As e-commerce order volume continues spiraling upwards while delivery windows shrink, warehouse workers need innovations to meet picking, packing and shipping goals, writes Supply Chain Dive (April 30, 2019). Speech recognition software and voice-directed applications have been used in warehouses since the late 1990s. Even with continued technological advancements, though, adoption is still relatively low. About a quarter of warehouses use voice-directed picking. Traditional voice-directed technologies with headsets and microphones are one solution. New uses of current voice technologies, like Alexa, are another.

Millennial workers are tech-savvy and like incorporating technology in their jobs. Theyre used to smart speakers with consumer applications like Google Home and Amazons Echo and Alexa, and the voice systems have similarities. Efficiency is important because individual customers and businesses expect their products to arrive more quickly than in the past. And theres an increased number of small orders. Instead of a business receiving cases of product on a full or mixed pallet once a week, theyre getting multiple orders per week with individual products.

Those moving to voice-directed technology are often changing from hand-held radio frequency scanning devices. In doing so, they decrease the picking steps in the workflow from 9 steps to around 5 per pick. With spoken commands, theres no need to hold a device, which must be put down during the picks. Workers no longer need to look at the device screen and use the keyboard to input or find information. The picks are more accurate because the voice system confirms the picker is at the right location and picked the right items. It increases productivity by 30-45%.

1. What are the advantages of voice systems in warehouse picking?
2. What other advances have we seen in huge warehouses such as those of Amazon?