United Co-op has achieved a five-fold improvement in picking accuracy and a 20 per cent increase in productivity with a voice-directed system at its distribution centre at Talke, Stoke-on-Trent.
The system, based on wireless headsets from Vocallect, is capable of learning voice responses from warehouse staff and is linked to a warehouse management system that directs staff through a series of tasks. Products are entered into the system in situ using barcode readers, reducing the amount of paperwork at the centre.
According to Vocallect, mistakes have been reduced from 10 in every 1,000 picks to two per 1,000. The system has also removed the need for printed labels for each product pack, saving the retailer£25,000 a year.
United Co-op has 500 stores in Yorkshire and the northwest of England.
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