Huhtamaki: Transforming Digital Training and Engagement with Poka
Huhtamaki, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, has built a reputation as an innovator in the packaging industry. With a presence in over 103 locations and 80 factories worldwide, supported by a workforce of 18,000 employees, the company has embraced a mission to provide sustainable, high-quality packaging for customers in various sectors.
As part of its ambitious 2030 strategy, Huhtamaki recognized the importance of enhancing its employee engagement and training processes to align with its overarching goals. These included empowering its workforce, improving competitiveness and delivering sustainable products. This realization became the foundation of their digital transformation journey, with Poka’s connected worker platform playing a key role.
Through Poka, Huhtamaki not only streamlined training processes but also significantly improved employee satisfaction and training effectiveness, showcasing the potential of digital solutions to address modern manufacturing challenges.
The success of Poka’s implementation at Huhtamaki
Reduction in Training Time
Improvement in Training Effectiveness
Increase in Employee Satisfaction
A Need for Streamlined Training and Consistent Engagement
Huhtamaki’s widespread operations presented a challenge that is familiar to many large manufacturers: ensuring consistent training and engagement across a geographically dispersed network of factories. Before the introduction of Poka, the company relied heavily on traditional classroom-based training methods. While effective in certain scenarios, these methods often proved time-intensive, resource-heavy and difficult to adapt to the varied needs of individual factories.
Training materials and practices were localized and inconsistent across different facilities, leading to a fragmented approach that made it challenging to share knowledge and best practices effectively. Nash Gary Key, Global Senior Manager for Shopfloor Digitalization at Huhtamaki, described this pre-digital landscape as one that hindered the company’s ability to fully leverage the capabilities of its workforce.
“Digitalization is the key enabler for empowering talent, improving competitiveness and delivering sustainable products,” Key explained, emphasizing the strategic importance of adopting a unified and modern approach to training.
The need to unify and modernize training processes while boosting employee engagement became a central focus of Huhtamaki’s efforts to position itself as a global leader in the packaging industry.
Scaling Digitalization with Poka
To address these challenges, Huhtamaki turned to Poka, a connected worker platform designed to enhance communication, knowledge sharing and training in manufacturing environments. Through a carefully structured and phased rollout, Poka was introduced to select factories as part of a pilot program, ultimately leading to wider adoption across Huhtamaki’s global network.
Key elements of the solution included:
One of the first steps in the transformation was digitizing traditional classroom-based training. By replacing printed manuals and in-person sessions with digital training materials accessible through Poka, Huhtamaki made training more efficient and flexible. Employees could now access materials on demand, allowing them to learn at their own pace and revisit content as needed.
Poka’s capabilities extended beyond training to foster greater employee engagement. Features that facilitated communication and collaboration enabled workers to share knowledge and best practices more effectively across factories. By creating a connected workforce, Huhtamaki encouraged a sense of ownership and pride among employees, leading to a measurable improvement in satisfaction levels.
Huhtamaki implemented task-specific training programs through Poka, focusing on practical application rather than theoretical knowledge alone. The company measured training effectiveness by assessing employees’ ability to execute specific tasks post-training, achieving significantly better results compared to traditional classroom approaches.
Quantifiable Success in Training Time and Effectiveness and Employee Satisfaction
Huhtamaki’s adoption of Poka led to several measurable improvements across its operations, underscoring the platform’s effectiveness:
25% Reduction in Training Time
Transitioning to digital training materials significantly reduced the time employees spent in training sessions. This reduction allowed workers to return to their roles more quickly, minimizing disruptions to daily operations without compromising the quality of training.
140% Improvement in Training Effectiveness
By focusing on practical, task-oriented training, Poka helped employees apply what they learned more effectively. This improvement was validated through performance assessments conducted after training sessions, demonstrating a tangible benefit to Huhtamaki’s operations.
7% Increase in Employee Satisfaction
Enhanced communication and streamlined training processes contributed to a 7% increase in employee satisfaction, as reflected in internal surveys conducted post-implementation. This improvement highlights the positive impact of Poka on workplace morale and engagement.
It’s not about the technology; it’s about reskilling and upskilling your workforce. We’ve seen operators become content creators and supervisors taking ownership of digital tools.
Nash Gary Key
Global Senior Manager for Shopfloor Digitalization at Huhtamaki
From Pilots to Global Scale
The success of Poka’s implementation at Huhtamaki can be attributed to a well-planned and strategically phased rollout, ensuring the platform was introduced and scaled effectively.
1. Pilot Factories
Huhtamaki began by selecting a few factories to serve as pilot sites for Poka. These locations were chosen based on their readiness to adopt new technologies and their ability to provide valuable feedback. Factories in the Netherlands, the UK and the United States were among the early adopters, helping to validate Poka’s effectiveness and identify potential areas for improvement.
2. Fast Followers
Following the success of the pilot sites, other factories expressed interest in adopting Poka. These “fast followers” quickly implemented the platform, leveraging the lessons learned from the pilot phase to streamline their adoption process.
3. Global Scaling
With a solid foundation in place, Huhtamaki now aims to roll out Poka across 40 factories within the next three years, aligning with the company’s broader goal of fully digitalizing its operations by 2030.
This strategic rollout ensured that Poka’s implementation was both effective and scalable, setting the stage for long-term success.
Empowering Workers Through Digital Transformation
Beyond the quantifiable metrics, Poka’s introduction sparked a cultural shift within Huhtamaki. The platform transformed training and communication from a static process to a dynamic, employee-driven initiative. Workers were empowered to take ownership of their development, fostering a sense of pride and engagement that extended beyond training sessions.
Additionally, the ability to share best practices and knowledge across factories allowed Huhtamaki to create a more connected and collaborative workforce. This shift not only improved individual performance but also contributed to the company’s overall competitiveness and ability to meet its strategic objectives.
Huhtamaki’s experience with Poka offers valuable insights for manufacturers looking to enhance their training processes and employee engagement
1. Listen to Employee Needs
By prioritizing bottom-up input from factory teams, Huhtamaki ensured that Poka addressed real-world challenges, fostering buy-in and relevance.
2. Adopt a Phased Approach
Starting with pilot sites allowed Huhtamaki to validate Poka’s impact and refine its implementation strategy before scaling to other locations.
3. Measure Impact and Iterate
Quantifying training time, effectiveness and employee satisfaction provided a clear picture of Poka’s value, enabling continuous improvement and optimization.
Ready to Transform Your Operations?
Huhtamaki’s journey demonstrates the transformative power of connected worker platforms like Poka. By digitizing training, fostering engagement, and improving operational efficiency, Huhtamaki has positioned itself for continued success in the packaging industry.
Contact our team today to learn how Poka can help your organization achieve similar results.