Supermarket Perimeter - March 2022 - 57

of the entire packaging line from a single panel, reducing handling,
keeping operators at a safe distance from each other and significantly
decreasing the risk of production errors.
" It has a simple operation, demanding little training, and it helps
bring predictability back to the processor even in times of uncertainty, "
he said.
Other examples of Sealed Air's " total solution approach " includes its
case-ready solutions portfolio, with products such as the CRYOVAC
brand Darfresh vacuum skin packaging for trays. In addition to boasting
an environmentally friendly " zero scrap " profile, this solution provides
the means for food items to go directly from the processor to the retail
shelves with longer shelf lives and minimum handling.
Solutions like these, Thomazelli said, eliminate the need for further
processing (i.e. slicing and repacking) in stores, making the grocery
store a safer environment. In addition, Sealed Air's Smart Packaging
technology allows the printing of unique IDs on packages, giving
materials full traceability and consequently enhanced quality control.
Sealed Air has several launches planned for 2022, Thomazelli said.
At the top of the list is a new pad-less tray, the CRYOVAC brand
HydroLoq barrier tray, which reduces the amount of waste going to
landfills by removing the pad while retaining the product's purge. It also
has a more appealing appearance, and it gives products a potentially
longer shelf-life.
Also on tap for Sealed Air this year is another innovation driven by
the pandemic-related surge in demand for automation, especially as
it relates to quality control. The new CRYOVAC brand AutoID product
vision system verifies that packages have the right vacuum level
automatically and identifies quality defects such as leaks, minimizing
the potential of human errors in quality control and reducing the
incidence of them in the distribution chain.
" This new system completes the production line, enabling touchless
automation, " Thomazelli said. " Creating and maintaining a competitive
advantage relies on innovative products, operational efficiencies,
and dependable suppliers. Our focus is to help our customers secure
a market-leading position by offering differentiated, sustainable,
packaging materials, including digital printing and smart features, bestin-class
equipment, and high-quality services to ensure their business is
ready to meet the rigorous market demands. "
Easing employees' burdens
Nowhere in the grocery store is food safety more front and center
than in the fresh perimeter, said Josh Williams, team lead for grocery,
transportation and logistics for Boston-based SmartSense by Digi.
With a connected IoT platform like SmartSense, Williams said, retailers
get 100% visibility into the conditions in the holding environment on
those sensitive products, ranging from prepared foods to dairy and
produce. With that extra visibility, a grocer can take action when there's
a hidden problem, ensuring quality and reducing shrink.
" By using sensors instead of people, they can redirect labor to
revenue producing activities and customer engagement, " Williams said.
Other providers focus on one aspect of the operations in a grocery
chain, he added. They may, for instance, offer software or provide
networking hardware.
What makes SmartSense different is its holistic approach.
" Our customers rely on our small footprint and easy to install
sensors to collect data. But more importantly, our cloud platform
works seamlessly with our hardware to provide a single view of their
entire chain. "
Anything that grocers track operationally can be done digitally, he
added. That includes the temperature in every zone of every piece of
equipment, tracking the status of SOPs and other repeatable tasks that
have been digitized on SmartSense.
SmartSense also provides advanced analytics to detect common
problems and prescriptive workflows that help the grocer resolve these
issues quickly without calling a service tech.
" We have a more well-rounded solution than our competition
because we can do more to enable our customers for success, "
Williams said.
That's particularly important in the COVID Era, where many operators
don't have enough workers and turnover is at historic highs. When
workers are overburdened, tasks get missed. That's where tools like
SmartSense can be crucial.
" Connected solutions can offload many tasks to sensors, " Williams
said. " When using an IoT device, you know the data is correct and
consistently collected. And once a group of tasks is digitized, managing
and analyzing the team performance is easier. New employees
come up to speed quickly, and existing employees focus on the most
valuable work. "
SmartSense is constantly updating its cloud-based solutions updates
to add new capabilities. In 2022, Williams said, SmartSense will expand
the power of its analytic tools and add sensor types that provide
additional insights for its grocery customers.
" SmartSense has a history of more than 30 years in the connected
device space, " he said. " We know how challenging it can be to roll out
and maintain IoT networks. We're proud that the largest retailers in the
country have chosen us to be their IoT consultant and partner. They
do this because they can't risk using a fragmented solution that's not
optimized for enterprise retailers. "
supermarketperimeter.com
MARCH 2022 - 57
Smart Sense's
cloud platform works
seamlessly with its
hardware to provide a
single supply chain
view for retailers.
SEALED AIR, SMART SENSE BY DIGI
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - March 2022
