Wilkinson shouts about £1.4m distribution system

Value retailer Wilkinson has invested £1.4m in voice-activated picking systems at its two main distribution centres in Magor, South Wales, and Manton Wood in Worksop.

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The system directs pickers at the centres to collect stock for individual store orders through a headset. Pickers respond using keywords to confirm that each task is completed and their responses are converted into records within the retailer's warehouse management system through voice recognition.

The system will replace the retailer's existing paper trail within the distribution centres, allowing it to reap the benefits of increased productivity and greater order-selection accuracy, which the suppliers - Psion Teklogix and Vocollect - promise will grant a return on investment within 10 months.

Wilkinson head of supply chain, Simon Lowe, said the suppliers were able to demonstrate such a compelling ROI that there was no reason not to proceed with adoption of the system immediately.

The two distribution centres provide a combined 2.3 million square feet of storage space, processing more than 25,000 stock-keeping units at any one time and support Wilkinson's 283 stores around the UK. The voice-activated picking system is expected to be live in time for the Christmas rush.