Goals:
- Migration of the operating system (from
Windows to Android) - Quality improvement
- Correct sequence of operations
Results:
- Dramatical error reduction
- Greater flexibility
- System open to further developments
- Possibility to set up a stock of devices
The Challenge
Ridefining processes to achieve maximum quality
With the introduction of Vocalize in the process, the company aims to prevent its 40 operators from managing the IT part of the activities and that in the field in a misaligned way, aiming for a drastic reduction of errors. At the same time, with the transition from fixed to mobile devices, the client company has bet on an increase in flexibility from the point of view of applications, operations and stocks.
The Solution
Vocalize, a native Android solution
KFI and Italmark have interpreted their mission in the name of flexibility. In addition to the classic benefits related to the introduction of the voice in the processes, from the greater focus on objectives and safety, to the improved ergonomics dictated by acting with eyes and hands free, forklift drivers were also released from their own means by replacing the devices fixed to the forklifts with of Zebra TC52 mobile devices.
The possibility of exploiting the most natural form of communication – voice – combined with the flexibility introduced by the new Android palmtops, now allows a further 40 resources to interact in a perfectly integrated way with the information system while carrying out their tasks.
Furthermore, the new Zebra laptops, on the one hand, allow you to record the movements of the goods comfortably from the forklift using the latest long-range optics; on the other, by hosting the native Android Vocalize client, they increase the mobility of warehouse workers, enabling them to carry out – in real time and without losing productivity – all those activities that require moving away from the vehicle.
“The project had a great impact on the process, but the effort made was amply rewarded. In fact, the ease of use and usability of the system by new operators are disarming. Once the first forklift driver started up, as early as the next day we had another 12 ready to take advantage of the new voice solution. In fact, Vocalize has the great advantage of
being able to be used immediately, without long periods of training or cumbersome vocal training”
declares Giorgio Roncati, the IS Manager of Italmark and responsible for the project.
The Results
Higher quality and openness to new processes
According to Roncati:
“The new process has made it possible to see major benefits in terms of data quality. Previously, to speed up activities, operators could simulate operations by decoupling the IT component from the operational one. For example, through vehicular devices and barcode readers, they digitized in advance operations that would only be carried out concretely later. The speech process, on the other hand, forces them to report feedback in real time and includes a series of controls that prevent errors. All this makes activities easier and increases ergonomics”.
Italmark has therefore recorded a significant decrease in errors without affecting the productivity of the process. At the same time it has also drastically reduced the equipment-related drawbacks.
“Replacing a vehicle involves a very long technical intervention, often not executable immediately. In fact, it is unthinkable to set aside 4 or 5 devices as a reserve. Having a client app on a certified mobile device like the TC52 instead opens up completely different scenarios. In this case, preparing a backup is much more convenient because the same device is used in other processes, and this optimizes the cost/benefit of the back-up”.
Giorgio Roncati, IS Manager
With a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Brescia, since 2014 he has
held the position of IS Manager of Italbrix S.p.a., Italmark Group’s logistics structure.