OfficeMax improves accuracy with voice

The company's Las Vegas DC uses the technology to improve picking productivity.

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 10/2/2006

When it came time to upgrade its paper-based picking system, OfficeMax, a leader in both business-to-business and retail office supply, tried something different in its Las Vegas facility—voice. The company had two fully automated 600,000-square-foot DCs—one in Hazelton, Pa., and one in McCalla, Ala. Both use pick-to-light broken case picking systems.

Instead of installing a similar system in the Las Vegas, OfficeMax decided the third warehouse presented an opportunity to experiment with an alternative technology. And with the voice system, pick accuracy increased to 99.7% and productivity climbed by nearly 10%.

"In a very short period of time, the entire warehouse team was able to successfully migrate from using paper to using the voice system," says Alan McDonough, director of logistics systems. "At first, the warehouse associates were apprehensive because talking to the system was a bit different then the systems they had used, but they quickly adjusted."

Picking personnel wear wireless headsets that receive voice directions from the warehouse managing computers and transmit the details of what has been picked back into the system. To help personnel understand and feel comfortable interacting with an automated voice, the system uses a recorded voice instead of a synthesized one.

Because information is received and transmitted through audio, workers hands are always free to pick, increasing the number of items that can be handled per hour. Since stock keeping units do not need to be entered manually, inaccurate picking data is encountered less frequently.

The company is now considering extending the system to include handle full case picking.

Lucas Systems, Inc. 724-940-7000 www.lucasware.com