Honeywell > Case Studies > Vocollect VoiceExpress Expands Voice Functionality for Ewing Irrigation Products

Vocollect VoiceExpress Expands Voice Functionality for Ewing Irrigation Products

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

Vocollect SRX Wireless Headsets
Vocollect A500 Mobile Devices
Vocollect VoiceExpress

Tech Stack

Warehouse Management System (WMS)
Voice Solutions

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Retail
Consumer Goods

Applicable Functions

Warehouse & Inventory Management
Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Warehouse Automation
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

System Integration
Training

About The Customer

Ewing Irrigation Products, founded in 1922, provides landscape, irrigation, and golf course professionals with the supplies needed to create healthy, sustainable environments. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Ewing operates a distribution center that serves 200 branch store operations across the United States. The company ships an average of 1,800–2,000 cartons daily, operating one shift five days a week. Ewing's product line includes a wide range of items, from wheelbarrows and 50-pound bags of fertilizer to 20-foot-long sections of PVC pipe and small drip emitters. This diverse product mix makes the order fulfillment process complex, with the potential for late or incorrect orders impacting contractors' profitability.

The Challenge

Ewing Irrigation Products faced challenges in optimizing their picking process due to the bulky and non-standard-shaped products they handle. The transition from paper to handheld devices provided some performance improvements, but workers still struggled with the cumbersome nature of handhelds and the company's odd-sized product mix. Management sought a solution to enhance individual worker experience and overall operational efficiency. Additionally, they aimed to expand voice functionality to the pick-from-reserve section without incurring costly customization fees and extensive IT time.

The Solution

Ewing Irrigation Products implemented Manhattan Associates' warehouse management system (WMS) and explored additional technology options for the picking process. Manhattan recommended Honeywell Vocollect voice solutions, specifically Vocollect VoiceExpress, an enterprise connector integration option. This solution enabled Ewing to configure the system without significant changes to the WMS or extensive IT staff time. The implementation of Vocollect VoiceExpress allowed Ewing to transition to voice for the pick-from-reserve workflow rapidly and cost-effectively. The solution provided strong flexibility for all aspects of the order selection process, significantly improving operational efficiency.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Vocollect VoiceExpress led to a minimum 20% improvement in both productivity and accuracy over scanning.
The transition to voice for the pick-from-reserve workflow was rapid and cost-effective, without the need for standard customization.
Ewing moved from having 12 associates working 12 hours a day, six days a week, servicing 100 branches, to the same workers servicing 200 branches in an 8-hour shift, five days a week.
The picking process now requires only 7 hours of an 8-hour shift, allowing labor to be allocated to other workflows.
Training time for new workers was reduced from 1–2 days to just one hour.

Quantitative Benefit

Minimum 20% improvement in both productivity and accuracy over scanning.
Moved from 12 associates working 12 hours a day, six days a week, servicing 100 branches, to the same workers servicing 200 branches in an 8-hour shift, five days a week.
Picking process now requires only 7 hours of an 8-hour shift.
Training time reduced from 1–2 days to one hour.