Voice Picking: hands-free, voice-directed picking
Voice Picking (pick-by-voice) is a semi-automatic order picking technology in which the operator receives, through a headset wirelessly connected to your warehouse management system, instructions on which product to pick and in what quantity, and confirms the task with their own voice through a microphone.
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How does Voice Picking work?
The operator's device receives the task instruction directly from the WMS over the warehouse's wireless network, translates it into a voice command in the configured language and relays it through the headset. Once the operator completes the task, they confirm it verbally through the microphone; the system translates that confirmation and sends it back to the WMS to update the inventory in real time. The entire process takes place with the operator's hands and eyes free for the physical task.
Key features
Hands-free and screen-free: the operator does not need to hold or check a device, terminal or paper.
Voice instructions and confirmation: in the configured language, with speech recognition.
Integration with your WMS: instructions are generated by the warehouse management system and each confirmation updates the inventory in real time.
Applicable to multiple tasks: not only picking, but also receiving, internal movements, verification and loading, depending on how the WMS is configured.
Short learning curve: clear, simple instructions that make it easier to onboard new staff.
Benefits · Impact on your operation
It reduces picking errors by eliminating the reading of screens and paper, speeds up order picking by freeing the operator's hands and eyes, improves ergonomics and safety on the warehouse floor, and makes training new staff easier thanks to simple instructions in the local language.
Ideal applications
Operations with high picking volumes that need to reduce errors: food and beverage, pharma, e-commerce and retail distribution centers, and any warehouse looking to speed up order picking without investing in additional screens or terminals per operator.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Voice Picking?
- It is an order picking technology in which the operator receives voice instructions through a headset and confirms each task by speaking, without using their hands or checking a screen.
- Does Voice Picking replace the WMS?
- No. It is a way of interacting with your WMS: instructions originate in the warehouse management system, and voice is the channel through which they reach the operator and the confirmations come back.
- Can it be combined with Pick-to-Light?
- Yes. Both are guided picking technologies, one by voice and the other by light, and they can coexist in different zones of the same warehouse depending on the type of operation.
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