Voice-Enabling Your SAP Warehouse: Building The Business Case For Voice Technology

By Tom Singer, Tompkins Associates

Voice technology has great appeal for users of SAP who want to extend their logistics and fulfillment processes. It offers the promise of hands-free, eyes-free wireless access to the information needed to drive key warehouse processes and has become an important ingredient in the success of a company's IT strategy.

Before Voice, no other technology had a greater impact on the evolution of warehouse management systems (WMSs) than the wireless local area network (LAN), and mobile or Radio Frequency (RF) terminal. While they are popular with many organizations, RF terminals and barcode scanning do have some drawbacks. They require operators to use their hands to scan and key data. They also require operators to read instructions on terminal displays. For many operations, these activities disrupt the normal flow of warehousing and limit the benefits provided by the technology.