Case Study
Henry Schein, Inc.
Voice Picking
Henry Schein Distribution Centers Increase Efficiency
Using Voice Picking Technology
Overview
Henry Schein is always looking for new ways to
improve the experience and satisfaction of its
customers. To ensure fast and accurate delivery
of orders, and make the process of picking,
packing, and distributing products more effi-
cient, Jennifer™ voice picking technology was
installed by Lucas Systems, Inc. at the
Company’s distribution centers in Jacksonville,
Florida and Dallas, Texas.
The Challenge
With daily shipments of 60,000 boxes between
Henry Schein’s five major North American distri-
bution centers, Team Schein Members (TSMs)
were faced with the challenge of accurately and
quickly processing client orders. Previously,
Henry Schein’s warehouses used a manual paper
system to report information about items ordered,
such as product descriptions, expiration dates,
and quantities. With a steadily increasing volume
of orders, meeting the Company’s guarantee that
any order received by 5 p.m. EST would be
processed and shipped the same day became a
significant challenge. Furthermore, new, more
stringent product distribution regulatory require-
ments such as Pedigree Tracking Laws required
that the Company provide TSMs with better tools
and the flexibility to adapt to new business
requirements. It was clear that a new system was
needed to improve the efficiency of the picking
and packing process at Henry Schein’s ware-
houses and better enable the Company to provide
the best service possible to its customers.
The Solution
To improve productivity, eliminate errors through-
out the distribution process, and better serve its
customers, Henry Schein partnered with Lucas
Systems to develop and implement a customized
voice-directed logistics system. The new system,
Jennifer™, consists of a small wearable comput-
er and headset that verbally directs each ware-
house TSM, providing him or her with product
locations, descriptions, lot numbers, and expira-
Progress of Picking Accuracy for
Henry Schein Warehouse 2007-2008
100
99.95
99.9
99.85
99.8
Jan March
Month
tion dates. Jennifer™ also validates the product
information, increasing the accuracy of orders. By
replacing printed product lists, Jennifer™ allows
TSMs to work in a hands-free environment,
increasing the number of orders each TSM can
process.
The Result
Overall, Henry Schein’s warehouses that have
implemented the new technology have benefited
immensely. After being launched in August 2006
in Jacksonville, Jennifer™ proved to be so suc-
cessful that the new system was also implement-
ed in the Dallas Distribution Center in November
2007. For both facilities, the product-picking accu-
racy has increased by 12%. Productivity, meas-
Henry Schein, Inc., 135 Duryea Road, Melville NY 11747
www.henryschein.com
ured by the number of product lines each TSM
can process per hour, has improved by 8%.
Jennifer™ also has provided visibility to work in
process, enabling supervisors to track and com-
municate any product changes for a particular
order. The user-friendly voice picking technology
has reduced training time for new TSMs from
weeks to days. Because of its tremendous added-
value for both Henry Schein and its customers,
voice picking technology will be implemented in
the Company’s distribution centers in Denver,
Pennsylvania; Reno, Nevada; and Indianapolis,
2008
2007
May
Team Schein Member uses Voice Picking Technology
in warehouse
Indiana beginning in 2009. The implementation of
voice picking technology has provided Henry
Schein with a viable platform to continually
improve the Company’s ability to serve its cus-
tomers and allow for continued growth.
August 2008