BY BEN AMES, SENIOR EDITOR
VOICE
technologyreview
It used to be that voice
technology was used
mainly for order
picking and ran strictly
on industrial-grade
proprietary devices.
Those days are fast
disappearing.
UNDER PRESSURE TO BOOST WAREHOUSE PRODUCTIVITY AND KEEP
up with the relentless demands of e-commerce fulfillment, many distribution centers are installing voice-directed picking systems for warehouse staff.
Compared with manual methods like clipboards and checklists, the technology
offers a quick return on that investment by supporting accurate picking and
efficient training, proponents say.
Inspired by these results, many users are finding creative new environments for
voice technology, expanding it to applications beyond basic order picking and
using consumer electronics like smartphones instead of proprietary computers
to host the voice software.
As with any new technology, it’s virtually guaranteed that companies will
continue seeking new ways to apply these systems to benefit their operations.
As users push the boundaries of voice into new territory, their effort is already
paying off in some corners of the supply chain universe.
A CRESCENDO IN DEMAND
The spread of voice-directed warehouse operations has been driven by a number of factors. Changing shopping patterns have lit a fire under warehouses to
find faster, more accurate ways to fulfill online orders from individual consum-
A remix for voice? A remix for voice?
