DCS Group (UK) Ltd
Deployment of Dakota Voice-Directed Solution Enables Significant Productivity Uplift Within DCS Group (UK) Ltd FMCG Warehouse
Thanks to a firm focus on driving progression for its suppliers and customers alike, DCS Group (UK) Ltd has established itself over its almost 30-year history as a trusted supply chain partner and manufacturer of market-leading fast-moving consumer goods to its ever-expanding client network.
With a wealth of experience and a ‘can do’ attitude, DCS ranks amongst the Top 250 private companies in the UK. Due to an ongoing desire to continually improve upon its agile way of working which has won the business opportunities to develop brands for new supply partners, DCS’ decision to adopt voice-enabled technology within its warehousing facility has further strengthened its desire to continue and enhance its strong and robust growth strategy.
The Problem
While the adoption of voice within a business is often initiated by the recognition of issues within a warehouse, such as incorrect product picking resulting in incomplete or inaccurate orders, this wasn’t the case for DCS.
Instead, the need to achieve an uplift in productivity throughout its warehouse and enhance the performance ability of its operatives were the driving forces behind the change, as well as the desire to seek out a more innovative, technologically advanced solution alternative for its picking, packing, replenishment, goods in and goods out processes.
DCS’ warehouse operatives move around the facility on electric battery powered pallet trucks, since product picking involves the movement of pallets from the racking to the goods out area.
The previous use of RDT terminals meant that they were required to stop and look at where they needed to go, meaning that the process was slower than it should be and consequently in need of review and improvement.
Having considered the benefits of voice for a while, the company turned to digital data capture specialist Dakota Integrated Solutions Ltd to implement a voice-enabled solution to enhance its existing practices.
The Solution
Following a thorough, in-depth analysis of DCS’ processes to identify those areas in need of improvement, Dakota recommended voice as a viable alternative to increase both the performance ability of its workforce and the productivity of the warehouse as a whole.
Philip Jarrett, Commercial Director at Dakota comments, “Conceptually, voice-directed picking is very similar to traditional scanner picking using RF data capture devices, however with voice, prompts are delivered and responses are provided through the spoken word, offering businesses a wealth of benefits including an increase in worker productivity by up to 35 percent and a reduction in errors by up to 50 percent. In a voice-directed warehouse, operators use a compact, wearable computer with a headset to receive instructions by voice. The computer is connected to the host business system (ERP or WMS) over a wireless network and the operator is able to confirm his or her actions verbally back to the system in real time.”
The introduction of voice has meant that operatives no longer need to stop to read instructions about where to go to pick a product, since instructions are delivered via their headset as they are travelling around the warehouse, meaning that pallets are picked faster and without interruption. Significant increases in productivity have also been achieved throughout all warehouse processes where voice has been implemented, such as picking, packing, replenishment, goods in and goods out, allowing product orders to be turned around faster and more efficiently than ever before.
The Result
The benefits of voice have been far-reaching within DCS’ warehouse. As a commercially-driven entity which is committed to unlocking white-space opportunity whilst still providing exceptional levels of service to its uniquely broad base of customers and delivering creative new routes to markets for its brand-leading supply partners, the voice solution has enabled DCS to continue to be fast, flexible and flowing.
Rob Lawton, Head of Operations at DCS comments, “Whilst our business is now big enough to be efficient and reliable, we still need to be responsive, agile and innovative. The introduction of voice has gone a long way in streamlining our picking, packing, replenishment, goods in and goods out processes and will work with us as our business grows and develops further. The beauty of the new voice solution is that we are now assured guaranteed levels of accuracy within the afore-mentioned processes, allowing us to service our existing customers whilst providing the flexibility to successfully accommodate our ever-growing number of supply partners and clients. We are delighted to have worked alongside Dakota with this implementation. In the initial stages of the project, they really took the time to understand our business and what we wanted to achieve through the deployment of the new voice solution within our warehouse. We are already experiencing enhanced efficiency and operational streamlining, which has helped us to maintain our focus on growth and the continued provision of outstanding customer service.”
