Voice applications with great potential

Vocollect Solutions from Honeywell is a global provider of professional voice-supported work in industry and logistics. The company became known for its pick-by-voice solutions with the Talkman mobile computer. Following the takeover of Vocollect's parent company Intermec by Honeywell, Vocollect is now part of this global technology group. Below you will find an interview between Hans-Martin Piazza (Editor-in-Chief FM DAS LOGISTIK-MAGAZIN) and Dirk Becker (49), who as Business Development Manager has been responsible for German-speaking Central Europe and Eastern Europe for Vocollect Solutions at Honeywell Scanning & Mobility for over six years.

Piazza: After the takeover by Intermec, Vocollect retained a certain degree of independence. How is Vocollect positioning itself now, after the takeover of Intermec by Honeywell?

Becker: The integration of Vocollect is already well advanced. We now operate on the market as Honeywell Vocollect Solutions and are - under the name Vocollect Voice Solutions - a product division of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. Honeywell covers the entire range of AutoID technology. This gives us a very good entry point for customers. Our solutions for voice recognition are complementary to those of the other product areas. However, they differ significantly from products such as label printers, vehicle computers, RFID or terminals for capturing 1D or 2D codes.

As Honeywell Vocollect Solutions, we have to deal with our customers' processes even more intensively than the other colleagues at Honeywell AIDC in order to be able to optimise them. Furthermore, our software is of paramount importance to us; this aspect also sets us apart from the other Honeywell product divisions.

Piazza: What technological developments have there been at Vocollect, for example the Talkman?

Becker: In addition to thinking in terms of processes, our focus is on the further development of our speech recognition software. It has been able to run on other handheld computers for several years now and is sold as a licence product. We can equip the modular Talkman mobile computer with additional hardware components from the Honeywell Group, such as ring or finger scanners. But basically, our privileged sales partners use arguments such as process quality and productivity, which are very high with our solutions, when approaching customers. Another goal: We want users to be satisfied with our voice solutions themselves and for newcomers to be able to start working quickly without a great deal of training. That's why headsets are another focus of our development work, because ergonomics and acceptance are very important to us. I think it almost goes without saying that the Talkmann is also constantly being further developed in terms of computing power, interfaces and battery technology. We have also set up a training centre, the Vocollect Academy, where both our certified sales partners, through whom we place our voice solutions exclusively on the market, and end customers can keep up to date with the latest developments in practical training courses.

Piazza: The name Pick-by-Voice has long been established in the logistics market. But your solutions are certainly also suitable for activities other than just order picking.

Becker: You're right. Picking is only a small part of the voice-supported activities that we at Vocollect call 'voice-directed work'. Incoming goods and stocktaking are already very frequently carried out with the help of our voice-assisted solutions. We even have customers who manage and control all work steps between incoming and outgoing goods with 'voice'. This does not mean that additional devices, such as ring scanners connected to the Talkman or a forklift terminal with our voice recognition software and a scanner, are not used in parallel or in addition to our voice solution. As already mentioned, at HSM we can offer a complete programme with all Auto-ID technologies.

Incidentally, I see multi-channel logistics as an interesting field of application, where both very small quantities for online shipping and containers and pallets for chain shops or major customers are dispatched from a single logistics centre. Voice' can be used to process both very small quantities and large containers equally well. Production logistics and control is a completely new field of activity for voice-supported work. I'm designing a scenario that makes clear the direction in which things are heading: An employee on the production line with a headset receives the instruction 'Take the red wire and connect it to the green wire'. There is huge potential for voice applications in the coming years.

Piazza: In your voice solution, the work orders from the warehouse management system are sent via WLAN to the Talkman mobile computer, where they are converted into voice instructions.

Becker: That's how it is. Our goal is process transparency, and this is created by a warehouse management system. We offer suppliers of warehouse management systems, ERP or material flow control systems, who have process sovereignty, all the integration tools they need to ensure smooth bidirectional communication between the higher-level systems and the Talkman devices. These system providers use our software modules and integrate them into their overall solution - usually the warehouse management system. They are the key contacts for our sales partners. As you described, the language engine converts text information into voice commands. The completion message is spoken into the microphone. This feedback is immediately converted into text by the mobile computer and communicated to the WMS, where this process is recorded. Our software is now available in 37 languages.

Piazza: So only very small packets of information are sent via the WLAN.

Becker: This can certainly be an advantage for installations with several hundred users. There can be no communication or speed problems due to large data volumes.

Piazza: Quite a few users operate their logistics centres directly under an SAP logistics module, such as EWM. Does this pose a problem for Vocollect?

Becker: SAP provides integration options for other providers within its system, which we build on. With 'Voice Direct SAP', we offer an SAP-certified interface that can be implemented within the SAP system. Whether WM or EWM - we have already successfully completed many SAP installations.

Piazza: Which sectors do you target? You have always been strongly represented in the retail sector.

Becker: Retail is certainly one of our strongest target groups, and it should remain so. However, our customers now include companies from many other sectors of the economy: For example, we have gained a foothold in the fashion and consumer goods sectors, as well as in the pharmaceutical, chemical and automotive industries. As part of our 'maintenance and inspection' activities, we are pushing applications in the quality assurance of engines and turbines in production and maintenance. We have achieved good results here.

Piazza: The requirements of trade and industry are not insignificantly different.

Becker: The requirements of these customer target groups are indeed very different. While throughput is the most important criterion in retail, the maintenance of aircraft turbines depends on 100 per cent safety and accuracy. The documentation requirements are also very significant. We not only support the mechanic during the inspection itself, but also ensure the exact documentation of all work steps with our voice system.

Piazza: What do you think of smart glasses?

Becker: We are also looking into this topic. I believe that the functionalities of data glasses are covered by our solutions for logistics in a much more efficient and, above all, more ergonomic way. I see potential applications for data glasses not so much in logistics as in mobile technical field service. For example, why not equip Telekom employees with data glasses for working on distribution boxes? Applications in the collection of goods or in quality assurance might also be possible - as a complementary technology, in addition to the technical possibilities already available. However, with a battery life of one hour, the data glasses are nowhere near up to demanding professional applications under constant high-performance requirements in the warehouse. They are also not robust enough.

Source: FM DAS LOGISTIKMAGAZIN 3/2015