Case Study: WHSmith achieves 99.9% pick accuracy and 25% higher productivity with Körber AG VoiceMan voice-directed picking

WHSmith - Customer Case Study

WHSmith is a British retailer operating a nationwide chain of shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, entertainment products, and confectionery. Facing very limited in‑store storage and the need for just‑in‑time, highly accurate deliveries, WHSmith partnered with Körber AG to replace paper picklists, prevent mispicks, and provide a hands‑and‑eyes‑free picking solution using Körber’s VoiceMan voice‑directed picking system and TalkMan voice terminals.

Körber AG implemented VoiceMan and TalkMan at WHSmith’s Holford warehouse, giving users control over the flow of instructions and enabling voice‑directed picking. In the first month average daily picks per person rose from 561 to 701, accuracy reached around 99.9%, quality control staff were eliminated at Holford, and far fewer resources are spent tracking and verifying delivery errors, driving measurable productivity gains.

WHSmith