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Sysco Guest Supply Deploys Vocollect Voice across Eight Workflows in 10 DCS; Nets Major Process Improvements
[June 27, 2012]

Sysco Guest Supply Deploys Vocollect Voice across Eight Workflows in 10 DCS; Nets Major Process Improvements


PITTSBURGH --(Business Wire)--

Vocollect, a business unit of Intermec, Inc. (NYSE:IN) and the world leader in voice-enabled solutions for mobile workers, together with Total Solution Partner Vitech Business Group, today announced that Sysco Guest Supply, the largest full-service provider of personal care amenity programs and room accessories to the lodging industry, has obtained strong results from its deployment of Vocollect Voice across eight workflows in 10 United States distribution centers (DCs), including boosting throughput performance by 28 percent and putaway by 26-28 percent.

Headquartered in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, Sysco Guest Supply services virtually every large hotel worldwide. Its key strategic challenge is dealing with extreme peak volumes the first week of every month and during summer holidays. A highly fluctuating order velocity and the need for correct orders, coupled with the need to manage inventory just-in-time, precipitated the need to explore new technology. To meet the need of just-in-time deliveries, the company's distribution leadership settled on voice. Technology partner Vitech Business Group recommended Vocollect and, after a short pilot, Vocollect Voice was implemented across 10 DCs in just nine months.

Today approximately 130 workers across the 10 DCs use Vocollect Voice in eight workflows - order selection, house truck-picking, parcel zone-picking, item demand/replenishment, putaway, count-check (precursor to cycle-counting), and item consolidation - to move more than 10 million cases per year.

"The more distribution workflows you voice-enable, the more efficient you can become. Vocollect Voice has adapted well to our multicultural workforce, nd our employees have embraced the system as a way to do their jobs more efficiently," said Jim Makowski, director of distribution, Sysco Guest Supply. "In comparison with our previous handheld device implementations, deploying Vocollect Voice has been relatively seamless, with each DC requiring just days for implementation after the first one," he said.



Results from the deployment have included:

  • Total throughput increased 28 percent
  • Selection increased 22-24 percent
  • Putaway increased by 26-28 percent

"Vocollect Voice has helped Sysco Guest Supply achieve significant productivity improvements and successfully address its business challenges of extreme peak volume periods and the need for just-in-time deliveries. Its ability to deploy voice into so many distribution workflows so quickly is a real testament to the effectiveness of the solution," said Richard Stewart, principal, Vitech Business Group,


"Sysco Guest Supply is a prime example of the transformative power of voice-enabled technologies to elevate workforce performance, contain costs, and improve customer satisfaction," said Ron Kubera, Vocollect senior vice president and general manager. "Vocollect will continue its market leadership role in driving voice solutions to help businesses accelerate their path to voice enablement in their distribution operations."

About Vocollect

Vocollect, a business unit of Intermec (News - Alert), Inc. (NYSE:IN), is the leading provider of innovative, high-quality voice solutions for mobile workers around the world. Vocollect's market-leading technology, products and services help customers achieve a higher level of business performance through voice. Together with a global team of over 1,700 certified voice professionals, we enable more than 400,000 workers at almost 2,000 companies around the world to distribute US$4 billion in goods every day. Vocollect Voice integrates with all major WMS and ERP systems and supports the industry's leading mobile computing devices. For more information, visit www.vocollect.com. Vocollect® and Vocollect Voice® are registered trademarks of Intermec IP Corp. All rights reserved.

About Vitech Business Group, Inc.

At Vitech, we use our knowledge, experience and passion to achieve exceptional levels of supply chain performance for our clients. We are focused on providing our clients comprehensive solutions that solve their supply chain challenges and enable their operation to perform to its full potential. Vitech forms strategic partnerships with the industry's leading software, hardware and service providers to deliver complete supply chain solutions. Commitment to our customers' success ensures they achieve the best investment-to-return ratio in the industry. To learn more about Vitech, visit www.vitechgroup.com.

About Intermec

Intermec Inc. (NYSE:IN) develops and integrates products, services and technologies that identify, track and manage supply chain assets and information. Core technologies include rugged mobile computing and data collection systems, voice solutions to improve business performance, bar code printers, label media, and RFID. The company's products and services are used by customers in many industries worldwide to improve the productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations. For more information about Intermec, visit www.intermec.com or call 800-347-2636.

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