Tetra Pak and Poka announced the launch of a new strategic collaboration that brings together the expertise, technology, and best practices of Tetra Pak, a leader in the food & beverage packaging industry, with the power of Poka the most comprehensive connected factory worker platform. This collaboration will empower workers in food production with the tools and training needed to accelerate zero waste processes in food manufacturing plants. Tetra Pak will roll out the first global and scalable connected workforce service as part of its new training and support solution.

According to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12, a range of entry points is required to promote responsible consumption and production. This can be achieved by producing more with less, increasing resource efficiency, and promoting sustainable practices.

Poka has helped manufacturers reduce equipment downtime by 5.9%, increase worker productivity by 18% and decrease quality issues by 64%. By equipping frontline staff with the most up-to-date information they need to make fast decisions, manufacturers can maintain high quality and food safety standards while minimizing waste in the form of product, time, or cost.

“This collaboration is part and parcel of our journey to provide access to safe food and to do that sustainably, even in our production, factory floor processes using the resources and technologies available to us,” noted Roberto Franchitti, executive vice president - Services & Quality at Tetra Pak.

“I am thrilled to be collaborating with Poka and through this partnership, supported by technology and smart solutions, the workforce will be able to increase efficiencies in food production, including the speed of production, reducing errors, minimizing product waste and making quick, informed decisions. At the same time, we believe humans should continue to be at the center of food manufacturing innovation and management, with new digital solutions acting as an enabler of this change.”

Chief executive officer and co-founder of Poka, Alexandre Leclerc commented, “This partnership with Tetra Pak responds to a real need from our food and beverage user community who are looking for easier ways to access expert content and knowledge. Our joint customers can now accelerate time to value with turnkey content for their most critical equipment all the while reducing the waste produced in the factories.”

Product features

According to the company, connected Workforce by Tetra Pak offers digital tools, devices and services designed to upskill frontline factory workers on the job to increase efficiency, eliminate waste and solve problems faster. The result is a more autonomous and skilled workforce, empowered with the right training and tools, that can drive food safety and quality improvements and reduce operational waste. This will ultimately lead to improved workforce productivity and equipment performance of customers, helping them find solutions to minimize any losses in their operations.

With Tetra Pak’s Connected Workforce, technicians’ can continuously improve their operations by sharing best practices and problem solve faster across production lines. Tetra Pak’s Connected Workforce can support both the onboarding of new staff and existing frontline factory workers with better training and support. According to Deloitte’s Fourth Industrial Revolution report, 74% of executives surveyed cited training and workforce development as their top investment priority in 2020.