Inside Auto ID: Voice guided workflow
Imagine a technology that could increase the productivity of your company by a “minimum” of 25 per cent; a portable, wearable solution, delivering gains in efficiency and accuracy in areas from inspection to distribution. Imagine a technology able to change the culture of your business, standardising processes and increasing compliance.
Voice-guided workflow is an exciting development in the wider area of Auto ID. In its purest form, an individual equipped with a screen-less, belt-worn device and headset follows instructions from a central server. Technology company Dakota Integrated Solutions is already transforming businesses in sectors from distribution to pharmaceuticals to transport.
Commercial Director Phil Jarrett says the company targets a “minimum” 25 per cent increase in productivity for voice clients and aims to improve accuracy to 99.9 per cent. Dakota’s analysts drive efficiencies by reconfiguring workflows and remapping warehouses in an implementation he believes can change the culture of a business.
From healthcare to transport, the adoption of voice-guided workflow in a host of different sectors mirrors the presence of Brother’s Auto ID devices in areas as diverse as logistics, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. By utilising sophisticated technologies such as thermal-printed RFID tags, industrial labelling devices also drive productivity through efficiency.
The simplicity of the spoken word lies at the heart of voice-guided workflow, providing an adaptive and intuitive replacement for a screen. While many everyday Auto ID systems utilise scanning or cameras (for example, at the airport, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) at the car park, and iris scans at passport control), speech is the engine powering this ground-breaking technology.
Users speak, as well as listen, taking instructions from the server and reporting their completion of various tasks. An implicit system of “check and balance” supports continuous optimisation. For example, a “free speech” protocol allows the user to report failures in a process, which the system then updates in real-time.
The technology’s ability to deliver gains in accuracy and compliance is clear, and both support the wider goal of standardisation, a significant advantage for businesses with a global presence. Voice-guided workflow presents a powerful business case to companies dependent on consistent outcomes from resources deployed at facilities around the world.
The most empowering aspect of voice-guided workflow is its ability to leave hands and eyes free for a task or process. Users no longer need to complete forms or input data into a device. The advantages to a technician inspecting the transmission unit of a heavy goods vehicle are obvious.
Efficiency is the natural outcome. Workers in distribution centres, for example, often encumbered by bulky PDA devices with multiple screens, are empowered to achieve more and, in KPI-driven businesses where increased productivity is rewarded financially, to earn more, too. Occasional pushback during the adoption phase is soon converted to advocacy.
Auto ID is already part of our everyday lives and, increasingly, essential to operations in shops, hospitals, logistics hubs, manufacturing facilities and distribution centres. With its obvious advantages to a host of applications and environments, voice-guided workflow already represents a new normal for businesses operating in sectors across the economy.
Learn more about Brother's Auto ID solutions here.
