OfficeMax invests NZD $750,000 in wearable tech upgrade

OfficeMax has implemented wearable scanning technology at its Auckland Distribution Centre (DC) in a bid to enhance productivity during the company's busiest period.

The company has invested NZD $750,000 to equip 40 workers with high-tech glove scanning technology. This investment follows a trial completed in late 2023, which demonstrated a 20% rise in individual productivity.

Kevin Obern, Managing Director of OfficeMax, highlighted the efficiency gains realised through this blend of human skill and technology, stating, "This blend of human capability and modern technology has streamlined a major part of the job for our team by freeing up their hands. It's really exciting to see this adopted by our workforce."

Prior to this technological upgrade, workers handled separate handheld scanners, an action required for approximately 200,000 scans every week. Obern explained the inefficiencies of the previous process: "We recognised that our team were losing about five seconds every time they pick up, scan, and set down a handheld scanner – it was very cumbersome. It doesn't sound like much, but the cumulative impact was significant across the workforce and especially during peak season."

The new glove technology allows workers to press a button with their thumb to scan items, which then informs them via headset on what to pick and where from, thereby streamlining their workflow.

The initiative forms part of a broader effort to future-proof and enhance the operational efficiency of OfficeMax's distribution centres. Alongside this, the company has upgraded its Talkman headset kits with a NZD $200,000 investment and spent NZD $450,000 to improve its network infrastructure, ensuring high-speed, reliable WiFi connectivity and eliminating coverage blind spots in the DC.

Long-time employee Lorraine Watson shared her positive experiences following these upgrades: "The new glove has been fantastic because now I can just press the button on my thumb and keep going – it's less fidgety and we get more done," she said.

Beyond the current technological advancements, OfficeMax has committed over NZD $5 million in recent years to various innovations aimed at improving sustainability and operational efficiency. These include automated packaging systems, solar panel installations at the Auckland DC, and fully electrifying the mechanical handling fleet.

OfficeMax is New Zealand's workplace and education solutions provider, with tens of thousands of products available through its online-retail business. The company employs more than 500 New Zealanders across its two distribution centres, three showrooms, sales offices, contact centre and Highbrook HQ.