Dematic has announced that a leading global cold storage provider has implemented its Dematic Voice solution at two key distribution centres. The rollout includes the customer’s Melbourne site, which is its largest distribution centre in the Southern Hemisphere, and its site in Adelaide, South Australia.
The company, a worldwide leader in temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics, operates more than 450 facilities across 18 countries. Recognised for its critical role in the global food supply chain, the solution rollout follows a successful proof of concept at both locations, where Dematic Voice demonstrated its ability to improve operational efficiency, enhance user satisfaction, and address longstanding challenges. With features such as advanced voice recognition and gamified workflows, the solution streamlines processes across diverse operational environments.
“The feedback from our customer’s operations team was overwhelmingly positive,” says Robert Deane, Connect Workforce Solutions (CWS™) Sales Manager, Southern Region & New Zealand at Dematic ANZ. “Operators were impressed by the system’s voice recognition capabilities and intuitive interface. One of the most common questions our customer received from their team was, ‘When can we start using this?’ The success of the proof of concept confirmed that Dematic Voice was the right choice.”
From challenges to solutions
Dematic Voice will replace a legacy system that was creating inefficiencies and operational challenges. The new solution introduces advanced features that increase productivity, streamline workflows, engage users, and improve accuracy.
“Our data shows that companies using voice technology as part of a broader warehouse optimisation strategy see productivity gains of 25–35% for case picking and piece picking,” says Deane. “This is especially important for facilities like our customer’s site in Melbourne, where operational scale requires extremely high efficiency.”
Voice picking has been shown to achieve accuracy rates of 99.8–99.98%, a significant improvement over other methods like pick-to-light (PTL). This precision is crucial in fast-paced environments such as cold chain distribution centres, where even minor errors can disrupt the supply chain.
Another standout capability of the solution is gamification through ‘CWS Reports, which introduces friendly competition to the warehouse floor. Tools like the Top Picker User List provide real-time insights into individual performance.
“The gamified elements of Dematic Voice are transformative,” says Deane. “Recognising top performers and fostering friendly competition encourages operators to consistently push for excellence. It’s a simple concept with a powerful impact on productivity and engagement.”
Additional features, such as Pick Quantity Countdown, provide operators with real-time updates on the number of items remaining for each pick. This feature ensures task accuracy and keeps operations on track. The solution also includes a visualised pick-list interface on Android devices and a Pallet Wizard, which is currently in development, to further optimise workflows.
Custom solutions for diverse operations
Dematic’s approach focuses on tailoring the solution to meet specific site requirements. This ensures that operators can work more efficiently and with greater accuracy, improving overall productivity and reducing operational strain.
“Our tailored approach allows us to align solutions with the unique requirements of each customer site,” says Deane. “At the Melbourne site, deploying headsets ensured a smooth and rapid transition, while the flexibility of Dematic Voice at the Adelaide site demonstrated its ability to integrate seamlessly with Android devices. This adaptability, along with advanced features like pick-list visualisation, has been key for enhancing productivity and accuracy across customer operations.”
A milestone in logistics technology
The rollout at the Adelaide site is underway, with thorough user acceptance testing and workflow finalisation, ensuring a smooth implementation. The collaboration between Dematic and our customer underscores the shared goal of driving operational improvements through innovative technology.
The deployment is expected to be fully operational across both sites in the coming months, providing this Dematic customer with a robust voice technology solution that speeds warehouse processes and meets heightened demands.