Technology
3 Dec 2009

Not Voice, but Vision

Tecsys Inc, an industry-leading supply chain management software company has claimed a major leap forward in warehouse management with the introduction of its exclusive EliteSeries 8 Visual Logistics; a new technological innovation that will enable customers to significantly streamline putaway, picking and packing and achieve the highest in order accuracy and fill rate known to date. A ‘Visual Logistics Paradigm’ is founded on advanced, web-based technology that delivers visual instructions to workers directly on their RF gun or handheld computer and visually communicates exactly “what, when, where, why and how” activities they can execute activities in the optimum time.

Workers are empowered to access critical information to make faster decisions and accelerate their workflows, particularly in environments where literacy is an issue. It also improves training and retention of logistics process with its intuitive, natural language, real-life visual modeling that enables high-volume distribution organizations to increase throughput and revenue growth.

“With the EliteSeries WMS Visual Logistics, workers are instructed visually, and can instantaneously associate an image with what they need to do. This is a major leap forward and a revolutionary way to enable workers to perform even more complex tasks, faster, with less mental fatigue and errors. The results are sustainable, high levels of productivity and accuracy throughout the shift like never seen before. Like the old saying - "a picture is worth a thousand words," commented Robert Colosino, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development, Tecsys Inc.

With TECSYS’ Visual Logistics paradigm, workers will be able to do the job quicker with increased accuracy and confidence, such as Locate an aisle, a tote, a case, a box and/or a part more quickly and accurately. They will also clearly and unmistakably identify products, their unique attributes, types, sizes, quantities, and shapes, recognize safe limits and ranges such as lot number, expiry dates and have access to critical product information, specifications, user instructions and alerts. Furthermore, they can clearly identify a source of danger for such materials as hazardous materials, active ingredients and the like and will be able to learn on-the-go how to put a kit together, or the right and the wrong way to perform a task.

The fundamental business case for Visual Logistics is based on the ability to increase throughput in the warehouse. The more products that can be picked, packed and shipped accuratelyand in the least amount of time will definitely equate in lower labor cost and improved bottom line for distribution operations. Having accurate, relevant information immediately accessible and understandable by workers delivers better results and enables them to act immediately, make faster decision and complete logistics cycles much faster. In essence warehouse operations will be able to do more with less.

“Without Tecsys’ WMS, we would have not been able to handle the load. We would have had to add people. The idea is, with Tecsys’ WMS we do more with less. At one point we had 47 people, today we are handling the load with 28, even after increasing the number of products in our inventory by almost 20%,” commented Rick Hoose, General Parts Manager, Cleveland Brothers. “Studies have indicated that the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than words,” stated John Reichert, WMS Product Manager at Tecsys. People are capable of matching two images much more quickly compared to matching textual instructions to objects. For example, road signs are a real-life example of visually communicating complex instructions and what to expect ahead. Imagine the textual instructions for what’s ahead for “right curve, left curve then right curve!” Could anyone react in time if it was textual?”

Furthermore, a new generation of visually-driven computer users has entered the workforce, they demand ease-of-use, they are intolerant to inefficiency and have much higher expectations from the tools they use. Today’s generation is accustomed to visually-driven user interface found in computers, handheld devices and cellular phones. They expect tools to be interactive; “visual” tools that can be used to get productive work done.

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