Voice Picking | Heartland USA

Empowering Hands-Free Efficiency

Today’s modern voice-directed picking solutions eliminate the need for labor-intensive picking processes of the past. Designed to enable hands-free, eyes-up workflows, voice picking systems minimize distractions and help workers focus on the task at hand, resulting in improved safety, enhanced worker satisfaction, faster speeds, and 99.9% picking accuracy.

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Voice picking empowers hands-free efficiency

What is Voice Picking?

Voice picking technology harnesses the latest in mobile hardware and software solutions to provide a hands-free fulfillment solution for common pick and pack workflows. Voice integrates seamlessly into existing/host warehouse management systems (WMS) or enterprise resource planning software (ERP).

Powered by Bluetooth® or wired headsets and mobile device hardware, voice-guided solutions automatically direct your workers to their next task or location with voice recognition and artificial intelligence technologies. Workers are prompted with instructions and timelines, with their responses triggering the next step in a given workflow. As tasks are completed, real-time data is communicated back to the host system. On the back-end, worker performance and inventory levels are continuously monitored, delivering data-driven, actionable insights for process improvements.

Voice technologies lets your team take the guesswork out of picking processes. By leveraging a hands-free, eyes-free system, voice-directed warehousing solutions automate manual tasks to pick more safely, more accurately, and more efficiently.

Key components of voice technology include:

Speech recognition – Converts or transcribes spoken commands into actionable data. Speech recognition accurately interprets workers responses and automatically moves to next steps. Language barriers are no longer a concern, as software can understand and respond in over 40 languages.

Wearable technology – For completely hands-free operating, voice-optimized headsets and directional microphones connect to wearable mobile computers and scanners (wrist mount, arm mount, ring scanners) to maximize every movement.

Mobile computing – Powerful mobile computing is critical to a productive distribution operation. Heartland offers a wide range of flexible scanning and mobile computing technology to accommodate multi-modal needs.

WMS and ERP – Voice software integrates with existing systems to communicate order information, report performance metrics, replenishment notifications and more.

Key Benefits of Voice-Directed Technology

Heartland voice picking systems have proven significant advantages over traditional, paper-based processes. Positive impacts can be seen in warehouse productivity, safety, and bottom-line revenue, increasing picking rates by two times more than manual systems.

Comparison Study

From error-proofing shipments, to improving inventory accuracy, here are four major benefits of voice to consider:

Higher workforce productivity

Hands-free technology improves worker focus
Voice-guided instructions streamline processes, resulting in reduced order cycle times
Step-by-step guidance leaves less room for fumbling or wasted movement

Increased accuracy

Reduced picking errors including out-of-stock items, wrong item received, wrong quantity received, etc.
Less need for frequent quality control checks
Real-time data for more accurate inventory reporting

Improved safety

Hands-free operating reduces distractions, and risk of injuries or accidents
More focused workers have awareness of their surroundings

Flexibility and Scalability

Easily adapts to seasonal demands or fluctuating order volumes
Grows with your business
New devices integrate easily without slowing down connections

Voice Solutions Customized for Your Business

Still wondering if voice-guided solutions are right for your operation? At Heartland, we pride ourselves on delivering tailored solutions that meet your needs.

Flexible

Heartland’s voice-directed picking solutions are completely flexible, whether your operation is large or small. With seamless integration with your existing warehouse management systems, deployment is a breeze.

Adaptable

No two businesses are the same. That’s why our voice solutions are customized to your needs. We offer software that is compatible with most hardware brands. Worried about language barriers? Our voice recognition software can identify more than 40 languages, saving time and keeping your teams engaged.

Rugged

Extreme industrial environment? No problem. We’ve partnered with industry-leading manufacturers to deliver best-in-class, rugged hardware that can stand up to extreme temperatures, abrasion, and more.

Solving for Environmental Complexities

Voice-directed warehousing solutions are ideal for use in extreme environmental conditions like cold storage, industrial environments, hazardous materials operations, and more. By navigating hands-free, your workers can prioritize safety and productivity in the following conditions:

When wearing protective clothing or gloves (where keyboard or finger entry may be difficult)
When movement of goods requires both hands
For safety inspections and compliance checks
Cold storage settings, or operations with climate extremes
Hazardous materials environments where worker focus and concentration are critical
While operating equipment or heavy machinery

Voice picking is solving environmental complexities

Benefits Beyond Picking

Across supply chain workflows, voice picking systems from Heartland deliver benefits that reach far beyond picking . These additional advantages help drive operational improvements inside the four walls while generating cost savings to maximize your ROI:

Faster onboarding and training
Heartland’s voice solutions adapt to workers’ speech preferences, and help workers get up to speed faster, reducing training time by up to 85%.
Improved inventory management
Voice-directed technology enables more accurate, real-time visibility into product availability. This better optimizes inventory levels, streamlines replenishment processes, and consolidates cycle-counting.
Better workforce agility
Increasing overall worker productivity with voice means less overtime and less reliance on seasonal staff. Lower turnover rates also reduce training costs and other onboarding expenditures.
Sustainability
Moving to a paper-free picking process reduces paper supply costs, waste, and energy costs associated with printing.

Consider these additional DC workflows that can be streamlined with voice-directed warehousing technology:

Receiving processes
Put-away and storage
Pallet building
Shipping and loading
Sortation
Cycle counting
Cross docking
…and more

Manufacturer Agnostic to Maximize Your Options

At Heartland, we believe in delivering the best solution for your needs. That means building meaningful partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers so that our customers have access to a wide range of award-winning voice solutions. We have carefully screened and selected vendors to meet the specific needs of our customer base, and recommend solutions centered around YOU.

We know that there are an overwhelming number of manufacturers and solutions to choose from. That’s why when you partner with Heartland, you can rest assured that our experts will work to understand your business and operational pain points, and make recommendations with your specific needs in mind.

Manufacturer agnostic to maximize your options

Proven Partnerships

Heartland is pleased to work with expert hardware and software providers that are leading the charge in voice-guided productivity solutions.

Honeywell Voice drives operational improvements by moving your people to where you need them the most. Designed to free mobile workers’ hands and eyes, Honeywell’s robust line of voice solutions help your operations maximize productivity and achieve higher accuracy rates. From rugged, noise cancelling headsets, to directional microphones, wearable mobile devices, advanced voice recognition software and more, Honeywell Voice helps your business redefine efficiency.

The Heartland Difference

Every business is unique, and not all technologies are created equal. That’s why working with an experienced solutions provider is critical to selecting, implementing a voice picking solution that’s right for you. The Heartland team draws on decades of supply chain experience that gives your businesses a competitive edge when you need it most. With Heartland, you have access to:

Unmatched expertise across brands and devices
Support through every phase of the solution lifecycle, with AlwaysOn suite of managed services
A wide offering of voice-based technologies from today’s industry-leading voice OEMs
A single point of contact, from device selection, to deployment, ongoing support, and beyond

Want to learn more about how voice-directed picking solutions can enhance your operational success? Our team of experts are ready to talk through your unique needs, identify your pain points, and recommend best-in-class hardware and software solutions to help drive productivity and transform your warehouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does voice picking integrate with existing barcode solutions in manufacturing?

Voice picking seamlessly integrates with existing solutions, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in the warehouse. By combining voice commands with barcode scanning, workers can verify picks with a higher level of accuracy, reducing errors and improving productivity. This integration ensures that the data captured by voice is validated against barcode data, providing a robust solution for inventory management.

Can voice picking solutions be managed through Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems?

Yes. MDM allows for the remote configuration, updating, and troubleshooting of devices used for voice picking, ensuring they are always optimized for use, and fully secure. This capability is crucial for maintaining the reliability and performance of voice picking solutions across the manufacturing floor, especially when devices are used by multiple users, across multiple shifts.

What are the benefits of implementing voice picking in a manufacturing setting?

Implementing voice picking in manufacturing offers several benefits, including increased picking accuracy, reduced training time for new employees, and improved worker safety. Voice picking allows workers to receive hands-free, audible instructions, enabling them to focus on the task without looking away to read from a screen or paper, thereby reducing picking errors and enhancing productivity.

Are voice picking solutions compatible with all types of inventory and warehouse management systems?

Most voice picking solutions are designed to be compatible with a broad range of inventory and warehouse management systems (WMS). They can be integrated through APIs or middleware, allowing for real-time data exchange and ensuring that voice picking activities are accurately reflected in the WMS. This compatibility facilitates a unified approach to inventory management, enhancing operational efficiency.

What is the ROI of implementing voice picking solutions in a manufacturing environment?

The ROI of implementing voice picking solutions can be significant, with many businesses experiencing reduced picking errors, increased throughput, and lower training costs. These improvements lead to direct cost savings and enhanced customer satisfaction due to more accurate and timely order fulfillment. The specific ROI can vary based on factors such as the size of the operation, the current error rates, and the complexity of the inventory.

Voice Picking Benefits in the Warehouse