The Pick of the Litter: Voice Picking for Efficient Warehouse Operations

With labor shortages and supply chain issues plaguing distribution centers (DCs), efficiency and accuracy have never been more important. That means getting orders picked, packed and out of the warehouse as quickly as possible without sacrificing accuracy or quality. It’s a tough ask, especially as employees leave and are replaced with less experienced workers; one recent report found that less than 30 percent of warehouses can bring new workers up to speed in less than a month.

 

For DCs today, that’s unacceptable. As a result, many are choosing to replace the manual picking methods they have been using for decades with voice picking. This automated alternative integrates with a facility’s warehouse management system (WMS) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to optimize pick paths, pinpoint inventory locations and update inventory data in real time.

 

Combined with reliable, rugged mobile devices designed to keep pickers productive, DCs can continue to keep pace with demand. And even in the best of times, labor and supply chain shortages aside, voice picking is becoming a competitive necessity; the warehouse automation market, with voice picking as a major component, is expected to reach $30.69 billion by 2028.

 

The following infographic discusses voice picking, its benefits, and how warehouses can optimize voice picking software with appropriate rugged devices.

 

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