Order picking with a Smart Glass? To most fresh produce wholesalers it may still sound a bit futuristic, but as far as Hermen Mensink of Care4it is concerned, that will soon change. He was inspired by an example at a flower wholesaler and has now introduced it to fresh produce wholesalers. "The big advantage is that the order picker has both hands free and can thus move quickly and easily through the warehouse to pick his orders," he says.
"Some order pickers now work with scanners, but we often hear from customers that it is not always convenient to have such a thing on your hand. There are also couplers with earpieces that transmit orders, but often, at the end of the day, order pickers are excited from orders being beeped in their ears all day. When I heard about the successful experiences of the flower wholesaler of Smart Glass, I was immediately excited. That's how we started talking to the developers at Augmex."
Initially, Hermen started with Google's Smart Glasses, but they have since stopped development for the second time. Another supplier, Vuzix, did see the potential in the Smart Glass, and Care4it has since linked the Smart Glass to its own logistics package Care4Fresh. "Order pickers wear a hairband with a power bank and see in the screen in the glasses which orders they need to pick," says Vuzix. The Smart Glass is also available in glasses form, where it can also be worn over existing glasses."
Vuzix's Smart Glass works with a very small scanner, slightly larger than a signet ring, which is worn around the middle finger. This is connected to the Smart Glass. On the screen, the order pickers see in which path and on which rack the orders should be picked in the warehouse, possibly with a picture of the products attached. "Not all fresh produce have barcodes, but this can be quickly remedied by sticking a barcode on the items on the racks. Packaged products can, of course, be scanned immediately," Hermen says.
While looking for an interested pilot customer, Care4it ended up with Horeca wholesaler Waddinxveen, which supplies a national tapas chain with all its food and non-food requirements, among other things. The pilot has now been successfully completed. "The order pickers who took part in the pilot walked through the building with a big smile. They had to get used to it, because previously they still worked with paper, so that was a really big transition, but now that they are used to it, they love it."
According to Hermen, Smart Glass is unique on the market. "In other sectors such as installation engineering and healthcare, you see this technology more often. For them, for example, it is ideal to see on the screen how to replace parts or perform an operation. In warehouses, however, this technology has not yet taken off. Even in the fresh produce sector, I still notice some cold feet, but I believe it will really add value for the order pickers in the warehouse. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that they will have their hands free."
For more information:
Hermen Mensink
Care4it
Molenland 2
8024 AL Zwolle
Mob: +31 06-51086014
Tel: +31 038 452 56 77
hermen.mensink@care4it.nl
www.care4fresh.nl
www.augmex.com