It’s a well-known fact that happy and
motivated workers produce better results, as illustrated in findings from a recent
study by Warwick University. The study, carried out in laboratory
conditions, found that happier workers were 12% more productive than their
counterparts. It underlines staff morale and wellbeing is not just an HR goal:
it’s fundamental to business performance levels.
The logistics sector must actively manage
morale to ensure it attracts and retains the best employees. The warehouse is a
key focus here, and traditionally may not be seen as the happiest of working
environments.
However, warehouse managers now have one more
tool to keep workers motivated, in both what they are doing and how they are doing
it.
Keeping
the workforce motivated
The concept of talking to a machine may not
sound like a great motivator, but voice
technology in a warehouse has been found to have positive effects on warehouse
workers’ work- life balance and overall wellbeing. How? Through providing clear
guidance and direction over the course of the shift, and enabling greater
efficiency.
Through voice-directed work, warehouse staff
use small belt-worn portable devices and headsets, leaving them hands-free and
eyes-free, focused on the task at hand. Instructions from the warehouse
management system are delivered through the headset, one simple command at a
time. The picker confirms each instruction verbally and the system is updated
in real time. As instructions are given on an as-needed basis, pickers can
concentrate on single actions without distraction or delay, thereby reducing errors.
Compared to manual processes, which involve
checking lists or screens while simultaneously trying to carry out high volumes
of goods without making mistakes, a great deal of the stress associated with
warehouse picking can also be removed. Businesses adopting voice have seen an
average increase of 20% in worker productivity compared with previous systems.
At the same time, accuracy rates have risen up to 99.98%, critical when
considering that the cost of returning an incorrect item is up to five times as
much as processing a new sale.
Incentivise
But how does being more efficient make
workers happier? It’s the responsibility of the warehouse manager to ensure
that a good job does not go unrewarded. With voice in place, it is possible to
introduce competition and gamify elements of the working day, offering rewards
for completing additional tasks or meeting all targets for a set period.
By viewing workflows in real time and
monitoring progress, employers can also adopt a more flexible model,
re-directing staff onto particularly busy tasks in order to help teammates, for
example. This way, the work is completed quicker, which quite simply means that
staff are required to work less overtime and can restore the work-life balance.
This use of incentives, better informed by
technology, contributes to the overall wellbeing of the workforce, while
creating more fully-rounded employees.
Health
and safety
Health and safety should also be considered
as important to overall worker morale. Warehouses can be inhospitable at times
but the increasing use of technology is helping to produce safer working
environments. For example in freezer picking, wearing a voice headset means no
need for workers to remove gloves to type information into a mobile computer, a
small yet incredibly strong benefit through the course of a working day.
Working with both hands free also makes it
easier to lift heavy items safely, and having both eyes free means better
awareness of your surroundings, reducing the risk of accidents.
Cumulatively, all of this has a profound
effect. Workers have been shown to be less tense at the end of the day. Their
daily tasks become that much easier to achieve, there is a reduction in their
worry of making a mistake, and they know they are working as efficiently as
possible, allowing them to leave on time.
Is technology
the deal-breaker?
The use of technology can be seen as an
enabler for the productive warehouse. With the current pressure on logistics
performance, it’s clearly in the warehouse manager’s interest to develop the
most efficient working models possible. Happier workers are a by-product of
this.
Securing skilled workers, rewarding them and retaining
them allows warehouse operations to run as smoothly as possible. By having the
more attractive workplace environment, companies are more likely to attract and
retain the best candidates, ensuring quality results.
Contributed by: Honeywell Vocollect Solutions
