Executing tasks through voice commands

Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant; who isn't familiar with these virtual assistants? Through voice commands, you can ask these models to perform various actions for you. The significant rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has certainly contributed to this. Within GreenCommerce, there was no possibility for voice-controlled commands, until now! Developer Remco van der Voort has explored the possibilities of voice within our WMS App for his thesis. In this update, he talks about the current status of his project and the intended end goal.

The WMS App is a tool for order pickers in a fresh produce warehouse that enables digital order picking. Employees receive a digital pick list via a tablet, which works with the most up-to-date information. Remco explains: "As a developer, you want to minimize the number of clicks for users as much as possible through automation. When you can perform an action with voice, you significantly reduce the number of clicks. This was the driving force behind my research: what is the feasibility of voice control in a GreenCommerce application?"

Within GreenCommerce, we currently do not have voice-activated functionalities. This research introduced Remco to a new world of these technologies. He shares, “We were certainly aware of the possibilities, but we hadn't implemented them in our applications yet. This made the research particularly interesting.”

Remco chose a technique that can be expanded through a dictionary: “Since the fresh produce sector involves a lot of jargon and sector-specific terms, it's essential to add these words to a dictionary. This can be done by training a speech recognition model. I tested two different speech technologies in the WMS App through a proof of concept, and the best technique became clear: Azure Speech. I am currently integrating this technique into the WMS App.”

Employees can give voice commands to perform actions through a new microphone button in the WMS App. For example, to search for a pallet or complete a pick action. “The voice search for pallets isn't live for customers yet but is already working! Next on the agenda is finalizing a pick list via voice. Soon, I will test the latest results with a customer. Validation sessions are crucial at this stage, so they will happen more frequently in the coming period,” says Remco.

The first feedback round highlighted the need for a warning before executing an important action. “This prevents the need to correct every misspoken command. The employee first receives a confirmation prompt before the action is performed. For instance, this is a helpful gatekeeper for printing stickers.”

Remco concludes, “I enjoy seeing what the customer needs. As a developer, you get a case study, but it truly comes to life when you see it in practice. That's why feedback from the end user is so vital.”

Interested in the capabilities of the WMS App or Remco's research? Contact us at info@greencommerce.nl or call +31 174 - 642 622.