Voice solution delivers increased integration, productivity and return on investment within 6 months

Voice solution delivers increased integration, productivity and return on investment within 6 months

Zetes, the pan-European supplier of solutions and services for the automatic identification of goods and people, announces it has implemented its voice solution 3iV Crystal at Vanity Fair Brands (VFB) Lingerie Europe for the automisation and optimisation of its logistics processes.

VFB Lingerie Europe, a company that manufactures lingerie and swimwear and has been part of the North American Fruit of the Loom Group since 2007, owns some of the most famous brands on the market, such as Belcor, Intima Cherry, Gemma, Lou Paris, Variance, Bestform and Vanity Fair.

Speeding up stock distribution

One of the reasons for the success of VFB Lingerie Europe is its consistent use of traditional business methods, such as a distribution system. The company contacted Zetes because it wanted to optimise distribution and provide a faster, more efficient service for its various distribution channels.

Zetes’s voice solution 3iV Crystal is used for automating the picking and cross-docking processes at VFB Lingerie Europe's main warehouse in Igualada, Spain, which has an area of 8,000 square metres. All the company’s multinational brands are distributed from there. The Igualada facility can send out anything from 15,000 items a day to 25,000 at its busiest times.

3iV Crystal was integrated directly into the Manhattan warehouse management system already used by VFB Lingerie Europe and did not require any middleware. Zetes also adapted its voice solution to meet the company’s needs. Since the company has a wide range of products and a high volume of information, Zetes customised the voice system so that the company could conduct picking and cross-docking tasks using voice technology. The system performs various tasks simultaneously, and manages all shipments, taking into account styles, sizes, colours, etc., and obtaining real-time information whenever required.

Roll out yields quick return

After designing and implementing the solution, Zetes was also involved in change management and staff training.

VFB Lingerie Europe began working with the Zetes voice system in September 2009. Now, having used it for only six months, the company has already recouped its investment and gained measurable benefits.

Toni Solé, IT manager of VFB Lingerie Europe, says: “In just six months, our initial expectations have been fulfilled. Zetes and its voice solution have enabled us to increase productivity by around 20%, and we can now offer a faster, more efficient service to various companies without any errors, unlike the previous paper-based system, where errors were inevitable due to the wide variety of products we handle.”