Honeywell has unveiled an update that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into its Guided Work Solutions, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and delivering better shopping experiences for retailers in today’s competitive landscape. The AI-driven speech technology in Honeywell Guided Work Solutions enables in-store associates to perform tasks such as click-and-collect order fulfillment, shelf restocking, and returns processing with speed and efficiency.
The development of this AI-enhanced solution to streamline retail operations also aligns with Honeywell’s portfolio focus on three compelling megatrends: automation, the future of aviation, and energy transition.
By combining headset-enabled speech direction with software that offers insights and analytics built on Honeywell Forge architecture, the updated solution guides retail associates through workflows in real-time. Associates simply speak into a hands-free headset and receive specific directions and confirmation for selecting the right items. With the integration of AI, the solution can understand employees’ speech in more than 48 different languages, despite variations in tone, dialect, and pronunciation.
“The retail landscape has undergone a significant transformation, particularly with trends like buy online, pick up in-store, and the advent of highly personalized shopping experiences,” said David Barker, president of Honeywell Productivity Solutions and Services. “As retailers seek ways to improve their operational performance and enhance the customer experience, Guided Work Solutions is the ideal tool to accomplish these goals. It harnesses the strengths of AI technology to empower retail associates to serve in-store customers in a more efficient manner.”
Honeywell Guided Work Solutions helps retailers build a competitive advantage and optimise daily operations by increasing productivity, decreasing training time, and reducing out-of-stock items on shelves, thereby facilitating the potential for greater in-store sales.
Since launching Honeywell Guided Work Solutions in 2018, it has enabled retailers to improve productivity by more than 30 per cent over radiofrequency (RF) scanning and achieve upwards of 99 per cent accuracy in product picking.
As a result, store managers can make better use of limited labor resources by leveraging time savings to reallocate their workforce to other value-added activities or increase the number of orders fulfilled within the same timeframe.