The pressures on retailers to seamlessly fulfill orders across physical stores, online platforms and mobile apps continue to intensify. Whether shipping directly to customers’ homes, enabling curbside pickup or restocking store shelves, consistently improving speed, accuracy and adaptability is crucial for meeting shopper expectations and maintaining market share.
As digital commerce expands and consumers increasingly demand same-day or next-day delivery options, implementing advanced solutions like voice picking technology can transform how retail distribution centers operate. In fact, according to recent data, a significant majority of consumers expect same-day or next-day delivery, with around 80% of shoppers desiring same-day shipping and 61% wanting their packages within 1-3 hours of placing an order.
Voice picking allows store associates and warehouse staff to work hands-free, receiving product location and picking instructions through headsets and verbally confirming actions as they navigate stockrooms and fulfillment centers. This technology not only streamlines the order picking process but also creates a foundation for scaling operations across brick-and-mortar stores, online marketplaces and mobile commerce channels.
Boosting Efficiency for Faster Fulfillment
Voice picking transforms the traditional picking process into a hands-free, real-time activity, allowing workers to complete tasks faster than when using paper-based systems or handheld scanners. In a typical warehouse, a worker using a voice picking system might receive commands like “Aisle 3, Bin 15, pick 5.” The worker simply confirms each action verbally, keeping their hands and eyes free to pick the item.
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By eliminating the need to constantly look at a screen or handle paper lists, workers can move seamlessly between tasks, leading to shorter order processing times. For example, in high-demand sectors like retail or ecommerce fulfillment, where same-day or next-day delivery is critical, voice picking’s streamlined approach can make a measurable difference, helping warehouses keep pace with the speed of online orders. Orgill, the world’s largest independently owned hardlines distributor, achieves 99.6% accuracy picking, and can pick 99 ecommerce orders at once utilizing its voice-directed optimization solution.
Reduce Return Volumes
Accuracy is essential in order fulfillment, and errors can quickly erode customer trust. Voice picking helps reduce mistakes by focusing the worker’s attention on each step in the process, with instructions and confirmations provided verbally. This minimizes common errors, such as picking the wrong item or incorrect quantities.
Fewer picking errors mean fewer returns and replacements, leading to higher customer satisfaction and cost savings. For example, a distribution center that handles a large SKU variety — such as an apparel retailer or a beverage distributor with multiple product lines — will find that voice picking can drastically improve order accuracy by guiding workers precisely through each task, item by item.
Manage Peak Seasons Better
One of the most powerful aspects of voice picking technology is its flexibility to adapt to fluctuations in order volume and changes in product lines. Voice picking systems are designed to scale with your business, making them ideal for companies managing multichannel fulfillment for ecommerce, retail and wholesale.
During peak seasons, such as the holiday rush, voice picking allows facilities to ramp up productivity without needing additional infrastructure or extensive retraining. For instance, a distribution center serving both online shoppers and retail stores can use voice picking to handle surges in ecommerce orders while seamlessly switching to bulk order fulfillment for stores — all within the same system.
A multi-channel retailer and North America’s leader in women’s apparel and lingerie with more than $1.75 billion in revenue built a new fulfillment center of more than 650,000 square feet to support its direct-to-consumer channel. To enhance the WMS, the company included a multi-modal voice-directed applications and a management console. With the solution in place, picking accuracy was enhanced 8%-12% and productivity increased 15%-20% throughout the DC, and the time and expense associated with returns handling were slashed.
Mitigating the Impact of Labor Shortages
In a competitive labor market, maximizing workforce productivity is crucial. The American Staffing Association forecasted warehouse and transportation job openings of 1.7 million in 2024, with a projected increase up to 2.1 million jobs by 2030, with high recruiting time and turnover.
With that in mind, it’s important to note voice picking optimizes labor allocation by streamlining the picking process, allowing workers to cover more ground and handle higher volumes within the same shift. This not only reduces the need for extra staff during peak times but also allows for more efficient use of existing workers.
For example, if your facility faces increased demand during certain times of the year, voice picking can help meet this demand without a major spike in labor costs, providing a flexible solution for seasonal or unexpected surges. In the above-mentioned example, they were able to eliminate seasonal temps and, in turn, increase wages and reduce total labor costs.
Agile Decision-Making for High Velocity Operations
Modern voice picking systems often integrate with warehouse management systems (WMS) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, providing real-time visibility into inventory levels, order statuses and productivity metrics. In retail fulfillment, where speed and accuracy are critical, this real-time data empowers managers to monitor picking performance, quickly identify bottlenecks, reallocate resources or adjust schedules to meet fluctuating demand.
This visibility is especially valuable in high-velocity operations like apparel or electronics fulfillment, where seasonal peaks and rapid inventory turnover require agile decision-making to maintain customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Improving Worker Satisfaction with an Environmentally Friendly Solution
Voice picking is more than a productivity booster — it also can improve the worker experience and contribute to sustainability. The hands-free design means that workers no longer need to carry and frequently look at handheld devices or paper lists, making the job more ergonomic and less physically taxing, while keeping paper out of the waste stream. Workers can focus on the task without the constant distraction of screens or paperwork, creating a more comfortable environment and potentially reducing turnover rates.
In facilities where labor shortages are common, such as grocery and retail fulfillment centers, higher worker satisfaction can lead to better retention, saving on recruitment and training costs. One multichannel retailer invested in a voice-directed picking solution because of its ability to adapt to evolving DC processes and help boost productivity in picking and pre-pack sorting. The company found, however, that it also had some unexpected benefits. A VP of service said the training and employee retention benefits of their voice-picking solution were “a really big deal for us.” There was less training time, new workers met standard in days (versus a month or more previously), and turnover declined.
Seamless Integration with Other Technologies
Voice picking technology is designed to complement and integrate with other automation tools, such as robotics, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and data analytics systems. By combining voice picking with these technologies, retailers can build a fully optimized fulfillment ecosystem. For instance, while voice guides workers in picking items, AMRs can handle transportation, moving goods to packing stations or loading docks. This integration creates a smooth, cohesive workflow that enhances productivity, reduces operational costs and helps retailers meet the demands of fast-paced multichannel fulfillment.
A Strategic Investment for Future Growth
Implementing voice picking technology across retail and ecomm operations isn’t just about meeting current consumer demands – it’s a strategic investment in long-term agility and efficiency. With enhanced speed, accuracy and adaptability, voice picking optimization enables retailers to fulfill orders more effectively, whether they’re coming through mobile apps, ecommerce sites or in-store point-of-sale systems.
In today’s competitive landscape, where consumer shopping habits constantly shift between online and offline channels, voice picking provides the versatile, high-performance solution needed to excel at both store replenishment and direct-to-consumer fulfillment. This technology builds a resilient operational foundation that can flex between serving digital shoppers demanding rapid home delivery and traditional customers expecting well-stocked store shelves.
Jason Trisoline, an Account Manager at Lucas Systems, specializes in warehouse software automation, boasting over 20 years of dedicated expertise. He’s a seasoned professional committed to revolutionizing supply chain technology solutions and delivering concrete business results. His extensive background includes optimizing warehouse operations, fulfilling ecommerce needs and driving customer satisfaction. Prior to joining Lucas Systems, Trisoline played integral leadership roles in account management at FedEx and business development at GENCO, a top-tier third-party logistics (3PL) provider. At both companies, his focus on distribution and warehousing solutions drove growth and improved operational efficiency. Leveraging his unique understanding of warehouse operations, Trisoline excels at delivering tailored solutions that enhance productivity and foster customer success.
