Fruit and veg wholesaler accelerates picking

Within a very short time, the Swiss firm has achieved efficiency gains in the double-digit percent range.

Due to the perishable nature of the goods, daily operations in the 3,000 sq m refrigerated facility are characterised by short order and delivery cycles.

Gentile managing director Renato Häfliger, says: “The products stay in our warehouse for an average of 0.7 days, meaning the goods that come in are immediately shipped out again.

“We handle approximately 80 to 100 tons of goods daily. Ideally, our inventory rotates quickly, ensuring maximum product freshness.”

Each day, about 200 to 300 items are managed for approximately 200 customers. “On average, this corresponds to 6,000 to 10,000 shipping units that our pickers must process daily,” Häfliger adds. “Each order involves about 20 to 60 picks. Using paper lists made this process challenging, as employees never had both hands free. This led to errors and noticeably slowed down the workflow.”

LYDIA Voice can be used by any picker without prior voice training, regardless of gender, dialect, or accent. This makes it an ideal solution for teams that fluctuate seasonally, allowing them to start working productively right away.

“LYDIA Voice was very easy and intuitive to use during testing, so it’s ready to go immediately,” explains Häfliger. “This was one of the main reasons why we quickly decided on this system, as we employ many seasonal workers in addition to our core team. Long training periods are simply not an option for us.”

Twenty employees work in a two-shift system using the Pick-by-Voice solution. They utilise the LYDIA Voice Bluetooth headset and the mobile VOXTER voice computer, which is worn on a belt. This setup allows pickers to keep both hands and eyes free while assembling shipping units.

The system has been well received by employees, as the "hands-free/eyes-free" approach enables intuitive and ergonomic work. This improvement in working conditions has also led to a significant reduction in picking errors.

For more information, visit www.epg.com