The Arvato SCM Solutions division is part of Arvato, a leading international services company that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann. Arvato's approximately 70,000 employees design and create solutions for customers all over the world. Arvato SCM Solutions' logistics services include warehouse management, order picking, distribution and transportation management for customers from various industries.

Arvato SCM Solutions relies on the voice-guided picking system Lydia from Topsystem for efficient process handling. Arvato relies on this voice solution in a total of nine European projects from various industries. "We use the Lydia Voice Suite for our customers in both returns management and order picking. We were particularly impressed by the system's direct connection to SAP, which we handle ourselves as a service provider for our customers," says Sabine Evers, Expert Logistics Planning at Arvato.

SAP connection without middleware

A particular requirement of the service company was the ability to manage and customize the voice commands in the voice dialog. Thanks to the certified LydiaConnector for SAP, the pick-by-voice solution can be easily integrated into the ERP system operating in the background without additional middleware. The logic of the voice dialog lies entirely in the SAP system, which also controls the distribution of orders. Both replenishment control and all process-relevant picking steps are transmitted from the leading ERP system to the employee via the voice system during order processing and reported back to the ERP system by the employee.

The Lydia Voice Suite can be used in the version with the Voxter mobile voice computer and the Voxter Scan Elite Edition back-of-hand scanner. (Image: Topsystem)

"As we support customers from various industries in logistics, we need a flexible pick-by-voice system that can be tailored precisely to industry requirements," explains Evers. Thanks to the direct SAP connection of the Lydia Voice Suite, Arvato has access to the voice dialogs at all times and can reprogram them independently in the event of process changes.

Voxter and Voxter Scan Elite Edition

"Especially in the classic B2B business for one of our electronics customers, Lydia also helps us to absorb seasonal peaks," continues Evers. "In wholesale distribution for discounters and electronics stores, there are many returns due to market conditions. This calls for efficient processes and a system that allows new employees and seasonal staff to support us immediately without long training phases."

The Lydia Voice Suite is used in the version with the Voxter mobile voice computer and the Voxter Scan Elite Edition backhand scanner from Topsystem. This combination has increased the efficiency of picking processes for several customers from the high-tech and entertainment segment, including at the Gütersloh site. From there, Arvato SCM Solutions supplies the companies' wholesale customers throughout Europe with DVDs and Bluray discs.

To ensure that no time is lost in the picking process, the employees work with the pick-and-pack method. The pickers complete the individual items requested via voice by scanning the goods before they are packed into the shipping box on the trolley and then dispatched. An equally sophisticated system is required for item returns: in returns management, the Lydia Voice Suite controls the re-sorting of incoming items. Employees receive information via put-by-voice as to where the DVDs and Bluray discs need to be returned before they are sent back to the warehouse. as