Outcome
- 100% hands-free, visually supported solution which led to a spike in efficiency
- User-friendly interface and interaction methods helped cut training time and boosted employee satisfaction
- TeamViewer Frontline’s vision picking solution xPick not only perfectly supports different kinds of warehouse processes, but is also easily scalable
Background
DHL Supply Chain is the world’s leading logistics company, with around 185,000 employees in over 50 countries, offering a wide range of logistics operations to their customers. DHL operates warehouse distribution centers for some of the world’s leading brands.
DHL is known for its operational excellence and commitment to accelerated digitalization. As part of that commitment, DHL is continually evaluating technology that boosts efficiency and lowers costs for its customers. To support this goal, DHL Supply Chain adopted TeamViewer Frontline’s vision picking solution for order picking globally in 2017.
TeamViewer Frontline’s focus on scalability enables large-scale rollouts, so that in the US alone, around 1,500 employees at 25 sites work with innovative technology on a daily basis. At one of their warehouses in Lockbourne, Ohio, they do order fulfilment for a high-end consumer product brand.
Challenges
Process optimization plays a key role in the logistics industry. Previously used technologies had complex user interfaces with various menus and information. This resulted in more resources spent on quality assurance procedures. Moreover, these solutions typically required days or weeks of training when onboarding.
DHL needed a new solution that allowed the company to react to market changes quickly, deploy staff flexibly, and mitigate a number of other challenges:
- Increasing order volume in the logistics sector calls for constant process optimization
- Rising order fulfillment complexity, fluctuating market needs, and labor shortages
- Existing methods such as handhelds were complex, and harder to learn
Solution
With TeamViewer Frontline’s xPick technology, DHL warehouse employees can utilize smart glasses equipped with vision picking software to provide visual cues throughout the picking process. For real-time data access, the Frontline solution is seamlessly integrated with DHL’s warehouse management system, establishing a process that is fully connected end-to-end.
Thanks to the high level of user-friendliness and the intuitive user interface of xPick, workers are able to onboard quickly with easy-to-understand, visually displayed information that is adjustable to the worker’s preferred language. As a result, new employees are productive right from the start.
TeamViewer Frontline software walks users through the order step-by-step and displays all the information needed to fulfil the order right in their field of view. For example, a DHL warehouse employee utilizing the solution can see the correct aisle number, shelf, and bin to pick an item from and where to place it. Employees then receive instant audio and visual feedback if they pick the correct item.
In addition to the operational support for multi-order requests and case picking, xPick allows DHL to go beyond vision picking and includes an option to carry out cycle counting integrated into the picking processes. This allows DHL to verify and keep their inventory updated after every pick without the need for an extra process.
With TeamViewer Frontline, workers can benefit from a more modern workplace and DHL streamlines their operations resulting in a competitive business advantage.
Results
After completing an xPick proof of concept with test runs in the United States, continental Europe, and the United Kingdom, DHL began using Frontline’s logistics solution xPick for vision picking. Throughout the entire project, from the first contact to planning and ongoing implementation to service, TeamViewer’s experience in large-scale projects and willingness to respond to DHL's individual needs were a key success factor.
Currently, about 1,500 operators are equipped with smart glasses in DHL’s US sites alone, for order fulfillment at DHL warehouses spanning technology, retail, consumer, and automotive industries.
With the vision picking technology, DHL pickers are now able to work hands-free, making their job more efficient and ergonomic. The solution reduces time spent per order and picking errors as operators see instructions clearly displayed in front of their eyes along with instant audio feedback.
Working hands free, xPick increased employee productivity. While previous solutions required days or weeks of training and experienced staff for guidance of the new employees, TeamViewer reduced onboarding time to hours and made the process more self-sufficient.
xPick's easy scalability made large-scale rollouts to different DHL warehouse locations possible within a very short time frame.
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