Press Releases / Ace Endico Boosts Productivity, Quality, And Morale

Oct 24, 2011

Ace Endico Boosts Productivity, Quality, And Morale

Broadline Foodservice Distributor Achieved 28 Percent Gains in Case Picking Rates and 44 Percent Reduction in Picking Errors Since Replacing RF Scanning Solution with Jennifer™

Lucas Systems, Inc., the largest independent provider of voice-directed warehouse applications, today reported that Ace Endico has realized dramatic productivity and quality improvements using Jennifer™ FoodSelect, the industry’s first voice-directed solution for foodservice and grocery distribution centers. Order selectors at Ace Endico have increased their average case picking rates more than 28 percent working with Jennifer for voice picking. Picking errors have also decreased by 44 percent.

“Our goal was to improve productivity, efficiency and accuracy, and with Jennifer we have exceeded our expectations,” said Murray Hertzberg, President of Ace Endico. “As a byproduct of our productivity gains with Jennifer we have been able to increase our shipping volumes with the same number of workers. And since our workers are paid based on productivity, they are taking home bigger paychecks. In addition, we have dramatically reduced re-ships due to picking errors, which saves us time and money, while improving customer satisfaction. Another byproduct of Jennifer is improved employee morale. Our employee turnover has gone from almost 100 percent per year to zero in the six months since moving to voice. Our selectors see Jennifer as a tool to help them do their jobs better. The system is easy for people to learn, Jennifer’s speech recognition is faster than scanning barcodes, and selectors work completely eyes- and hands-free, which is more efficient and safer than reading labels. Finally, there are no mechanical equipment issues like we had with our wrist-mounted ring scanning solution.”

Ace Endico is the first foodservice distributor to install Jennifer FoodSelect, the first voice application designed for foodservice, grocery and other food distribution centers. The solution provides configurable voice directed order selection, truck loading, and QC/Audit applications, as well as the Engage Management Services Console (MSC), a Web-based management application. Ace Endico uses the system in freezer, cooler and ambient areas, including two-stage PIR picking of slow moving items. The order selection module fully supports flexible data capture options – voice or scan – to support food traceability initiatives. The QC/Audit application allows managers to better prioritize audits and make more effective use of audit resources, in addition to creating a mobile audit process. Voice-directed truck loading helps ensure all the right items get on the trucks and creates accurate load maps for drivers. In addition, Ace Endico has installed the Speedometer tool that provides workers with real-time productivity alerts while they work.

“Ace Endico has been a great launch partner for this new Jennifer FoodSelect product,” says Jeff Slevin, Chief Operating Officer of Lucas Systems. “Unlike a general-purpose voice system, Jennifer FoodSelect is a comprehensive, pre-configured voice system for food DCs that extends and complements the ERP, inventory and warehouse management systems of mid-sized distributors. It includes a rich set of next-generation management tools that were previously out of reach to many of these companies. And like every Jennifer solution, Jennifer FoodSelect has a modular, configurable design providing the flexibility to tailor and adapt the system to current and future needs of individual warehouses.”

About Lucas Systems, Inc.
Since 1998, Lucas Systems has delivered more voice-directed warehouse applications on a wider variety of mobile computers than any other company. Customers like Cardinal Health, The Container Store, HD Supply, Kraft Nabisco, OfficeMax, Oriental Trading Company and Rustoleum trust Lucas to deliver solutions that greatly improve worker productivity and accuracy because Lucas truly understands warehouse operations. Jennifer VoicePlus, the Lucas voice solution, creates a conversation with warehouse workers that frees their hands and eyes to focus on the job at hand. Jennifer also provides managers and supervisors with real-time reporting and management tools that help them better manage their operations. Tens of thousands of associates at hundreds of distribution centers work with Jennifer every day.

Back to all press releases