After years of struggling to be heard, voice recognition systems are increasingly calling the shots in distribution picking operations. The largest of the suppliers, Vocollect ( www.vocollect.com), says that 75,000 workers in hundreds of companies now use its voice systems for a range of picking operations.

Furthermore, revenue for Vocollect nearly doubled to $83 million last year, according to Don Lazzari, director of marketing for the company.

That said, Vocollect is now expanding its core set of picking applications to include putaway, replenishment, inventory transfers and line loading. The new VoiceDirect and VoiceLink management software integrate with a distribution center's warehouse management system (WMS) to guide workers through daily tasks. VoiceDirect synchronizes warehouse activities in real time with the WMS. VoiceLink provides managers with a view into voice-directed application data and individual operator activities.

Automotive aftermarket retailer The Pep Boys has already put the new tools to work. And the results were immediate. Productivity increased 20% and accuracy was up 0.5%.