GOING WITH THE FLOW
To ensure this quick flow through,
voice is used in a number of process-
es within the central milk ware-
house, including receiving products
into the 23,000-square-foot facility.
The “goods-in” receiving process
starts with the driver’s logging onto
the voice system upon arrival. The
voice system then prompts him to
read off a delivery number listed on
his dispatch paperwork. As the driv-
er begins unloading the truck into
the goods-in receiving area, he reads
into the voice system the trolley’s
carrier number, which was attached
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to each trolley before it was shipped from
the milk manufacturing center. This mar-ries each trolley with the receipt.
A goods-in person will then complete
the putaway process, also using Vocollect
voice. The worker will read off the carrier
number from the trolley, and the voice
system—together with the SAP warehouse management software—will direct
him or her to take the trolley to an
assigned staging location for picking. The
worker can also choose his or her own
location by informing the voice system of
the change. A check digit posted above
each location must also be read to confirm the load is put away into the correct
area. The worker confirms the putaway,
the status of the load carrier is updated,
and the stock is then available for picking.
A bar-code label attached to each trolley
can also be scanned using a hand scanner
at any point within the process. This will
bring up a list of every item on the trolley,
which can be helpful in resolving any
inventory issues.
Once deposited in the putaway location,
the milk is ready for picking. Some orders
will require a full trolley of one SKU, while
others call for multiple SKUs to be assembled onto one or more order trolleys. If the
order requires multiple SKUs, the voice
system will direct the worker to the lanes
holding products for the order. Upon
arrival at each location, the worker must
read off the check digit displayed on the
overhead sign to confirm the right slot has
been reached. The voice system will then
provide instructions on the number of
cartons to pick onto the order trolley. The
worker picks the items and confirms the
quantity by reading the number of items
picked back to the system. Best-before
dates are also read into the voice system as
items are picked to assure customer service requirements are met. Additional picks
are made from other product trolleys.
Once the order is complete or the trolley is full, the voice system directs the
worker to wheel the trolley to a marshaling area, where products are staged for
loading. The system also provides the lane
assignment for each trolley. As the worker
deposits the trolley in a lane, he or she
must read the check digit for that lane to
confirm it’s the right location.
