Reducing Warehouse Employee Errors Using Voice-Assisted Technology That Provided Immediate Feedback

Abstract A foodservice distributor in the southeastern United States implemented a voice assisted selecting tool to reduce selector errors by providing immediate feedback when errors occurred. An AB design with a nonequivalent comparison group was used to examine the effects of the voice technology on 132 selectors whose mispicks and shorts were collected over 6 weeks of baseline and 8 weeks of the intervention phase. Selector errors were reduced from 2.44 errors per 1,000 cases picked to 0.94 errors per 1,000 cases when voice technology was implemented. Further analysis indicated that the immediate feedback provided by voice had a greater impact on employees who were making the most errors during baseline.

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