Voice messages are one of the most popular functions in many messenger apps like WhatsApp. Now, this feature is being used by the industry too. Pick by vision provider Picavi has expanded its smart glasses with a remote support function that uses push notifications. This allows important messages to be shared between workers and the control room during operations in both visual and audio form.
Another day at the logistics center. The picking team is working and processing orders so that goods can be delivered on time. But what happens when there are problems, especially now during the Covid-19 pandemic when social distancing rules are in place? If staff in the control room want to communicate with pickers, it is normally only possible in person. When this happens, everyone has to stop what they are doing. To help maintain productivity during a shift, Picavi has now integrated push notifications into its pick-by-vision system. The remote support function enables contactless, bidirectional and individual communication in the warehouse.
Communicating in the warehouse
This new feature allows staff in the control room to communicate directly with individual workers or a team of workers, regardless of their current location in the warehouse. This makes it possible to share important messages during operations without drops in productivity. Picavi has precisely adapted the user interface to the needs of warehouse employees. The system features two methods of communication, together with two priority levels. As well as sending text messages, the microphone in the smart glasses can be used to send voice messages between the control room and workers. The control room can also prioritize messages. Urgent messages immediately cover the whole screen with signal colors to draw the worker’s immediate attention. Less-urgent messages appear in the smart glasses as a banner. The picker can listen to them and process them either immediately or later on via the speakers in the smart glasses. “The new function in our pick-by-vision ecosystem encourages consistent productivity while also allowing a whole new level of flexibility,” explains Carsten Funke, CSO at Picavi. “Push notifications make it easier for the control room to communicate with the workers, such as when prioritizing tasks. They also allow the picker to report problems in the warehouse to the control room immediately during operation.”
Picavi GmbH
Picavi’s pick-by-vision system uses smart glasses to visually guide users through order picking processes in intralogistics. This innovative solution maximizes warehouse productivity while reducing the error rate. Using smart glasses keeps the warehouse worker’s hands-free to pick goods.
Founded in 2013, Picavi began providing its pick-by-vision solution to the warehousing industry two years later. The company is based in the technology hub of Aachen in western Germany. Many large international businesses from a variety of sectors use Picavi in their everyday operations.
Picavi has a team of 30, supported by a wide network of service, integration, technology and sales partners. The firm is also a major partner to Google Glass. The smart glasses producer launched the Glass Enterprise Edition 2 in spring 2019. Both companies constantly exchange knowledge to improve the glasses, creating synergies from their respective areas of expertise.
Picavi’s revolutionary approach to order picking has won it many awards, including the IT innovation prize in the “Industry & logistics” category in 2016, awarded by the German business organization Initiative Mittelstand. The logistics specialist is a key voice in the intralogistics industry and is a member of the German Logistics Association (BVL).
