In the fight to keep the food supply safe and to get product delivered efficiently, retailers and their suppliers are relying more and more on technology to educate themselves, their employees and their customers.
Food safety specialist ASI is partnering with “EdTech” experts Rootwurks on an educational platform that will provide help to frontline workers and managers whenever they need it.
“We’re currently using SAP Litmus, which is a good tool, good for internal use, but it doesn’t have the feel and display on the customer side,” said Tyler Williams, ASI’s CEO. “We had been looking for an LMS platform for self-paced courses for our customers.”
The timing was fortuitous for LMS platform provider Rootwurks. The company is a specialist in the cannabis industry and was looking to expand into food.
Chase Eastman, founder of Rootwurks, said his company’s mantra is to “connect people to expertise utilizing technology.”
One thing that both Eastman and Williams said their companies’ partnership will do is to provide training to grocers, manufacturers and other employees whenever they need it — not just when it’s “training day.”
“We take a different approach to traditional learning management systems,” Eastman said. “Mandatory training is the only time most companies do it. We wanted to help organizations do that throughout the ecosystem. When a problem comes up, they can do the training then and there.”
One of the training programs that will be offered to ASI customers is what Rootwurks calls “The Most Affordable Accredited HACCP Certification Course on the Market.”
Other sophisticated compliance tools to be provided include checklists, guides, on-demand learning modules, assessments, internal auditing tools, and customizable learning plans.
“We are always on the lookout for ways to leverage technology to enhance our services, and the Rootwurks platform is not only on the cutting-edge of innovation, but also user-friendly and easy for our clients to quickly implement,” Williams said.
One of the things that will separate the educational products ASI and Rootwurks produce, Eastman said, is a focus on practical applications.
“ASI has a practical layer of expertise that goes one layer deeper than theory. Very few companies have experienced the development over the years that help you apply the theory.”
FSMA and other FDA and USDA regulations will be a major focus of the collaboration.Navigating that regulatory environment effectively, Eastman said, will be done in part by using AI chatbots Rootwurks has tailored for specific areas of expertise customers will be looking for.
“Trying to find the information you need is easier said than done sometimes. The information is out there, but it’s often not as easy as ‘Go to the FDA site, and it’s right there.’” We can generate new chatbots on virtually any regulatory scheme that’s out there.”
Chatbots, however, can only do so much, Williams said. “It’s not a consultant. We start there, then at the point where you have the information you need, you know what to do, then we can come in and say, ‘Here’s where we can help you reach whatever targets you have.’ Whether it’s HAACP, food allergens, etc. We have the content, it’s just a matter putting it into the Rootwurks system and giving it a refresh.”
This article is an excerpt from the September 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Technology Education feature and more in the digital edition here.