Why Supply Chains Dealing with High Demand Are Turning to Voice
Restrictions and limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have undoubtedly strained many businesses. While some are struggling, there are also many supply chains dealing with high demand. Industries like food and beverage, e-tailers, pharmaceuticals, logistics, grocery, and the cold chain are all working around the clock to meet the needs of customers at home. In addition to meeting the surge in demand, many businesses have been tasked with redirecting their flow of goods and materials while making new accommodations to keep their employees safe and healthy.
For example, businesses in the food and beverage cold chain have made changes to meet the rising demand for retail-oriented products (groceries) instead of food services (restaurants). As a result, facilities have altered both production and distribution operations in response to the shift in demand. Similarly, many other organizations have had to manage changes or disruptions to their supply chain. In many cases, companies in these industries have brought on additional labor and increased production.
Agile Technology, Including Voice Automation, Can Help Supply Chains Facing New Demands
Manufacturers and supply chains need technology solutions to automate processes while also allowing workers to be more productive and efficient. At the same time, their technology systems need to be flexible to adjust quickly to volatile demand changes. Voice automation offers a solution that does precisely that. Voice-enabling workflows can increase productivity by 10-50% for each worker. In addition, voice-enabled workflows dramatically reduce errors, boosting fulfillment accuracy to 99.99%. And, for supply chains looking to add labor, voice automation eliminates training time by 50%.
In addition to being a beneficial solution for cyclical or seasonal labor, RMS Omega’s voice-enabled solutions are device-agnostic and require no changes to back-end systems, making it a plug-and-play solution. Ultimately, voice automation is a perfect solution for addressing the current challenges of supply chains. Voice solutions have shown to deliver increased productivity and efficiency in the following areas:
- Order picking
- Packing
- Shipping
- Receiving
- Cross-Docking
- Inventory Audits
- Replenishment
Download a PDF Brochure about Voice Automation with Accuspeech and RMS Omega.
Future Needs for Voice in the Supply Chain
Although voice automation currently serves various needs for manufacturers and distribution centers, it could face wider adoption. The global pandemic of COVID-19 will undoubtedly shape the future of business as we know it. Some experts suggest one of those changes will be the re-shaping of the supply chain. As a result of COVID-19, experts suggest supply chains could become more localized to mitigate risk. Therein lies an opportunity for small and mid-sized distribution centers, which may be relied upon more in the future. If they have not already, these smaller facilities should begin planning to optimize their operations to work better, faster, and smarter by through a solution like voice automation and wearable technology. By implementing a voice strategy, smaller distribution centers can reduce errors by:
- 50–90% for paper-based operations
- 1–15% for pick-to-light operations
- 8–25% for RF scanning operations
Supply Chain Solutions with RMS Omega
For over 20 years, RMS Omega has been helping manufacturers and supply chains, design, deploy, manage, and service RFID, data collection, wireless, mobility, voice, and location technology throughout the United States and Canada. Many industries are experiencing overwhelming demand, which requires rapidly deployable technology solutions that improve efficiency, productivity, and inventory management. We work diligently to develop the most reliable, innovative, and future-proof technology solutions to solve our customer’s business challenges. Our goal is to provide the maximum value to every one of our clients by incorporating the proper hardware, software applications, professional services, and support into every solution.