In the May edition of Inbound Logistics Magazine, the industry news source released their list of 2022 Automation & Materials Handling Awards; seven warehousing and materials handling innovations “that take the crown for addressing e-commerce growth and labor shortage challenges.”
Featured sixth on the list was StrongArm Technologies, celebrated as the “Most Ingenious Safety Wearables Insight” for how we tackled one client’s persistent employee turnover problem, increasing new hire retention by 45% while reducing injury rates.
By comparing pick data information from tenured workers to that of the new hires, we discovered that new employees were lifting four times faster in hopes of securing a permanent position at the company, causing many to injure themselves or quit.
Our proposed solution was to train new hires at a slower pace by adding a slower-running conveyor belt, easing them into the tasks until they felt more comfortable increasing their productivity.
“While the assumption was that these people were not cut out for this work, we saw the complete opposite,” says Sean Petterson, CEO and founder.
This solution increased new hire retention by 45% and reduced injury rates significantly in this facility, and won StrongArm Inbound Logistics’ “Most Ingenious Safety Wearables Insight.”
Later in the magazine, Inbound Logistics features our Flex wearable in their Spotlight of important technology, saying the following:
“The clip-on IoT wearable device from StrongArm provides real-time feedback to help keep warehouse workers safer. Flex features light, sound, and haptic (vibration) alerts to let workers know how they are doing in real time to reduce ergonomic strain and musculoskeletal injuries. As part of the SafeWork System, the sensor also collects data that provides insights to supervisors.”
We are thankful to be recognized by Inbound Logistics in these ways, and we will always appreciate their support as we continue to innovate towards a safer future for Industrial Athletes.
