Guetersloh – Arvato SCM Solutions has made an interim assessment and determined that the “Pick-by-Vision” innovation project has proven successful. In this joint project with Arvato’s internationally renowned customer Sennheiser and technology partner Picavi, order picking with smart glasses was implemented and analyzed at the logistics center in Guetersloh. After gaining experiences from the initial phase of the project, which was started in 2016, followed by a detailed process analysis, Arvato was able to further improve the Pick-by-Vision solution by investing in new glasses, latest software and incorporating a ring scanner.

With a new generation of smart glasses, software updates, graphically optimized user interfaces as well as incorporation of additional scanning devices, Picavi has been constantly developing the Pick-by-Vision system in terms of both technology and IT functionalities. Nowadays, the initial solution is only comparable in limited ways with the technology used when the project was launched in 2016.

“We took into account this technological development, along with the valuable experiences from the initial phase, when further developing our Pick-by-Vision solution,” explains Ken Taylor, who is responsible for innovations in the Hightech & Entertainment business unit at Arvato SCM Solutions. In October 2017, we first invested in the new generation of smart glasses, optimized the process and then integrated supplemental ring scanners. As Ken Taylor states: “In practice, we identified that the order picking, in particular the scanning process of articles, required the highest level of accuracy from our employees, which was sometimes difficult to maintain.” This was solved by incorporating the scanners, which are located on the picker’s finger. This significantly accelerated the barcode-reading process.

“Compared with the other data-reading devices we use, we are 15 to 18 percent faster in the cart process with the Pick-by-Vision solution, including the ring scanners,” says Thomas Becker, Executive Vice President Hightech & Entertainment at Arvato SCM Solutions.

“We are very pleased to have achieved a clear added value for our warehouse process chain with this optimization. In doing so, we are also following our innovation strategy: We continuously monitor digital solutions and technologies and check their potential value. Using and developing such solutions and generating efficiency advantages in the next step is an important part of our innovation culture,” continues Ken Taylor. Thomas Becker is also enthusiastic about the optimized Pick-by-Vision solution, noting that “We are currently testing for additional implementation options within our logistics.”