Achieving Higher Levels of Productivity and Accuracy with Voice Solutions

Voice solutions raise productivity and accuracy by telling workers what to do through a headset. Their hands and eyes stay on the job, and they confirm each step out loud. Ahearn & Soper Inc. specifies, installs and services Honeywell voice systems for Canadian warehouses and plants.

What is voice directed work?

Voice directed work, often called voice picking, guides workers with spoken instructions. The system turns tasks from your warehouse management system (WMS) into speech that tells each worker where to go and what to do. The worker confirms each step into the headset, and the software sends that reply back to your WMS as data [2][4].

Why does voice improve accuracy and output?

With a paper list or a handheld screen, workers have to stop, look down and read. Voice removes that step. Workers keep their eyes on the shelf and both hands free for the product [1].

Results depend on the site, the product mix and how clean the data is. Ask any vendor for results from operations like yours before you decide.

Is voice easier on workers?

Research backs part of this. In a peer reviewed study, 25 volunteers picked orders for 10 hours on two days in a row. Dry eye symptoms rose when a visual display guided them. They stayed stable when voice guided them [6].

Where can voice be used?

Voice fits structured, repeated tasks where people need their hands free:

• Warehouse and distribution: picking, putaway, replenishment, receiving and cycle counting.
• Manufacturing: inspection and maintenance rounds.
• Cold storage: Honeywell rates its A700x series devices to work down to minus 30°C [3][4].

No single picking method is best for every site. A peer reviewed comparison of five paperless systems, voice among them, found that some suit low level warehouses and others bring more benefit on multilevel shelving [7].

What equipment does a voice system use?

A Honeywell voice system has three parts [2][4]:

• A headset, wired or Bluetooth.
• A mobile device that the worker carries or that is mounted on a vehicle. The A710x suits voice only work, and the A730x combines voice with occasional scanning.
• Guided Work Solutions software, which links to your WMS or ERP.

Who makes Honeywell voice products now?

Honeywell sold its Productivity Solutions and Services business, which includes its voice products, to Brady Corporation on 3 August 2026 [1][5]. Honeywell's voice pages now say the business is part of Brady, and they still use product names such as the A700x series. Some headsets and manuals still carry the older Vocollect name.

How does Ahearn & Soper help?

Ahearn & Soper has worked in automatic identification in Canada for 50 years. Our ProVision Automation practice specifies, installs and services voice directed picking. We connect the voice software and A700x series devices to your WMS or ERP. One team is accountable, from the layout drawing to training.

Want to know if voice fits your operation? Contact Ahearn & Soper to talk to a specialist about your aisles and orders.

Frequently asked questions

What is voice picking?

Voice picking guides warehouse workers with spoken instructions through a headset. Workers confirm each step out loud, and the software sends that data back to the warehouse management system.

Does voice picking reduce errors?

It can, mainly because workers keep their hands and eyes on the job and confirm each step by voice instead of reading and marking a paper list. Results vary by site, so ask for results from operations like yours.

Does Ahearn & Soper install voice picking systems?

Yes. Ahearn & Soper specifies, installs and services voice directed picking, and connects the voice software and A700x series devices to your WMS or ERP.

Sources

1. Honeywell, "Voice Automated Solutions" (notes that Honeywell Productivity Solutions and Services is now part of Brady Corporation).
2. Honeywell, "Voice Devices" (A700x series with Guided Work Solutions software).
3. Honeywell, "Voice A710x Mobile Device".
4. Honeywell, "A700x Series: Voice-Enabled Mobile Devices" (datasheet).
5. Honeywell Technologies, "Honeywell Technologies Completes Sale of Productivity Solutions and Services Business to Brady Corporation", 3 August 2026.
6. Klein-Theyer A, Horwath-Winter J, Rabensteiner DF and others, "The Impact of Visual Guided Order Picking on Ocular Comfort, Ocular Surface and Tear Function", PLOS ONE, 2016.
7. Battini D, Calzavara M, Persona A, Sgarbossa F, "A comparative analysis of different paperless picking systems", Industrial Management & Data Systems, 2015.