A new 145,000 square foot distribution center operated by the state of Wyoming’s Department of Revenue Liquor Division features a voice recognition system that allows workers to use voice-activated controls to speed up the picking process and dramatically cut fulfillment times.
The facility, located in Cheyenne, allows workers to use smart phones to communicate with the facility’s warehouse management system to direct the picking of and bundling of more than 900,000 cases per year.
State Revenue Director Dan Noble said the voice-controlled technology allows the state agency to satisfy the high demand for new products, special orders and more mixed cases than ever from Wyoming’s more than 1,200 retailers.
“We promise to pick and ship all orders received before noon for next morning delivery anywhere in the state,” Noble told Modern Materials Handling. “In the old facility, we were running out of space, we were short of dock orders, we needed to replenish products faster, and we needed more throughput in picking.”
The old picking system relied on bar codes and allowed workers to pick about 60 cases per hour. But thanks to voice-activated technology, they can pick about 100 full cases per hour, according to Greg Cook, Wyoming Liquor Division administrator.
“We choice voice for our split-case line,” Cook explained. “We were unexpectedly pleased with the improvement in efficiency in case picking and replenishment.”
The new system also is benefiting the bottom line.
“We have less overtime and morale is up, even as the number of split-case orders is going up” said Cook.