warehousing to co mowie, POLITECHNIKA POZNAŃSKA, LOGISTYKA, semestr III, angielski

Voice-directed warehousing (VDW) refers to the use of the voice direction and speech recognition software in warehouses and distribution centers. VDW has been in use since the late 1990s, and its use is expected to increase rapidly over the next five years due to advances in technology and decreasing costs for the voice directed software and for the mobile computers on which it runs.

In a voice directed warehouse, workers wear a headset connected to a small wearable computer, similar in size to a Sony , which tells the worker where to go and what to do using verbal prompts. Workers confirm their tasks by speaking pre-defined commands and reading confirmation codes printed on locations or products throughout the warehouse. The speech recognition software running on the wearable computer 'understands' the workers' responses.

Voice-directed warehousing is typically used instead of paper- or mobile computer-based systems that require workers to read instructions and scan barcodes or key-enter information to confirm their tasks. Whilst VDW was originally used in picking orders, now all warehouse functions such as goods receiving, put-away, replenishment, shipping, and returns processing can be coordinated by voice systems.

Implementing voice systems in the warehouse has among its benefits

§                     Increased picking accuracy

§                     Increased inventory accuracy

§                     Increased employee productivity

§                     Improved safety

§                     Reduced new worker training time

§                     Increases job satisfaction for warehouse associates

§                     Eliminates cost of printing and distributing picking documents

§                     Growing customer satisfaction

One of the great productivity benefits of voice-based systems is that they allow operators to do two things at once whereas other media used in warehouses such as radio frequency terminals tend to require that you surrender the use of at least one hand or you have to stop and read something before proceeding. By freeing a worker's hands and eyes, voice directed systems typically improve efficiency, accuracy, and safety.

Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) refers to the methods of automatically identifying objects, collecting data about them, and entering that data directly into  systems (i.e. without human involvement). Technologies typically considered as part of AIDC include , , , , , , and .

AIDC is the process or means of obtaining external , particularly through analysis of ,  or . To capture data, a  is employed which converts the actual image or a sound into a digital file. The file is then stored and at a later time it can be analyzed by a computer, or compared with other files in a database to verify identity or to provide authorization to enter a secured system. Capturing of data can be done in various ways; the best method depends on application.

Automatic Identification and Data Capture Technology has advanced greatly over the years and it is now possible for users around the world to interract with millions of business processes and systems using AIDC equiped electronic devices. Dispite this, there is still room for improvement in supply chain visibility and development of internal business processes.