Integration of connected worker technology is becoming more essential as the packaging and processing industries strive for greater efficiency and productivity. Dr. Asif Rana, President of Hexagon’s Nexus Connected Worker, and Darren Metherell, Director of Sales, spoke to industry professionals attending a March 11 Innovation Stage session at PACK EXPO Southeast 2025 about connected worker challenges and solutions the Nexus Connected Worker platform provides to manufacturers.
Rana began by informing the audience of four barriers manufacturers face: (1) Labor shortages and high turnover rates, (2) paper-based instructions that lead to errors and inefficiencies, (3) lack of real-time visibility into operations, and (4) increases of compliance and traceability pressures.
“I would say some of [these] problems are really shaking the foundation of [the packaging and processing industries],” Rana stated.
Hexagon noticed the challenges to be recurring themes amid their service to manufacturers looking to better connect their workforce with digital tools to streamline operations.
“How would it be, if you can imagine, equipping our teams with the right tools, if the tools allow them to get data from systems and present [it] to frontline workers and management in real time to see what is happening on the production floor?” Rana asked.
Rana provided an example of a production line machine being down. He stated that tools within the Nexus Connected Worker platform can help teams see why the machine is down, how long it has been down, and other factors that can be affecting the machine’s operations, such as a conveyer belt issue.
How Nexus Connected Worker works to solve challenges
Darren Metherell, Director of Sales for Hexagon's Nexus Connected Worker, discusses solutions the platform provides to manufacturers.Christopher Smith via PMMI Media GroupMetherell outlined four ways the Nexus Connected Worker platform remedies operation issues:
· The platform provides digital work instructions, which reduces errors and improves training.
· It facilitates predictive and prescriptive maintenance, minimizing unplanned downtime.
· It provides real-time data visibility to enable smarter, data-driven decision making.
· It has scalable implementation, which gives manufacturers the power to start small and expands needed.
“What if you could ensure every worker gets the right information at the right time… it would reduce your downtime. I would give you real-time visibility into the operations of your business. It would empower that worker to truly make a difference and not just be a function of operation at the point in time. It would enable you to have seamless traceability, and something that is very important, compliance,” Metherell said.
Metherell stated that the Nexus Connected Worker platform can help companies comply with business requirements in food manufacturing and other operating environments.
Seamless integration of digital tools with company employees can lead to improved operational outcomes. Hexagon’s Nexus Connected Worker is an example of a platform manufacturers can use to stay ahead of the curve and unlock greater workforce potential.
