these developments? Gerrard believes they have been driven by the natural evolution common to all high- technology markets. “The pioneering phase of the Voice market, wherein first- mover adoptees paid premium prices for
proprietary hardware and custom software, has given way to more open solutions,” he commented. “The next phase will be the increased demand for packaged Voice software products. These developments always accompany the adoption of a helpful technology by the mainstream marketplace.”
Gerrard added that July 2011
MANUFACTURING &LOGISTICS
IT 11
Stephen Gerrard, vice president, marketing & strategic planning
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