Boyne Valley Group has invested €250,000 in a voice directed logistics solution for it’s 55,000 square foot distribution centre in Drogheda, Co. Louth. After only six weeks in operation Boyne Valley has reported a 20% increase in productivity and a 100% order accuracy. The voice directed system was supplied and installed by Heavey RF.

“The new system is going very well and it has surpassed our expectations in a short space of time,” said Fran Egan, Group Logistics Manager, Boyne Valley. “The information provided is in real-time, which is invaluable as we can see exactly what’s happening and where we need to reposition our team to ensure 100% customer satisfaction. Already we have received positive feedback from our customers who have noticed an increase in the accuracy of orders.”

“We opted for a complete voice solution throughout the warehouse, This means that the system sets the pace at which the work is carried out rather than the operative setting the pace which ultimately means faster order completion and delivery.”

Electronic orders are automatically converted to speech which are directed to the warehouse staff using wireless technology provided by Heavey RF. Heavey RF, which is the direct partner of voice directed work company. Vocollect, develops the software applications locally in Ireland.

“50 % of Boyne Valley Logistics staff are from Eastern European countries including Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, said Ronan Clinton, MD Heavey RF. “We were able to provide training in both English and Polish for the staff however the voice commands are given in English and determining different accents is not a problem for the voice recognition technology installed.”

Spanning over 650 products and well known brands including Boyne Valley Honey, Don Carlos, Killeen, Harvest Fare, Koka Noodles, Rob Roy and Walkers Crisps, Boyne Valley supplies the grocery trade in Ireland including all the large multiples.

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About Boyne Valley Group

The Boyne Valley Group has companies spanning 33 categories of Food, Personal Care and Home Care products. Its brand portfolio has made it a market leader with local brands including Killeen, Don Carlos, Giovanni di Firenze and Boyne Valley Honey. In business for 50 years Boyne Valley today employs 300 people and supports the jobs of distributors and many suppliers.

The Boyne Valley Central Warehouse and Distribution Centre, based on the Platin Road in Drogheda, just a short distance from the M1 motorway, benefits from one of the most strategic distribution locations in Ireland.

The Distribution Centre consists of a purpose built Warehousing complex on a fully serviced 12 acre site. With 55,000 square feet of computer controlled ambient storage facilities, the warehouse can accommodate 6,000 pallets with plans to extend the complex to 220,000 square feet in the near future.

Boyne Valley provide next day delivery to almost 3,000 retail grocery outlets across the entire 32 counties of Ireland. Advanced warehouse management systems and other IT tools including radio frequency devices are used to improve handling efficiency, allow accurate product visibility and reduce costs.

About Heavey RF

Irish owned Heavey RF Ltd. is a division of Heavey Technology focusing on mobile solutions using Radio Frequency technology. This includes the supply of handheld and vehicle mount radio data terminals (RDT's) as well as voice directed systems, integration software and peripherals and wireless security solutions. It has been working with Psion Teklogix since 1995, and has built up a large and impressive customer base.

About Vocollect, Inc.

Since 1987, Vocollect has delivered dramatic improvements in productivity, accuracy, cost reduction and worker satisfaction for mobile employees. Vocollect’s voice-directed work applications literally talk people through their daily tasks, replacing traditional work lists and cumbersome data capture methods with personal voice dialogs. The company’s global network of resellers and supply chain performance experts enables hundreds of thousands of people on six continents to use voice to improve work every day. Vocollect is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S., and supports its clients and resellers through regional offices in Europe, Latin America and Asia. For more information, visit www.vocollect.com. Vocollect®, Talkman®, Vocollect Voice®, and Voice-Directed Work™ are registered trademarks of Vocollect, Inc. All rights reserved.