Sysco Guest Supply Leverages Vocollect Voice for Efficient Just-in-Time Deliveries
Company Size
1,000+
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Vocollect VoiceLink Enterprise Connector
- Vocollect SR-20 Headsets
- Vocollect A500 Mobile Devices
- Vocollect VoiceCatalyst
- Vocollect VoiceConsole Software
Tech Stack
- Voice Technology
- Warehouse Management System (WMS)
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
- Functional Applications - Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Supply Chain Visibility
- Warehouse Automation
Services
- System Integration
- Training
About The Customer
Founded in 1979, Sysco Guest Supply is owned by Sysco Corporation, the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments, and other customers that prepare meals away from home. Headquartered in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, Sysco Guest Supply is the largest full-service provider of personal care amenity programs and room accessories to the lodging industry. The company services virtually every large hotel worldwide. And today, Sysco Guest Supply uses Honeywell Vocollect voice to help deliver on its promise to deliver good things to its customers.
The Challenge
The company’s key strategic business challenge is dealing with extreme peak volumes the first week of every month and during summer holidays. In the distribution side of the business, dealing with these peak times – particularly a fluctuating order velocity and the need for correct orders – is pivotal. But this is compounded by other needs. Typically, hotels have virtually no floor space to accommodate storing amenities; they rely on Sysco Guest Supply to manage their inventory in a just-in-time fashion and send them what they need, when they need it. And, like so many other companies, there is an ever-present need to do more with less. All of this has made Vocollect voice a natural fit.
The Solution
Based on industry trade information, Director of Distribution Jim Makowski started to see voice as the right technology to help him meet the enormous task of worldwide just-in-time deliveries. His technology partner Vitech Business Group recommended that he consider Vocollect voice. After a short pilot netted tremendous initial results, Makowski made the decision to move to Vocollect voice, and move fast. So fast, in fact, that in a one-year period he launched it into 10 distribution centers (DCs). Says Makowski, “After the design, configuration and testing phases, our first deployment took five days. I drove the other deployments myself, and they typically took only four days to become fully operational. We successfully completed all 10 Vocollect voice installations within nine months. This is a real testament to the ease of deployment and the power of a great partnership with Vitech and Honeywell.” Today a total of about 130 workers across 10 North American DCs use Vocollect voice for multiple workflows. The company moves about 13 million cases per year through Vocollect voice.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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