Defy cold temperatures of up to -23° with technology: How pick-by-voice is changing refrigeration and deep-freeze logistics - ergonomically and cost-efficiently
Published on: April 11, 2024 / Update from: April 11, 2024 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
📦🔊 Voice of Productivity: The Transformative Role of Pick-by-Voice in Modern Logistics
🚚🥶 In a world where both consumers and the economy are striving for greater efficiency and productivity, logistics plays a key role - especially frozen and fresh logistics. These specific logistics areas are a challenge for logistics companies due to their strict temperature requirements and high energy costs. To address these challenges, companies must adopt advanced technologies that are not only ergonomic and user-friendly, but also cost-effective. One of these advanced systems is pick-by-voice, which particularly stands out in this context.
The pick-by-voice technology, i.e. voice-controlled picking, has proven to be extremely effective. It enables employees in warehouse and logistics to receive and confirm instructions using voice commands, enabling hands-free and sight-free working. This is a significant advantage, particularly in extreme working conditions such as in deep-freeze and fresh-food storage, where temperatures can drop to as low as -23°C in the deep-freeze area and between 3°C and 8°C in the fresh-food area.
Cold storage is an expensive proposition and companies are under pressure to minimize the associated costs, especially given the steady rise in energy prices in recent years. As part of intralogistics, picking, i.e. the process of collecting goods for shipping, accounts for up to 50 percent of the total frozen food costs. It is therefore crucial that this area is designed as efficiently as possible.
🎤 Linguistic optimization under cold conditions
The 🔊 optimization through voice technology
By using pick-by-voice, cold storage employees can keep their gloves on because no manual input via buttons or touchscreens is required. The clear voice instructions guide you through the picking process, which not only saves time but also minimizes the error rate. This is particularly important when considering that human errors in warehouse logistics can have serious consequences, from financial losses to compromised safety.
Ergonomics also play a crucial role. While physical exertion can be high in a normal camp, this increases in a cold environment. Here, the use of voice-controlled technology can reduce physical strain by eliminating the repetitive movements that occur when operating hand-held scanners.
Another advantage is the customizability of voice solutions. Each employee can receive instructions at the desired volume, speed and language, further increasing acceptance and productivity. The technology also enables improved onboarding of new employees, as they can be familiarized with warehouse processes more quickly and intuitively.
💵 Economic and ecological aspects
The 💡 cost reduction and sustainability
In times of climate change and the resulting need to make corporate processes more environmentally friendly, sustainability in logistics is also playing an increasingly important role. Energy-efficient solutions are in demand. Voice pick technology can make a contribution here by indirectly reducing energy consumption through increased efficiency and fewer errors. Fewer errors mean fewer returns in the picking process and therefore a shorter operating time for the freezer systems.
In addition, pick-by-voice also plays an important role in reducing food waste in fresh logistics. Through more precise and accelerated picking, the food is exposed to heat for a shorter period of time and consequential damage such as spoilage can be minimized.
🔮 Looking into the future
The 🤖 future outlook
Rapid advances in technology are opening up new possibilities for integrating pick-by-voice systems. Future developments may enable even closer integration of humans and machines, for example through AI-controlled voice assistance systems that further improve and personalize the picking process.
The increasing digitalization of the supply chain also offers opportunities for better data analysis and use, which in turn increases efficiency. Predictive analytics, i.e. predicting future events and trends by analyzing existing data, will revolutionize processes in frozen and fresh storage. For example, systems can predict which products will be in higher demand, allowing inventory management and placement to be optimized to shorten picking routes and distribute the workload more evenly.
Ergonomics, cost-efficient processes and continuous adaptation to changing market requirements are crucial for the future viability of frozen and fresh food logistics. Pick-by-Voice is a key technology that helps to meet these requirements and therefore represents an essential innovation in modern logistics.
📣 Similar topics
- 🎤 Voice picking revolution in logistics
- ❄️ Efficiency in frozen food: The influence of voice control
- 🛒 Ergonomic optimization of the picking process
- 🔋 Cost savings in logistics through voice-controlled systems
- 💡 Pick-by-Voice: A contribution to sustainability in the supply chain
- 📦 Reducing errors and energy consumption in logistics centers
- 🌱 Contribution of voice technology to preventing food waste
- 📈 Future of logistics: From predictive analytics to AI
- 👷♂️ Improving working conditions in cold storage warehouses through high technology
- 🔮 Pick-by-Voice and the digitalization of the supply chain
#️⃣ Hashtags: #Logistics #PickbyVoice #FrozenLogistics #FreshLogistics #SustainabilityInTheSupplyChain
📌 Other suitable topics
🚀 Logistics: The role of voice technology in efficiency and competitiveness
🔊 Challenges in logistics
In today's logistics industry, speed, precision and flexibility are crucial. The challenge of managing growing energy costs, overcoming skilled labor shortages and achieving necessary operational efficiencies has led to the need to make processes more transparent while maintaining employee motivation. Order picking, as a core process in the supply chain, is particularly in focus.
⚙️ The evolution of product identification
Over the years, barcode technology has become the standard in logistics and is still considered a fundamental tool for product identification and tracking. More modern approaches such as track and trace systems also use barcodes to fully identify and track items. However, the specific requirements for efficiency, ergonomics and quality make it clear that voice technologies are increasingly coming to the fore.
🗣️ Optimization through voice technology
Voice technology, especially in the context of order picking, opens up new dimensions of process optimization. In areas such as frozen food and fresh produce logistics, where precise and quick work is essential, the implementation of an adequate voice system can not only improve work processes, but also contribute significantly to increasing employee satisfaction.
💸 Economic benefits of voice solutions
From an economic perspective, voice solutions have comprehensive cost advantages due to their efficiency. Optimizations in the process can often be demonstrated very quickly, resulting in a rapid return on investment (ROI), which is often achieved within a year.
🎧 Pick-by-Voice as an advanced method
The so-called pick-by-voice system represents one of the most advanced approaches to picking. Employees receive verbal instructions via a headset that clearly specify the actions necessary to fulfill the order. Every step must be confirmed verbally by the employee, which enormously reduces the error rate and significantly increases the precision of order processing. In addition, pick-by-voice enables the order structure to be designed more efficiently, for example by optimizing the compilation of several orders (multi-pick), which is essential for route-based picking and quick preparation for shipping.
🕹️ Direct optimization potential
In the reality of logistics, this means that not only full pallets are managed efficiently, but also the handling of mixed pallets - a combination of containers and individual products - is significantly improved. Voice technology creates direct optimization potential.
🎓 Adjusting the equipment
Handling the equipment, such as wearing a headset even in cold working environments, does not pose any obstacles. The headset can be easily adjusted to individual needs, for example the volume can be regulated accordingly even when wearing a hat in the cold storage and fresh food storage.
🔍 Decision criteria for the right system
However, choosing the right system is crucial for the success of a voice solution. Before making a decision, companies should clearly define their specific requirements. This includes taking a close look at the prevailing warehouse environment, assessing the existing IT infrastructure and analyzing operational processes. Important selection criteria also include the user-friendliness of the system, i.e. how intuitive and ergonomic the system is for employees, the ability to integrate into existing warehouse management systems and the scalability of the solution in order to keep pace with the growth of a company.
📈 Training for successful implementation
Companies must also ensure that the introduction of the voice solution is accompanied by appropriate training measures. The acceptance of the technology – and thus the acceptance of new work processes – by employees plays a central role in the successful operation of a voice solution. Well-trained personnel can use the full potential of voice technology and thus significantly increase productivity and accuracy when picking.
💡 Partnerships for tailor-made solutions
Investing in a voice solution should not be done alone. Close collaboration with voice technology manufacturers and suppliers is essential for successful implementation. These partnerships make it possible to develop tailored solutions that not only address current challenges, but also take future needs into account.
🏆 Voice technology as the key to success
Voice technology in logistics therefore represents a key component for companies that want to survive in today's fast-moving and demanding market environment. Through the savings achieved through increased efficiency and productivity, and the flexibility it provides for future adaptation and growth, voice solutions are an investment that goes far beyond the immediate business benefits. They are a crucial building block for future-oriented companies that want to secure their competitiveness in the long term.
📣 Similar topics
- 🚀 Increased efficiency in logistics through voice technology
- 🎤 The picking revolution: Pick-by-voice in focus
- 💡 Using voice solutions for more precise supply chains
- 🔊 Optimization of picking processes in frozen and fresh logistics
- 💼 Advantages of voice picking in terms of ROI
- 📦 How voice technology improves the handling of mixed pallets
- ❄️ Adaptation of headsets for cold working environments in logistics
- 📈 The right choice of a voice solution for warehouse processes
- 🧑🏭 Importance of employee acceptance when introducing voice technologies
- 🤝 Partnership development of voice solutions with technology manufacturers
#️⃣ Hashtags: #Logistics #VoiceTechnology #Picking #Increasing Efficiency #InnovativeWarehouse Processes
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