Rising order volumes, high pick density, and constantly changing customer re-quirements are part of daily operations for third-party logistics providers. In highly dynamic warehouse environments, paper-based and scanner-supported processes are increasingly reaching their limits. At the same time, pressure continues to grow to onboard new employees faster, reduce error rates, and sustainably improve productivity.
These were exactly the challenges faced by U.S.-based logistics provider States Logistics. Together with the EPG (Ehrhardt Partner Group) and ASW Global Consulting, the company therefore decided to im-plement the voice-directed picking solution LYDIA Voice. The result: significantly higher picking performance, improved process reliability, and noticeable relief for warehouse employees in their daily work.
States Logistics is a 3PL provider in the United States, serving a wide range of customers with complex distribution requirements and high shipping volumes. Large-volume orders with extensive pick lines increasingly created limitations in speed and efficiency within the existing RF- and paper-based processes. At the same time, fluctuating labor availability increased the effort required for onboarding and training new employees.
We process large orders with an enormous number of cartons and a lot of movement throughout the warehouse. Productivity improvement was there-fore our primary focus
explains Todd Myers, Application Manager at States Logistics.
Seamless Integration into Existing Processes
To make picking operations more efficient and flexible, States Logistics implemented the voice-directed solution LYDIA Voice together with EPG and ASW Global Consulting. A key factor in the decision was the straightforward integration into the existing Infor WMS environment, as well as the ability to flexibly adapt workflows without interfer-ing with the core logic of the warehouse management system. LYDIA Voice communicates directly with the ERP and WMS landscape and guides employees through all picking processes using voice instructions. The hands-free, eyes-free principle enables focused, ergonomic, and safe working conditions, particularly in highly dynamic ware-house areas with long travel distances and high pick density.
Fast Rollout Without Interrupting Operations
The implementation was carried out step by step during live operations without disrupting ongoing warehouse activities. Instead of a traditional big-bang rollout, States Logistics initially introduced voice picking with only a small group of employees before gradually expanding usage across additional teams.
“To be honest, at first I wasn’t sure how smoothly the implementation would actually go,” Myers recalls. “We obviously couldn’t just shut down operations for a day. So we started with a few employees using voice and gradually integrated more teams over time.” The results became visible very quickly: “After the first week, practically everyone was already working with voice.”
Concerns regarding speech recognition performance in noisy warehouse environments also proved unfounded. “We have absolutely no issues with voice recognition,” Myers continues.
We have radios running, multiple employees picking in the same zone at the same time, and the system still works reliably. LYDIA Voice only recognizes the voice of the individual employee
Measurable Efficiency Improvements in Daily Operations
With the introduction of LYDIA Voice, States Logistics significantly increased produc-tivity in case-picking operations. At the same time, picking accuracy improved by 68 percent. The company also substantially reduced both training times and overtime hours. Employee satisfaction within warehouse operations improved noticeably as well.
Especially in the fast-paced 3PL environment, the flexibility of the solution proved to be a decisive advantage. Process adjustments and optimizations could be implemented at short notice without interrupting existing operations or requiring changes to the underlying WMS. “As the project progressed, new ideas and requirements kept emerging that we hadn’t even considered at the beginning,” explains Myers. “But we were able to adapt processes at any time without creating major issues.”
Scalable Foundation for Future Growth
Today, LYDIA Voice provides States Logistics with a flexible and scalable foundation for the requirements of modern 3PL logistics. The deep integration into the existing system landscape, rapid onboarding of new employees, and high level of process stability enable the company to remain agile in responding to increasing volumes and evolving customer requirements in the future.
