Month: May 2020

The coronavirus has taken hold around the world, and all parts of the economy have a duty to help slow the spread of the virus. An increasing number of logistics firms are implementing measures to maintain operations and protect their workforce. Masks, or even simple face coverings, are now standard items of clothing in many warehouses, as they are in everyday life. But what impact do they have on voice recognition when working with pick-by-voice systems? EPG has looked into this very question and has conducted a computer-based test to assess recognition rates when staff are wearing a mask.

“I’d first like to share the findings: When working with voice-controlled systems while wearing a mask, the speaker-independent system Lydia® Voice once again demonstrated its strengths compared with systems based on personal voice profiles,” says Tim Just, CEO of EPS (Ehrhardt + Partner Solutions, a Member of EPG). “We invested a lot of development work into the latest version of our voice software and that’s really paying off in the crisis: With the aid of our technology, we’re helping logistics companies to maintain their operations and avoid any shortfalls in picking productivity despite the safety measures in place.” The test was conducted using the latest version of the system, Lydia® 8, which is based on neural networks and the deep learning concept. This concept resulted in a 25% improvement in recognition security, representing an important advantage primarily for employees with dialects or strong accents. “The test shows that precise recognition is still very much achievable even when the speaker is wearing a face covering, with no system adjustments required. In addition, voice training – and subsequent training with a mask – is not necessary, as can be the case with speaker-dependent pick-by-voice solutions,” says Just.

The standardized, computer-based test evaluated the impact of wearing N95, FFP2, paper or cloth masks on voice recognition rates while using the latest version of Lydia® Voice. The test was initially carried out with three different types of headset. The results for all types of mask showed roughly the same recognition rate (99.75% to 100%) as picking without a mask. Even with the FFP2 masks, which are generally reserved for healthcare professionals, there were practically no measurable shortfalls when using Lydia® Voice. Picking with the Lydia® VoiceWear® also passed the mask test, with the results similar to those achieved with the headset. N95, cloth and paper masks had hardly any measurable impact on voice recognition quality in this test either, with no declines in productivity. “Only the FFP2 masks in combination with Lydia® VoiceWear® showed some minor deviation, although it was still at a tolerable level,” Tim Just adds. “This deviation is due to the fact that FFP2 masks have a greater impact on acoustic signals due to the way they are made.”

Hyundai Construction Equipment was the first company in Korea to develop driverless autonomous forklift trucks – HCE is now planning to progress its smart logistics solutions using KT’s (Korea Telecom) 5G communication network and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Hyundai CE announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KT on12th May, 10 officials were in attendance, including Hyundai CE President Kong Ki-young and KT Vice President Jeon Hong-beom (Head of the AI/DX Convergence Business Group), to witness the joint development of the 5G technology-based solutions, for smart construction equipment and material handling.

This MOU will enable the two companies to combine their technologies, the autonomous vehicle technology of Hyundai Construction Equipment, and KT’s ICT (information and communications) technologies, such as 5G communication and AI, to supply the advanced smart logistics solutions to the market.

This technological collaboration will improve the remote management and the level of control of the autonomous forklift, which will also benefit from a remote service system that is operated by an AI voice control solution, video, and augmented reality (AR).

Hyundai CE’s autonomous forklift technology is a state-of-the-art logistics solution that autonomously recognises the environment, and obstacles in the workplace, and is able to navigate through the best routes on its own, which greatly increases productivity, with enhanced navigational speed and efficient use of logistics within the workspace.

The risk of accidents in the workplace can be significantly reduced because the work is carried out along a planned path. The interest for this ‘no contact’ technology has significantly increased, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where social-distancing is key in the workplace.

Kong Ki-young, President of Hyundai CE, said, “A large number of officials from the automobiles and electronics companies attended our recent demonstration of autonomous forklifts held at the Eumseong Global Logistics Center in Chungbuk, and their wishes for introducing the technology demonstrated, have been pouring in. In addition to autonomous forklifts, we will supply the entire logistics solution covering the control system, charging facilities, warehouse management system (WMS), and manufacturing execution system (MES) to lead the market.”

Jeon Hong-beom, Vice President of KT, also said, “This cooperation will be a springboard, to advance material handling using the new technologies, such as 5G and AI, and we expect this innovation in manufacturing and logistics fields to become a reality. KT will continue to push ahead with digital transformation of Korean industries by use of our ICT capabilities.”

Meanwhile, the Hyundai Heavy Industries Group continues to work with KT to upgrade its smart factory and smart shipyard business through a combination of its robot development technology and shipbuilding technology with KT’s 5G, big data, and AI technologies.

The target of 50% of all bills of lading to be electronic within the next decade has been set by the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) in an announcement made last week. International freight transport insurer TT Club welcomes the commitment by the group of container shipping lines that together operate nearly 70% of the world’s capacity. The initiative is consistent with the increased trend towards digitisation across the industry to improve efficiency and reduce costs. However, the current pressures felt through the supply chain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have no doubt spurred the action.

In its role as liability insurer and adviser on risk management throughout the container industry, TT Club is active in encouraging digitisation, including the cumbersome bill of lading processes. Additionally, the mutual has been providing valuable guidance to operators on the unique practical issues that they are experiencing with the physical transfer of bills of lading and other documentation due to lockdowns, government restrictions and other COVID-19 related disruptions. The Club has compiled a dedicated COVID-19 webpage¹ to communicate such advice, including numerous briefings, FAQs and links to further regulatory information.

Peregrine Storrs-Fox, TT Club’s Risk Management Director comments, “As early as the late 1990s TT Club recognised the substantial benefits that would accrue to the entire international unitised supply chain, as well as liner shipping businesses, through the adoption of electronic documentation, taking its part in the foundation of bolero.net². This initiative also understood that the bill of lading is but one component in much broader trade practices, including buyers and sellers and, critically, banks. As a result bolero.net has developed a significant array of trade offerings that wrap around the fundamental characteristics that are fulfilled legally in the traditional bill of lading.”

TT Club is concerned that there continues to be such significant reliance on paper-based processes, whether certification, checks, or the range of contractual documents in international trade. The opportunity for seismic efficiencies and broader benefits were extensively explored in TT Club’s joint work with McKinsey & Co, ‘Brave new world? – Container transport in 2043’³ which adamantly concluded that the future for the container shipping industry was digital.

Some advances towards true digitisation have been made over the last two decades, including the formation of DCSA itself, with a mission to bring efficiencies through standardised messaging amongst shipping lines. More pertinent to the electronic bill of lading (ebsl) itself, the last few years have seen a proliferation of options being brought to market, mostly embracing to greater or lesser extent the much-vaunted distributed ledger technologies, or Blockchain. It is also clear that TradeLens, the consortium founded by Maersk and IBM, also has ebsl in sight.

Storrs-Fox concludes, “The current pandemic has inevitably advanced the digital cause. It is entirely reasonable for DCSA to grasp this particular nettle, taking full advantage of the lessons learned over the last two decades. Indeed, the plethora of physical documentation and ‘chops’ for every international transport involving sea carriage remain fertile ground for further efficiencies that may yet dwarf those immediately in view.”

¹https://www.ttclub.com/news-events/coronavirus-guidance/
²https://www.bolero.net/
³https://www.ttclub.com/news-events/brave-new-world/

GEFCO’s Air & Sea business has announced new leadership and a reorganization to boost customer-centricity and accelerate business in three key sectors: industry, automotive and life science/healthcare.

Since February, Paul-Henri Fréret (above), Executive Vice President has been leading GEFCO’s Air & Sea division. With broad experience at GEFCO, he has managed all areas of the business in Asia and Latin America in addition to Groupe PSA operations at Group headquarters. He has also held global corporate management functions at GEFCO in warehouse logistics and road transport.

In May, Cyril Lefebvre was promoted to Global Sales and Marketing Director for the Air & Sea division, from Managing Director of French operations. With in-depth experience in Air & Sea operations at GEFCO and other Freight Forwarding companies, he will shape and drive the division’s commercial and marketing strategy worldwide.

Air & Sea has also reinforced its organization to drive business in three key sectors: industry, automotive and life sciences/healthcare. Serge Kisselevsky is now Industry Market Line Manager, while Adrian Draghici is Market Line Manager for Automotive. Karin Van-Den Brekel will continue to lead the Life Science and Healthcare business, a role she has occupied since 2019. These areas will be strongly supported by a new trade lane manager, Amer Benouda and tender centre manager, Romain Bérard.

Interroll and Teknokom, an innovative system integrator for complete warehouse automation solutions, have installed an automated order picking system for Cookplus in Istanbul, Turkey. Essential elements of the new material handling solution are the RollerDrive EC 5000, MultiControl, and the Modular Conveyor Platform (MCP) from Interroll. The system combines advanced features such as travel control, automatic invoice printing, dynamic volume measurement, with cargo label applications and real-time monitoring.

The order picking automation system which was delivered and installed by Teknokom is a key part of Cookplus’s modern, 6,000-square-metre distribution centre of Cookplus in Hadimköy near Istanbul which serves customers all over the country. Cookplus is the e-commerce brand of Karaca Group, a leader in the tableware, kitchen and home textile market, operating with 2,700 dealers and shops in 27 countries. The zero-pressure-accumulation conveyors used for this material flow solution have a length of more than 220 metres interconnecting a variety of picking stations with the packaging and shipping areas on two floors of the facility. The efficient and extremely energy-saving conveying of totes and parcels uses about 190 RollerDrive EC 5000 units being controlled by 60 Interroll MultiControls cards connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a warehouse management system.

“With our new solution we dramatically increased the performance and capacity of our distribution and fulfilment centre by avoiding a variety of complex manual internal processes. Just as important to us as increasing our efficiency was further improving customer satisfaction through very fast and reliable deliveries,” says Ertugrul Celebi, Chief Operating Officer, Logistics & Supply Chain, at Karaca A.S.

The advanced conveyor system is entirely managed by software developed by Teknokom, a long-standing member of the Rolling On Interroll program, Interroll’s international partner network. The software applications use the data gathered by Interroll’s MultiControl cards for controlling and monitoring purposes. One example is an intelligent travel control feature which allows bypassing picking stations or a complete floor if no action from operators is needed. Moreover, at the end of the picking operation, before packaging, a printer automatically equips every order with the respective invoice. Upon entering the shipping area, a label applicator automatically pastes to each order a barcode label for the forwarding agent; this label contains all of the necessary information, including the order destination, volume information and a list of content.

“To fulfill the demanding needs of our customer, we used our long-standing cooperation with Interroll and smoothly integrated different state-of-the-art technologies in this automated material flow system. The complete project was very carefully and holistically executed, from planning and installation up to maintenance and support. For example, our customer is now able to monitor the operation of his system in real time via an online application—whenever and wherever he wants,” declares Mustafa Hisim, Deputy General Manager at Teknokom A.S.

Teknokom’s software application allows for monitoring the whole material flow process for maintenance and support purposes via a user-friendly interface which offers controlling as well as reporting features. For example, the locations of the totes, the actual status of the orders, and the picked items in a single tote can be seen for both floors. Moreover, operation managers can receive live as well as time-frame-based reports about order fulfillment capacity, bottlenecks in the picking stations, error reports, and detailed performance information.