Defense Logistics Agency pilots voice-directed picking product

Honeywell International Inc. will supply its voice-directed picking technology to the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in a pilot program that could expand to cover 24 distribution centers globally, the company said.

The DLA supports the U.S. military's readiness needs by managing the global supply chain for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and more. The project is intended to apply voice operations to simplify user interfaces, reduce training times, increase safety, and enhance productivity,Morris Plains, N.J.-based Honeywell said in a July 26 release.

With a potential value of $25.7 million, the contract could be the largest government deployment of voice-picking technology globally, Taylor Smith, president of Honeywell's Workflow Solutions business, said in a statement.

Honeywell said its Vocollect voice solution will be used to help workers pick orders by enabling them to listen to instructions and speak back responses. The product comprises a headset with a software platform that connects to an existing warehouse management system, the firm said. Warehouse workers receive voice prompts that guide them through their tasks of locating and picking inventory from shelves. The system supports more than 30 different languages and replaces the use of paper-based checklists and screen-based mobile applications, which can be prone to human errors, Honeywell said.