Voice picking

The picker wears a headset and a small computer instead of reading a list or a screen. A voice says where to go and how many to take, the picker says a short code to confirm the right place and then the quantity, and the next instruction follows. Hands and eyes stay free for the goods; this way of picking is called voice picking.

The system speaks the picker's language and learns their voice in a short training session, so a team can mix languages. It is common in food and drink, cold stores and pallet picking, where gloves or cold make a screen or scanner awkward.

Voice can be software on a general device or a complete package with its own headset and computer, and some makers supply only one of the two. A screen still works better for picks that need images or a lot of text.

When it pays off

It pays off where hands and eyes are busy, as with cases and pallets in food and drink and in cold stores, and where accuracy matters because every pick is confirmed by speaking. It pays off less for single small items from shelves, where a scanner is just as fast, in very noisy sites where recognition struggles, and in small teams where the training and equipment cost more than the saving. It is worth a trial in the real noise and temperature of your site before deciding.

What the warehouse system does with it

The WMS sends the pick tasks to the voice system, which reads them out one at a time: location, check code, quantity. The picker's spoken confirmations go back to the WMS as scans and quantities would, with the same checks, such as right location, quantity within the order and a shortage reported. Some voice products run as an app that connects directly to the WMS, others as a separate layer that translates between the two, so the interface has to be agreed in advance.

Who makes it

Honeywell Vocollect, Ivanti, Lucas Systems, proLogistik, topsystem, Voxware

In alphabetical order. Not a ranking or a recommendation.