- With the release of the new LYDIA Voice 9, Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) says it is extending its technological leadership in the voice industry. The latest version of the innovative voice solution now offers an additional unique feature, recognising multiple languages in real time and in parallel.
This is made possible thanks to multithreading, which enables voice recognition to be processed in parallel on numerous processor cores. The way in which computing power is distributed also ensures even greater voice recognition while also saving energy and allowing for a more efficient use of hardware.
With LYDIA Voice 9, EPG says it is once again underlining its role as a technological leader in the voice industry. The main feature of the new release is its multi-language recognition. LYDIA Voice is now capable of recognising multiple languages in parallel and in real time – a unique innovation on the voice market. This new development has been made possible thanks to multithreading, which enables several processor cores to be used simultaneously.
Since version 8, LYDIA Voice has worked on the basis of neural networks and deep learning. For the first time, this new release enables numerous neural networks to be used in parallel to process voice recognition. This results in even quicker and more accurate voice recognition. LYDIA Voice is now also capable of recognising several languages in parallel.
Multi-language recognition
“LYDIA Voice now recognises several languages at the same time,” says Tim Just, CEO Voice Solutions. “While the solutions of other providers require users to undergo complex voice training, LYDIA Voice has not required any voice training at all for a number of years now. And now our solution is immediately able to recognise several languages at the same time. This means that the onboarding process is even quicker for non-native speakers and they can be deployed more flexibly.”
The advanced voice recognition capabilities offer a great number of advantages. Order pickers who have not yet mastered the local language have the option of simply working in their own mother tongue. As there are no language barriers, they can work productively right away and can be deployed quicker for various voice-led processes.
With LYDIA Voice 9, EPG has laid the foundation to use modern hardware as effectively as possible. Thanks to multithreading, computing power can be optimally distributed across several processor cores. This leads to a reduced energy consumption of the devices being used.
“LYDIA Voice 9 enables modern hardware platforms to exploit their full potential and achieve maximum computing power thanks to the seamless interaction between software and hardware – and all this with optimised energy management,” explains Just.
EPG has also developed what it describes as the perfect hardware for LYDIA Voice in the shape of the new VOXTER Vantage VT5 mobile voice computer. In addition to high-performance components, the VOXTER Vantage VT5 comes equipped with the voice-optimised enterprise operating system Android Industrial+ and guarantees additional benefits in terms of voice recognition performance, data security and WiFi performance. The overall package offers three times faster voice recognition than previous versions.
Moreover, EPG continues to ensure hardware independence for LYDIA Voice 9, as multi-language recognition is also supported with the devices of other manufacturers. This means that customers still enjoy maximum flexibility when choosing their hardware.
Expanded language portfolio
The new LYDIA Voice 9 release is rounded off by an expansion of its language portfolio, which now includes more than 50 directly available languages.
“Our aim is to offer the best overall package on the voice market. In the last 12 months alone, more than 20,000 voice users made the switch from various other solutions to LYDIA Voice. Customers from across the world have reported productivity increases of 7-15% after switching from other voice systems to LYDIA Voice. We are confident that with LYDIA Voice 9, we have reached another milestone in the development of voice solutions – and will continue this successful trend in future,” Just adds.
Tag: voice
LYDIA Voice becomes #1 Android voice solution
Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) has seen its LYDIA Voice application take the crown as the world’s number one pick-by-voice solution on Android devices. Over the past 12 months, EPG has secured a number of major customers from across industry, including merchandise management, food and beverage, global retail giants and manufacturing. Thanks to these new implementations on Android devices, LYDIA Voice has now become the voice solution of choice.
EPG has sealed a number of major contracts in the past 12 months, with a number of global retailers and producers of general goods, food and specialities as well as beverages, healthcare products and industrial components now placing their trust in the innovative LYDIA Voice software.
“Our business in Europe has been growing solidly for many years, and last year we were also able to gain a number of large-scale US clients with global operations,” explains Tim Just, CEO Voice Solutions at EPG. “As such, we sold a huge amount of LYDIA Voice users to warehouses, distribution hubs and fulfilment centres. Given the number of Android devices that our clients use to run the LYDIA Voice software, our technology is now the world’s most frequently used pick-by-voice solution.”
The noticeable surge in implementations is due to the fact that LYDIA Voice has become the leading voice recognition technology, he explains. LYDIA Voice is the world’s only pick-by-voice solution to feature voice recognition based on neural networks and deep learning, therefore delivering outstanding results.
In combination with the VOXTER Vantage, the perfect hardware for LYDIA Voice, EPG offers the most advanced all-in-one package on the voice market. The mobile voice computer works in perfect harmony with the software and is based on an optimised version of the Android operating system. The device is designed to be used for 100% voice-controlled processes.
Alongside developing its own voice hardware, EPG also places a great deal of importance on device independence – an aspect that Just sees as additional driver behind the growth. The company’s close collaboration with Zebra Technologies also contributed to the growing success, he suggests.
“Unlike other suppliers of voice-controlled picking software who require customers to use their hardware, we give our customers the freedom and flexibility to choose the optimal device platform for their workflows and processes,” explains Just.
LYDIA Voice underwent successful testing on a variety of mobile devices offered by leading providers, such as Zebra and Samsung. Most devices support multi-modal use, meaning they can be used for various applications in different parts of a company. The advantage for companies is that it’s easier to manage, maintain and update even a high number of devices.
“Customers can continue using the hardware they already have and just implement the LYDIA Voice users on their existing Android devices, provided they support these voice applications. For many of our customers, this is a big advantage in terms of investment costs, administration and maintenance,” explains Just.
In addition to supporting various Android devices, LYDIA Voice can also be used in combination with the LYDIA VoiceWear picking vest, which eliminates the need for headsets. This offers additional important benefits that also contributed to the technology’s market dominance.
“With our patented LYDIA VoiceWear technology, we’re the only pick-by-voice provider to offer a reliable solution without headsets,” Just says. The smart solution further enhances the overall user experience for employees,” explains Just, noting how companies are having to work increasingly hard to attract and retain staff over the long term.
“LYDIA Voice delivers near-perfect voice recognition rates for over 50 different languages. Users of other voice applications are still faced with outdated, lengthy voice training sessions for each employee. But we haven’t needed anything like that for over a decade,” explains Just.
“That’s why LYDIA Voice offers huge benefits, especially at companies where staff speak many different languages or regional dialects. Our system delivers outstanding voice recognition performance, enabling new staff to be onboarded much faster – even if they don’t, or only partly, speak the official language.”
As part of numerous pilot projects, customers compared LYDIA Voice with older-generation voice solutions. “All users of the older systems confirmed that LYDIA Voice delivered a productivity boost of 8-15%,” says Just.
EPG customers who have switched to LYDIA Voice have all reported noticeable improvements in voice recognition and overall staff satisfaction. The technology also provides companies with flexibility in their deployment of seasonal and temporary workers. In addition, LYDIA Voice can be seamlessly connected to all ERP and WMS systems.
New model offers “300% faster” voice recognition
Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) says it is taking voice-directed processes in the logistics sector to the next level with its new hardware solution, VOXTER Vantage. The latest generation of mobile voice computer, which was developed for the innovative LYDIA Voice technology, is setting new standards in terms of overall performance, stability and durability.
In comparison to its predecessor model, the VOXTER Vantage enables 300% faster voice recognition, is equipped with the optimised enterprise operating system Android Industrial+ and offers considerably improved WiFi performance.
Seamless interaction between hardware and software is the key to a successful voice solution in a logistics environment. The innovative software LYDIA Voice harnesses artificial intelligence for its voice recognition.
“Customers who switch from other voice systems to LYDIA Voice witness a 6-18% increase in productivity on average,” explains Tim Just, CEO Voice Solutions at EPG. “In VOXTER Vantage, LYDIA Voice customers are now receiving a hardware solution that increases productivity and performance even further, leading to greater overall performance.”
VOXTER says its Vantage solution impresses with its unique and particularly low-maintenance design as well as new technical components that offer significant performance gains. Its computing power, for instance, is six times greater than that of its predecessor model. It also uses the state-of-the-art enterprise operating system Android Industrial+, which has been optimised especially for VOXTER Vantage.
“VOXTER Vantage works in perfect harmony with LYDIA software,” stresses Just. “They combine many years of development expertise with the latest hardware and software technology. EPG is therefore offering the most advanced package currently available on the voice technology market. A 300% increase in voice recognition speed can be achieved simply by switching to the new VOXTER Vantage model.”
The enterprise operating system Android Industrial+ offers the modern and future-proof software ecosystem of a standard Android system, but has been specifically optimised for the much greater requirements in logistics and industrial environments. It supports reliable and fast data transmission via WiFi, NFC or Bluetooth in accordance with the latest transmission standards. It also guarantees a high level of data security, as it does not use the services of third parties.
Moreover, the product offers greater control over settings that are relevant for voice applications. This includes the automatic calibration of microphone sensitivity, smart LYDIA Voice software features and extended configuration options. In combination with the latest technical components, a high-power WiFi card and the advanced operating system Android Industrial+, this helps ensure a much more stable WiFi performance.
According to EPG, VOXTER series products are extremely durable and low-maintenance. Mechanical moving parts are purposely not incorporated into their design. When in use, the products can be operated by voice command alone. This prevents wear and tear and minimises the need for repairs. For the first time, EPG has been able to statistically prove just how durable VOXTER hardware is in practice.
The mean time to failure (MTTF) metric indicates how long devices can be used on average until repairs are necessary. “The MTTF for our VOXTER series is 8.9 years,” explains Just. “This is an outstanding figure that attests to the stability of our hardware and its enormously long life cycle.”
EPG guarantees a life cycle of at least 10 years for the VOXTER Vantage. The hardware is available for at least five years and support is guaranteed for at least a further five years. Thanks to the VOXTER SafeGuard guarantee, the technology is also supplied with updates and security patches for the entirety of its life cycle.
VOXTER Vantage also offers a real advantage in term of costs. Over the course of the product’s life cycle, EPG says total costs are lower than for comparable devices on the market. An additional advantage for established customers is that the mobile voice computer is compatible with existing equipment from the VOXTER series, including the LYDIA VoiceWear order picking vest.
Voice rollout across 92 Coca-Cola bottling sites
The Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) has boosted its reputation with the successful rollout of its LYDIA™ Voice technology to 92 CONA locations, a total that is set to rise to over 100. CONA is the IT services company for the Coca-Cola bottling business in North America, with over 160,000 sales orders and an average of 30000 users per day. Its implementation and rapid rollout of LYDIA™ Voice is a fantastic endorsement for EPG, the Germany-based global supply chain software provider and voice picking innovator.
“LYDIA Voice is the best thing we have ever rolled out to the warehouse. Where has it been these last five years?” This is the valuable feedback coming directly from the bottlers of Coca-Cola who use EPG’s software on a daily basis. And this user experience is backed up by a number of facts. According to CONA, LYDIA Voice has brought productivity gains of up to 7% as well as clear voice recognition, the elimination of voice template training, and a more coordinated system architecture compared to the previous voice system. “The implementation of LYDIA at Coke One North America is of enormous significance for us,” emphasises Marco Ehrhardt, President of EPG. “The rollout to the 92 locations was completed in just twelve months.”
Consistency and clarity
CONA recognised the need to consider new voice solutions in 2019. Its previous system was prone to weak or intermittent connections. CONA required a solution that would al-low for continuous picking – independent of the network connection – should the Wi-Fi signal be weak or lost.
“Our previous voice system had a complex architecture and required the software to be hosted and run on individual servers at each deployment site,” explains Baron Jordan, CONA Chief Product Officer, Supply Chain. “There were also issues concerning inconsistent voice recognition.”
After an intensive eight-month investigation by CONA and a real-world test against an-other provider, LYDIA Voice emerged as the clear winner due to being able to meet all the tough requirements of Baron Jordan and his team. LYDIA Voice immediately resolved the architecture and support challenges across the 92 bottling sites thanks to its ability to directly integrate with SAP via a remote function call (RFC) without middleware.
The solution also offers an unsurpassed level of voice recognition, which is enabled by its deep neural network voice recognition. Training requirements are swept away altogether due to its immediate ease of use and its versatility. LYDIA is able to recognise more than 50 languages and a multitude of dialects.
A further advantage of the product is that it is device-independent, meaning that each location can select its preferred mobile voice device according to environment or preference. Customised adaptions in the voice dialogue can be independently created by the customer without having to call on EPG technicians or developers.
https://www.lydia-voice.com/gb/voice-know-how/case-studies/cona-services-success-story/