What are Dropped Sessions?
A dropped session is when the connection is lost between the device a warehouse worker is using and the backend warehouse management system (WMS). When the connection is lost, the session they are working on is ‘dropped’. The worker loses access to the task they were in the middle of and must start again.
Dropped sessions happen in many warehouses and are a huge cost to the productivity, efficiency and, ultimately, the profitability of the warehouse.
Part of the challenge is that although dropped sessions are commonplace and experienced by almost every warehouse worker, the problem is not fully understood by senior management. Workers describe the problem in multiple different ways, so management often don’t even realise it is the same issue.
It’s Broken
Some workers, when experiencing a dropped session talk about it in terms of a generalized failure.
The terms they use include:
Breakdown, Crash, Dead in the water, Error, Failure, Fault, Freeze, Operation failure, Shutdown, Snag, Stopped working, Stuck, Sudden stop, Technical glitch, Unexpected shutdown
Blame the Device
Others think that a dropped session is caused by a fault in the device.
They say:
Black screen, Device error, Device failure, Device malfunction, Equipment failure, Handheld terminal failure, Hardware breakdown, Hardware failure, Mobile device crash, Screen freeze, Terminal malfunction
Network Issues
Another area to be blamed is the network. Many workers feel that dropped sessions are caused by a loss of connection.
This is a key part of what causes a dropped session and they call it:
Disconnection issue, Network disruption, Network failure, Signal loss
The Wrong Software
Of course, the main reason that warehouse workers suffer dropped session is that their devices are running the wrong TE software. With StayLinked’s SmartTE solution the worker’s taskflow session resides on a resident server and not on the worker’s mobile device. This ensures that even if connectivity issues arise, sessions are seamless.
The workers not using StayLinked’s SmartTE software call dropped sessions:
App crash, Operating system error, Program crash, Software crash, Software error, Software malfunction, System crash
It’s a Dropped Session
Despite all the different terms that warehouse workers give it, when their connection drops resulting in a break in the workflow, they are experiencing a dropped session. StayLinked is dedicated to eliminating dropped sessions in the warehouse.
Get in touch to see how.
The Cost of Dropped Sessions
We collected all these terms for 'dropped sessions' in a recent survey of warehouse workers. For the first time warehouse workers were asked about their experience of dropped sessions – the people that experience them on the warehouse floor.
The results of the survey are part of a forthcoming comprehensive report on the hidden costs of dropped sessions for the warehouse and what they mean for worker morale, productivity and profitability.
