Schweppes Distribution Centre Finds Its Voice

“We’ve seen a significant improvement in the allocation of resources, productivity, and accuracy since introducing the Vocollect Voice solution by Honeywell. Within the first week of use, our carton picking errors were reduced by 90%. ”

Schweppes’ nonalcoholic beverages have been an Australian favorite for over 150 years. With huge employee and customer bases, Schweppes Australia’s Archerfield, Queensland, distribution center, had been encountering difficulties with its paper-based picking system and load. Similar product descriptions were confusing the workers and resulting in delivery errors. Plus, multiple SKUs and pallets at each location made tracking a challenge. Schweppes turned to Honeywell for a fully-integrated, voice-directed solution – providing managers and supervisors with more visibility into the workplace while eliminating paper, increasing efficiency and creating a safer work environment.

The Solution

Honeywell provided Schweppes with the Vocollect Voice -an innovative, voice-enabled, workflow and data collection solution, that seamlessly integrates with Schweppes’ ERP system (SAP®). The Talkman® A500 Mobile Computing Devices can be wirelessly connected to Bluetooth®-enabled display devices and enable voicebased workflows, aiding the mobility of the workers and facilitating easier viewing of long lists and large displays. The Vocollect VoiceCatalyst provides smart connectivity to devices and servers. Vocollect RapidStart, helps workers to teach themselves with a consistent onboarding experience. They can set up voice templates for new operators in 10 minutes, and train on a new product in 20 minutes. The company is also enjoying enhanced productivity, especially in product replenishment. Vocollect VoiceConsole lets management view which employees are currently using voice-enabled devices and identifies the tasks they are doing. With real-time visibility into each worker’s shift, the managers can just press a button to access a comprehensive productivity report for each picker at any point during the work day.

The Vocollect SRX2 wireless headset leverages Vocollect SoundSense voice recognition technology, offering unmatched accuracy. Using Vocollect TouchConnect, a worker can quickly pair their Vocollect SRX2 wireless headset with a simple “touch”, reducing shift start-up time from minutes to seconds. The innovative, shareable component design enables shared use of electronics across multiple shifts. The solution also allows workers’ hands to be free for picking up load, rather than be laden with paper, scanners, or labels. Drivers no longer need to refer to their pick sheet while driving; they now receive all instructions via a wireless headset, greatly increasing safety.

The Benefits

• The automated, voice-enabled solution, reduces carton picking errors by 90% and resolves the issue of product identification.

• Productivity is enhanced with a 20% increase in the pick rate and a considerable reduction in staff training time.

• The workers have their hands free so that they are more alert and can visually check to make sure everything is safe as they move or drive around. There was greater visibility of inventory at every stage in the supply chain.

• With real-time visibility into a worker’s shift, the management can now gauge the workload at the beginning of the day and flex their casual labor force as per the need, leading to greater accuracy and productivity.

• The improvements in efficiency, productivity, visibility and safety have enhanced the site’s supply chain performance – a benefit that is ultimately passed on to the customer, who gets quicker and more accurate deliveries.