Supplies ahoy, says P&O
September 1st 2010 P&O Ferries gets onboard with Zetes
voice picking solution in a bid to boost
warehouse efficiency
P&O Ferries has implemented voice directed picking in
its Dover warehouse to improve operational efficiency
in partnership with Zetes, a provider of solutions and
services for the automatic identification of goods and people.
Introduced in August 2009 for P&O to benefit from
significant productivity and accuracy improvements during
the busy summer holiday period, the solution utilises an
interface from Oracle eBiz and replaces P&O's legacy picking
system based on handheld terminals in ambient areas and
paper-based picking within chilled and frozen environments.
As a warehouse, P&O's site is unique and combines a
variety of environments and racking systems, all of which
pose challenges to coverage and connectivity. In spite of this,
the company has successfully used voice devices effectively in
all areas of its warehouse, serving as a testament to both the
solution design and quality of the hardware deployed.
"Shopping and dining are an integral part of the travel
experience for ferry passengers and a vital source of revenue
for ferry operators. So ensuring that the right stock is
available at all times is vital," says Rob Meredith, head of
supply chain at P&O Ferries.
"Our original intention was to pick with handheld
terminals throughout the site, but working in a freezer with
handhelds and gloves is impractical and created an unwieldy
process because pickers had to use paper initially and then
input data once out of the freezer area," adds Meredith. "It
was in the freezer where we saw the biggest improvements -
both from an efficiency and ergonomic point of view," he
continues. "Overall, we saw efficiency rise by some 20% across
the warehouse but this increased to 40-50% in the freezer,
even at temperatures of minus 18 degrees."
Task allocation and resourcing management is also much
more efficient now. The system includes auto assignments;
allowing operators to log on at the start of their shift and
receive pick instructions continuously. In the past, pickers
would have returned to the operational controller to be reallocated
tasks, resulting in inevitable downtime and
disrupted workflow. In addition to these benefits, the voice
system enables P&O to run a more automated perpetual
inventory system, delivering further efficiency benefits during
the peak summer months.
Zetes has implemented its 3i Voice Solution with Vocollect
T5 Talkman devices, which supports 29 warehouse operatives
responsible for picking an average of 150 units per hour (up
to 114,000 items per week). Since implementing the voice
picking solution, P&O Ferries has seen a 20% efficiency
improvement and greater efficiencies through sequentially
ordered pick routing and quality reporting. Errors have also
been reduced, assisting P&O Ferries to achieve its 99.5%
accuracy targets.
"Most voice users highlight the reduced training times as a
key benefit and we experienced this at first hand recently
when we moved a picker from nights onto the day shift where
they needed to use voice - within 2 hours they were working
to full efficiency," says Meredith. "Compare this to the old
method with handheld terminals, it would have taken at least
two days to become efficient."
"For a travel operator, service and availability are key and
this solution is a great example of innovation as P&O is the
first ferry company to introduce voice to its warehouses," says
Andrew Southgate, regional
sales director for Zetes. More articles from Zetes Ltd: | 
