Honeywell Connected Distribution Center Voice Technology To Be Deployed In U.S. Defense Logistics Agency Warehouses
Honeywell announced the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency has awarded the company an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to implement its voice-directed system for workers at distribution centers. The program is currently in its initial configuration phase, which involves designing and testing the technology before implementing a pilot.
Upon a successful configuration and acceptance, workers at potentially 24 distribution centers around the world would use the Honeywell Vocollect voice solution to pick orders to support the U.S. military's supply chain and readiness needs. The solution, which enables workers to listen to instructions and speak back responses, helps to simplify the user interface, reduce training times, increase safety and enhance productivity.
The Defense Logistics Agency manages the global supply chain for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and other federal agencies. The organization supplies 86% of the military's spare parts and employs more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel around the world.
The Honeywell Vocollect voice solution comprises a headset with a software platform that connects to an existing warehouse management system. Warehouse workers receive voice prompts that guide them through their tasks of locating and picking inventory from shelves. Workers use voice commands to interact with the system to streamline and standardize work processes. The system supports more than 30 different languages and replaces the use of paper-based checklists and screen-based mobile applications, which can be prone to human errors.
Distribution centers that deploy Honeywell's voice solutions can also access advanced labor management analytics to better plan and schedule labor with the integration of Vocollect into the company's GoalPost labor management software. The system can extend the productivity gains from the voice technology while increasing overall warehouse labor productivity and efficiency.