15 June 2009: Leading supply chain specialist Gist has implemented voice directed picking technology from VoiteQ within its Food logistics business following proof of concept in its distribution centre in Thatcham in 2007, and the ongoing success of the 100% voicepick operation at its Maylands depot in Hemel Hempstead.

Although consistently exceeding accuracy service levels, Gist wanted to further enhance pick accuracy for one of its key customers. By implementing voice picking to a unique pallet ID label, Gist has further reduced picking errors This has in turn improved delivery accuracy leading to better stock availability in store and a reduction in waste.

Voice picking has provided Gist with the ability to track picking on a "real time" basis through the user interface provided by the VoiteQ solution. Management can now respond to performance and scheduling risks more dynamically.

Originally implemented to support the picking of ambient and long life product, Gist is now progressing with voice pick operation in faster moving chill product lines.

Gist manages the chilled and ambient food storage and distribution for a number of UK customers with some of the quickest food supply chains in the UK. The logistics company has multiple warehouses across the UK where Gist staff receive, pick and despatch the product, distributing to a variety of retail store formats throughout the UK including high street and large out of town stores.

The warehouse operatives at sites use the Vocollect Voice device, the Talkman T5 dedicated voice unit, to enable them to interact verbally with the existing Warehouse Management System (WMS) via VoiteQ's VoiceMan middleware. VoiceMan is the UK's leading software for voice-directed warehouse operations, which enables voice functionality to be added onto any existing host WMS solution.

The operator collects a pallet or "dolly" of goods and then declares the product code and quantity of the product that they are picking. The voice system instructs the operator around the picking grid via the most efficient route, directing the picker to the appropriate location in the grid and the quantity to be placed in each location, verifying the pallet ID label using validated check digits to ensure accurate "pick to" location.

Ian Rennie, Gist Business Controller, comments, "We are very pleased with the implementation of Voice into Gist and have quickly created a partner relationship with VoiteQ which has enabled us to move from a small proof of concept in one depot to a full network roll out in an expedient manner. The implementations have been managed extremely well, employees are embracing the new technology and the picking accuracy improvement supports our continuing aim to deliver service excellence to our customer.

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Notes to Editors

About Gist:
Gist combines leading edge experience and expertise to transform supply chains. With industry-specific understanding, know-how and excellence, Gist's solutions bring end-to-end visibility and implementation, from concept to delivery.

Gist's 5,000 employees operate out of 35 locations, providing a full range of intellectual and asset-based business offerings in the UK and continental Europe.

Gist is the largest importer of flowers into the UK and is the 6th largest contracts logistics company in the country.

Gist's customers (including British Airways, Marks & Spencer, Carlsberg UK, and Dutch Flower Group) operate in a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors, including grocery, electronics and gas.

As part of The Linde Group, with around 50,000 employees working in 100 countries worldwide, Gist also benefits from Linde's global capability, synergy and scale.

About VoiteQ - http://www.voiteq.com/
VoiteQ provides industry leading voice directed solutions enabling hands-free and eyes-free warehouse picking, resulting in a smoother, more continuous operation, increasing productivity and accuracy.

VoiteQ is the UK's leading supplier of voice directed distribution systems, having supplied hardware, software, services or support to the majority of UK warehouses which have voice implementations.

VoiteQ supplies fully integrated retail solutions which incorporate Business Management Systems, Warehouse Management Systems, and EPoS systems, as well as VoiceMan, the UK's leading middleware software for voice solutions.

About Vocollect - www.vocollect.com
Since 1987, Vocollect, Inc. has delivered proven performance improvements in productivity, accuracy, cost reduction and job satisfaction for mobile employees. Vocollect Voice literally talks people through their daily tasks, replacing cumbersome lists and traditional data capture methods with hands-free, personal voice dialogs. Through a premier global network of resellers and supply chain performance experts, hundreds of thousands of people on six continents use Vocollect Voice to improve work every day. Vocollect is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A., and supports its clients and resellers through offices in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Vocollect®, Vocollect Voice®, and Voice-Directed Work® are trademarks of Vocollect, Inc. All rights reserved.

For further information please contact:
Caroline Howlett
Strategic PR
01494 434434
07956430338

Further information (external website)