New technology 'pick by vision' gives up to 20 per cent more efficiency

As supply chains globally demand higher efficiency, accuracy and speed, it is important to stay ahead of the technology curve. One innovation recently launched in Europe is a new picking technology from Picavi, called ‘pick by vision’.
Similar to the heads-up display a lot of modern cars now have on the windscreen, the system utilises “smart” glasses to direct functions such as picking and put away visually to the operators.
The system simplifies the workflow whilst making it more efficient. The solution saves time, reduces error rates, lowers fatigue among staff and ensures strict process guidance.
Even today, in the digital age, a large proportion of warehouse logistics work is still done using paper pick slips. These contain all items that must be compiled or “picked” for an order, and usually involve long lists that the picker has to work their way through. This can often lead to errors, especially at high pick densities.
Newer “hands free” systems such as pick by light or pick by voice offer a more efficient alternative here. In pick by light, the picker is guided through the warehouse to the relevant items using lighting elements. Once the item is found, it is usually scanned using a hand scanner. However, as this requires the lighting elements to be installed at the intended storage spaces, pick by light represents an expensive and inflexible alternative.
Pick by voice was the first system that allowed the picker to keep both hands free, as they are guided through the warehouse by speech. It soon became clear however, that the constant listening quickly led to fatigue and reduced performance among staff. Pick by voice also works with so-called check digits, which the picker speaks to verify that they are at the right location and have picked the right item.
The Vision Pick system is the first system in the world to have turned pick by vision – an order picking system using smart glasses – from an idea to a market-ready solution for intralogistics. This combines the benefits of pick by light and pick by voice by visually guiding the picker through the warehouse using a highly flexible and adjustable system. Think of this as a “display to go”. This is an important feature, as 80% of the information presented to us every day is taken in and processed visually. Working with smart glasses makes visual guidance easy, flexible and hands free. The integrated barcode scanner makes work simpler and less tiring.
The picker receives all the information they need in real time via the glasses, allowing them to reliably check storage spaces and item numbers at all times. The compulsory scanning verifies that the correct item has been picked, with the picker having both hands free at all times. Not only does this approach enable immense time savings, it also significantly reduces the error rate to virtually zero.
As labour rates continue to climb, picking / put away efficiency savings generate a genuine cost edge. The early data from the sites utilising the Pick by vision system is “up to 20%” more efficient than conventional picking systems.
Whilst Stow Australia is ultimately a storage solutions provider, it’s exciting to see and be a part of “the future” of warehousing in Australia with a system like vision pick. For more information, call Stow on 1800 438 786.