For instance, the data might help managers decide whether to bring on more people for a high-demand shift, or to dial back how much work they expect employees to accomplish. “That’s a hard decision for an operator to make,” Petterson says. “But we can change that, because we give them the right tools.” Injuries are costly, triggering worker compensation claims and other expenses. Data from SafeWork can help managers build a nancial case for adding extra staff or slowing the pace of work. “In the long run, companies are more pro table if they do the right thing and treat employees with the same level of insight and analytics that they do demand planning operations,” Petterson says. Soter Analytics also uses a wearable device—the Soter Coach—to measure workers’ movements and prompt them to follow safer practices. COACHING WORKERS “Wearable technology can act like an athletic trainer at a person’s side,” says Chapman. “Every time a person makes a high-risk movement, like bending at the back instead of squatting, the device gives them real-time feedback through a beep and a vibration.” With help from wearable electronic trainers, a company can coach many people at once. “They can scale their effort and make a big impact on changing body mechanic behavior, as opposed to just asking people to change, which generally doesn’t net decent results,” Chapman says. Soter also provides a dashboard where managers can view data drawn from all the Soter Coach units. It can show them, for example, how often employees are bending or twisting, or which jobs or departments incur the most risk. “The data gives managers insights into where they should focus efforts on changing behaviors or processes,” Chapman says. With tools to guide employees and re ne management strategies, warehouse operators who work hard at safety will reach an even higher level of success. n
STRIVING FOR PERFECTION Like pilots who use flight simulators to hone their skills, some warehouse workers these days use virtual reality (VR) technology to learn to do their jobs correctly and safely. “Traditional training methods can be time-consuming, costly, and often dangerous to operations, given the tasks and types of materials that are typically housed in warehouses,” says Derek Belch, founder and CEO of Strivr, a Palo Alto, California, developer of VR-based training solutions. VR puts employees in immersive situations that look like the real world, letting them practice their jobs with no danger of hurting themselves or others if they make mistakes. Strivr helps companies develop content for the VR systems, using either 360-degree video or computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create a simulated environment. Through a VR headset, the software then prompts a trainee through a task, such as the safest procedure for stacking boxes. The software can also give quizzes. “In the headset, employees could be prompted to spot a certain number of hazards or mistakes in the environment and receive feedback immediately following their choice,” Belch says. “The Strivr portal also can collect and share data from eye-tracking or recorded audio responses with the customer’s learning and development teams, so they get an aggregate view of how employees are doing in their training session. They can also use the data to provide individual feedback.” For example, by tracking head movements, the software might detect that a worker is looking in the wrong place during training. “If left undetected—which often happens with traditional training methods—these types of behaviors may be taken to the warehouse floor and lead to safety incidents,” Belch says. “With VR, training can help to identify these risks before it really matters and allow trainees to learn safe behaviors and apply them when it counts.”
142 Inbound Logistics • January 2023
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