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Voice and RFID Solutions for Today and Tomorrow’s Supply Chain
23 November 2007
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By Jan Vermeesch, vice president marketing, ZETES Industries, leader in the design, development and implementation of Automatic Identification & Data Capture, wireless networking and mobile computing solutions.
Competitive products have become more or less the same the world over; that’s why
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That’s why, in the race towards efficient logistics, it is increasingly important to know of, and interact with, the processes and tasks that are being executed on the shop floor. Essential, because if decisions are being made on real-time information, you should be able to act accordingly and if necessary, intervene in processes and activities – on the spot. This can be achieved by using auto-ID technologies, i.e. scanning or other imaging solutions to deliver real-time data about what is happening at any given moment. However, the question remains, ‘how can this be achieved more effectively?’ Now things are not so simple. In some processes – like order-picking – many technologies will keep users, either from manipulating product at the same time or will stop them from really interacting and dealing with the situation at hand. For example, a warehouse worker scanning barcodes during picking either has only one hand free or loses time with picking the scanner from and re-attaching it to his belt. Or take a user involved with a pick-to-light system, here they will only confirm or skip a pick and have no ability to give additional feedback on the condition of damages, spills or missing products. Furthermore, a user of a handheld or truck mounted device cannot do anything other than type or write on the screen when sending additional information to the host system. This demonstrates how some solutions are preventing optimal productivity because they keep the user from spending an optimal amount of time on manipulating product. It also shows how real-time could lead to inaccurate information, because when people feel that they are being kept from performing at their best, they start devising workarounds which has a negative impact, and results in decreased accuracy. Thus, defeating the object of real-time information.
Yet, the necessity for users to interact effectively with any host-system remains. A technology like RFID undoubtedly brings many benefits to the supply chain, however, its adoption remains in its infancy. Having said this, RFID does make absolute sense for the automation of processes and tasks delivering real-time data and communications with host systems. Therefore, the ideal solution is to combine real-time technologies to create the perfect fit. Voice recognition technology, also a real-time solution, is designed to interact and communicate with people while RFID is designed for communication between goods and systems, but here the human factor is missing. This is where voice technology comes into play. Consequently, integrating ‘voice technology’ with RFID can overcome the potential shortfalls of other real-time technologies.
When combining ‘voice’ with RFID technologies, many objectives are achieved:
• Real-time communications with the host system (WMS or ERP).
• Full user interaction with information confirmation, exception reporting, situational interpretation and reaction.
• Enables simultaneous communication and handling of product with hands free and eyes free operations.
• Full optimisation of productivity and accuracy.
The integration of RFID with Voice technology will provide an excellent way of running processes throughout the supply chain. Voice applications will deal with the issues that are raised by or where RFID falls short. For example, when RFID tags are used but the system cannot tell the picker where to go next, without defocusing him from the manipulated product. There are numerous examples where RFID is perfect for communications, but not able to manage any deviations or interruptions caused when handling exceptions, like missing products, damaged goods, product spills etc. Consequently, an interaction with voice-driven WMS systems will keep hands and eyes of any user free, allowing for voice driven instructions to be generated by the WMS, allowing the user to verify the exact location, where to work from, reading out check-digits and/or be able to give additional feedback to the system, reporting errors and exceptions by voicing them into the application. This, together with RFID, will be a powerful contribution to achieving the ultimate in efficiency, an excellent way for people and systems to interact – delivering real-time data, track and trace throughout the supply chain, with total accuracy, flexibility and increased productivity on the shop floor. Clearly, there is no point in making an investment in real-time solutions, no matter their technological pedigree, if data on the host system cannot be confirmed as accurate. This makes a powerful argument for the belt and braces approach of both RFID and voice – the right tool for the right job!
Having said this however, voice solutions are ahead of RFID in the technology adoption cycle. Voice technology has successfully crossed the chasm and passed the reality check so that now major players in many different countries are rolling out this technology and reaping its benefits in productivity and accuracy. Furthermore, Voice recognition solutions level the path towards easy integration of RFID solutions today and in the future. Ongoing development means that personal RFID-tag-readers can be attached to dedicated voice-equipment. Furthermore, standard hardware platforms are likely to get RFID reader-technology on board as the technology matures further to become more widely used. This means that any investment made today in voice will be carried forward as organisations begin implementing RFID and vice versa.
Where RFID is a planned for strategy, Voice solutions can pay dividends in preparation for future RFID deployment because organisations will be practically forced to follow the right implementation path, so that
• Organisations effectively move processes towards real-time communications.
• Thorough consideration is given to the entire handling of the product- the potential discrepancies between electronic and physical data.
• All possible exceptions are identified.
• Processes are devised to map how users can interact and communicate with the host system.
Moreover, RFID communications will look very similar in phasing– although faster and with more data available sometimes – to communications in voice solutions. Only, in some parts of the applications, human responses and feedback will be read automatically from the intelligent tags.
So it is clear that those companies that have implemented voice, or are about to, are in a very good position to address the need for RFID. Particularly, as they will have the competitive advantage because they will be in a much better position to move forward. This also applies to those companies that have RFID but are now trying to address the human side of their processes. It is a win-win situation.
The acceptance of new technology doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes it never happens and most times it happens outside the timeframe the technology vendors have foreseen in their business plans. As a customer, it is difficult enough to judge when the moment is right, waiting until technologies are stable and cost-effective, while still being early enough to get a competitive advantage from the implementation. But the most difficult part, without a doubt, is to be well prepared and able to integrate the right technologies for the right job. RFID and Voice together will deliver against the need for a truly effective supply chain that demands optimal performance on the shop floor, as well as, real-time accurate data throughout. In this way, operations can be assured that they are providing a stellar service to their customers. Also it is proven that voice solutions will eliminate error, increase productivity and improve accuracy for data held on the host system.
No matter what, it is wise to make some sound decisions along the way to ensure that a seamless environment, with tight integration, is achieved. This should be the mantra for any supply chain operation, which today, will inevitably have a diverse range of technology in use throughout. Typically, this will be a combination of solutions such as barcode scanners, working alongside RFID, frequently, if not always, operating in a RF (radio frequency) wireless infrastructure, with voice solutions all contributing to the effectiveness of ERP or WMS host systems. Therefore, no matter what combination of technologies are deployed today, there will always be plans for further investments. Consequently, the need for a solid partner that understands all the constituent parts of your operation, best practices and available solutions will be worth their weight in gold, especially when considering future deployments, be they voice or RFID related. In this way, users can be assured of a future proof environment that works in the here and now.
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