Schweppes Australia Delivering an integrated voice solution to the warehouse.

Schweppes Australia decided to implement a fully integrated voice-operated system to deliver a comprehensive picking solution that would eliminate the double handling of pallets, equip managers and supervisors with work flow visibility, and provide a safer place of work for the pickers.

Iconic brand Schweppes has been delivering up to 15 minutes. As many of the product premium quality non-alcoholic beverages descriptions are similar, pickers could easily to Australians for over 150 years. First misread information and this caused delivery pioneered in Geneva in 1783 by Jacob errors. Stock tracking was also made Schweppes, the remarkable process of difficult due to multiple SKUs and pallets capturing and bottling bubbles was brought being stocked at each picking location. to Australia in 1850. The first Schweppes factory was built in Sydney in 1877. In order to combat the inaccuracies and inefficiencies caused by an out-dated paper Today, Schweppes Australia is a beverage powerhouse, boasting 1,800 employees, based picking system, Schweppes Australia 11 manufacturing sites and 12 distribution decided to implement a fully integrated centres across the country. It manufactures voice-operated system to deliver a some of Australia’s most loved and popular comprehensive picking solution that would drinks including Schweppes, SOLO, eliminate the double handling of pallets, Cottee’s, Spring Valley, and . equip managers and supervisors with work Working closely with its customers, flow visibility, and provide a safer place of Schweppes Australia distributes and work for the pickers. delivers beverage products to over 30,000 According to Schweppes Australia’s customers nationally. One of its largest National Logistics Execution Manager, distribution centres, the Archerfield site in Danny Murphy, what Schweppes Australia Queensland services a large majority of the set out to do was actually much more than state’s market. Over 40 employees pick up to 16,000 cases daily, which are then just replace paper. delivered to more than 5,000 customers. “Our goal was to build a fully integrated Until recently, the site operated using a system that would eliminate the double paper based picking system. The process handling of pallets and non-value add of planning each load could take the picker repetitive tasks, as well as provide our

Dexion Case Study – Schweppes Australia “We’ve seen a significant improvement in the allocation of resources, productivity and accuracy since introducing Dexion’s RDS. Within the first week of using the paperless voice system, our carton picking errors were reduced by 90%.”

managers and supervisors with visibility in SAP transactions, Dexion’s RDS provided a the workplace, which creates a safer place single real-time interface to Schweppes to work for our pickers,” said Murphy. Australia’s existing systems, aggregating multiple features for the varying functions Schweppes Australia engaged Dexion to within the distribution centre. implement a multifunctional paperless solution that would control the physical Dexion’s RDS has resolved the issue of and operational aspects of Archerfield’s product identification, previously a major distribution centre. Dexion partnered with challenge for the Archerfield warehouse. world leader in voice enabled solutions, Under the paper-based system, pickers Vocollect by Honeywell, to deliver a paperless had to identify 400 different products in picking system that would afford the best the warehouse – some of which have improvements in efficiency and accuracy. markedly similar packaging, such as Pepsi and Pepsi Max. According to Dexion Australia’s Systems Sales Manager, Mike Dowd, the Dexion According to Schweppes Australia’s Real-time Distribution System (RDS) was Queensland Distribution Manager, Mike used as the platform to facilitate process Heide, the operational improvements as a improvements and integration with the result of implementing Dexion’s RDS were Schweppes ERP system SAP. immediately visible. “The RDS provides a flexible and cost “We’ve seen a significant improvement in effective solution to provide coal face the allocation of resources, productivity and functionality and practicality with minimal accuracy since introducing Dexion’s RDS. impact on the Host system,” said Dowd. Within the first week of using the paperless voice system, our carton picking errors A key consideration in rolling out the new were reduced by 90%,” observed Heide. solution was to establish how the pallets would be built according to order size. In “The implementation of Dexion’s RDS was contrast to the old model, in which all work seamless, particularly due to the help of was completed on paper with numerous Dexion’s expert team who were on site for

Dexion Case Study – Schweppes Australia “A voice-directed solution was the stand-out option for Schweppes to optimise its supply chain performance due to the ease with which it could be implemented and trained across the entire workforce.”

six weeks prior to the cut-over, providing enhancements to Archerfield’s customer training and assistance wherever needed,” service levels. added Heide. “A voice-directed solution was the stand-out “One of the key benefits of the automated option for Schweppes to optimise its supply voice solution is that pickers can be trained chain performance due to the ease with in a much shorter timeframe. We can now which it could be implemented and trained set up voice templates for new operators in across the entire workforce. The integration 10 minutes and a picker can be trained on of the voice project occurred very quickly, the product range within 20 minutes. This providing a significant return-on-investment repeating the check digit and verbally Henwood agrees that the new system is contrasts to the old system where it would within a short timeframe,” said Phillips. confirming the quantity picked,” noticeably quicker. take up to two weeks before an operator “Schweppes Australia should be explained Henwood. could be fully confident to pick unsupervised,” commended for its forward thinking. It “I pick a lot faster and the process of said Heide. set out to achieve so much more than just Archerfield’s Distribution Centre Manager, invoicing is much smoother. It’s also more Nathan Lucinsky, has also witnessed Under the new automated voice solution, replace paper. The integrated Dexion and accurate because I’m allocated a specific greater accuracy in order completions. a picker is provided with a pallet label. Vocollect voice system eliminates double pallet and a specific number of products They are then directed to the correct handling of pallets and non-value add “We can gauge the workload at the that need to be picked,” said Henwood. picking location via the new Vocollect repetitive tasks. This equates to a more beginning of the day and flex our casual The availability of these accuracy and SRX2 Wireless Headset. The location is efficient and accurate distribution centre labour force based on this information, confirmed by the use of a check digit upon operation,” added Phillips. rather than waiting for the end of the day to productivity figures under the new system arrival – removing any manual direction or According to Archerfield picker, Mitchell determine how much work is still required. means management can now clearly confusion about location. The voice system Henwood, the consensus amongst the The new system has allowed us greater identify what each picker is picking, what advises the picker how many cartons they team is that the voice-controlled system is accuracy for our customer deliveries,” their pick rate is and how much work need to pick and the picker repeats the very simple to use. observed Lucinsky. they’ve completed. Where managers used quantity back to the system. “The new system has made my job much Heide expects productivity benefits for the to manually review each picker’s Vocollect by Honeywell’s regional manager easier because I’m no longer using any pickers too, particularly when it comes to paperwork daily, they now simply press a for Australia and New Zealand, Paul paperwork. All I need to think about is product replenishment. He observed a button to access a comprehensive Phillips, has already witnessed major pulling up at the location given to me, pick rate increase of around 20%. productivity report for each picker.

Dexion Case Study – Schweppes Australia The improvements in efficiency, productivity, visibility and safety have together enhanced the site’s supply chain performance – a benefit that is ultimately passed on to the customer, who is rewarded with quicker and more accurate deliveries.

Safety is also a top priority for Schweppes pickface and we’re providing a safer work picking standard in Australia. We have another milestone step in our journey to Australia. Voice is well-suited to operations environment for our employees,” already seen a range of productivity, becoming a best practice workplace,” such as Schweppes because it allows observed Murphy. quality and safety improvements. Most said Gatenby. workers’ hands to be free for picking, rather importantly, we have seen the benefits to Schweppes Archerfield’s distribution centre than occupied with paper, scanners or is not the only winner following the our customers. We’ve had a terrific labels. Drivers no longer need to refer to implementation of the new voice system. experience at Archerfield, and I strongly their pick sheet whilst driving; they now The improvements in efficiency, productivity, recommend using this technology across receive all instructions via a wireless visibility and safety have together enhanced all our distribution centres. I see it as headset, so as not to be distracted. the site’s supply chain performance – a “Safety in the workplace is a big priority – benefit that is ultimately passed on to we want to make sure our workers go the customer, who is rewarded with home safe. Under the old system, forklift quicker and more accurate deliveries. operators would drive around the Schweppes Archerfield’s pickers are also warehouse with their heads down looking incredibly pleased with the new system, at their pick sheet. Under the new system, valuing the investment made by their there’s no paper so their heads are up and managers to ensure that they have access they are visually checking to make sure to the latest technologies that will make everything is safe as they drive around,” their jobs much easier and safer. said Lucinsky. Given the success of Archerfield, Murphy considers the biggest benefit of Schweppes Australia’s General Manager the voice solution to be the seamless of Logistics and Customer Service integration of all the warehouse systems. Operations, Ian Gatenby, has plans to roll “As a result of implementing voice we were out the new technology nationally. “We able to activate a real-time replenishment would like to leverage the benefits we’re system, which is more efficient and accurate. seeing at Archerfield right across our We have stronger batch control at our network. Ideally, Archerfield will set the

Dexion Case Study – Schweppes Australia