Pick-by-Voice
Also: Pick by Voice, Voice Picking, Sprachkommissionierung, Sprachgestützte Kommissionierung, Voice-Kommissionierung, Akustische Kommissionierung, PbV
AI-generated
Pick-by-Voice is a voice-directed order picking method in which warehouse staff receive picking instructions via a headset and confirm picks using voice commands. Both hands remain free, improving ergonomics and picking quality.
Key facts
- Pick-by-Voice enables hands-free order picking through voice guidance via headset and voice confirmation using check digits.
- The check digit at the shelf location serves as a simple plausibility check and reduces picking errors.
- Pick-by-Voice offers particular advantages over scanner or paper-based solutions in chilled and frozen areas.
- Integration with the WMS is achieved either directly or via voice middleware – the effort required depends heavily on the existing IT architecture.
- Language package coverage, headset robustness, and suitability for hygiene-sensitive environments are practical selection criteria alongside pure feature comparisons.
What is Pick-by-Voice?
Pick-by-Voice refers to an order picking process in which a warehouse management system (WMS) or an upstream voice middleware sends picking instructions as voice output to a headset. The picker navigates to the specified storage location, retrieves the required quantity, and confirms the action by speaking a command – typically by reading out a short check digit displayed on the shelf. This check digit simultaneously serves as a plausibility check: the system only accepts the transaction if the spoken digit matches the stored value.
Since neither scanners nor paper lists are required, both hands remain free throughout the entire process. This reduces the risk of injury, makes it easier to work with gloves, and improves ergonomics – particularly in chilled and frozen areas, where touchscreens and scanner buttons are impractical.
How does Pick-by-Voice work in practice?
Before first use, each employee's voice is registered through a voice profile training session. Modern systems operate speaker-independently and require little or no training; older solutions are speaker-dependent and more sensitive to accents or background noise. Communication between the headset and server is typically handled via Wi-Fi or DECT.
Integration with the WMS is achieved either directly via an interface (API or middleware) or through a standalone voice platform that acts as an intermediary layer between the WMS and the device. Which approach makes more sense depends on the existing IT architecture and the capabilities of the WMS vendor – no blanket recommendation can be made here.
- Instruction: The system announces the storage location, item description, and pick quantity.
- Confirmation: The picker speaks the check digit and the quantity retrieved.
- Error message: If the check digit is incorrect or the quantity deviates, the system repeats the instruction or escalates to a supervisor.
- Completion: Once an order line is completed, the next one follows automatically.
What should you look for when selecting a system?
When evaluating a Pick-by-Voice system, several factors should be considered. Hardware robustness – including the headset's protection rating, battery life, and weight – is often more decisive in day-to-day warehouse operations than the pure feature set of the software. Hygiene requirements, such as those in food processing facilities, place additional demands on cleanability and materials.
The choice of language packages is relevant when employees speak different native languages: not every platform supports all required languages equally well. The integration effort with the existing WMS also varies considerably – a thorough technical pre-assessment is worthwhile. Finally, you should calculate licensing and maintenance costs over the full duration of use, as hardware, software licenses, and language packages are often billed separately.
Related terms
- AR
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that overlays digital information onto the real field of view in real time. In intralogistics, AR is used primarily in picking, maintenance and training.
- Akustische Kommissionierung
Acoustic order picking is a paperless picking method in which warehouse employees receive pick instructions via voice and confirm each step using spoken responses. Both hands remain free throughout the actual picking process.
- Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) overlays the real environment in real time with digital information such as text, graphics, or 3D models. In intralogistics, AR primarily supports picking, maintenance, and the onboarding of new employees.
- Barcode
A barcode is a machine-readable optical code that represents information as a pattern of bars and spaces or as a two-dimensional matrix. It enables the automatic identification of items, load carriers, and documents along the entire supply chain.
- Barcodescanner
A barcode scanner is an optical reading device that captures printed barcodes and converts them into machine-readable data. It is used in intralogistics for the seamless identification of goods, load carriers, and storage locations.
- Batch-Kommissionierung
Batch picking is a method in which multiple customer orders are consolidated into a single pick run. This allows the picker to travel one route while simultaneously covering positions from different orders.
- Beleglose Kommissionierung
Paperless picking refers to the assembly of orders in the warehouse without paper pick lists, where all instructions are transmitted digitally via terminals, displays, voice, or optical signals.
- Datenfunkterminal
A data radio terminal is a mobile device for wireless data capture and transmission in the warehouse, combining a display, input, and scanner in one unit. It typically communicates with a warehouse management system via Wi-Fi and supports processes such as goods receipt, picking, and inventory counting.