Despite excellent adoption rates, today’s generation of fitness trackers are leaving opportunities on the table: drop off and abandonment rates are high, and today’s consumers want more personalization. What’s the gap that wearable health technology product creators and innovators have to mind?

As tech and science news site, Futurism, notes; “while consumer industry fitness band leaders… have enough technology to document steps and pulses, they don’t have the ability to put together the bigger picture of their user’s health. Essentially, they’re not dynamic enough to be clinical-quality. And when you’re looking to track your vitals, why settle for anything short of what a doctor might use?”

Making the shift to personalized, data-driven insights

Samantha Kleinberg, Ph.D., an assistant professor of computer science at Stevens Institute of Technology, notes a shift in how the data collected by wellness devices is used and shown to users, stating;

Dr. Kleinberg’s research focuses on improving human health through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). She is currently working on devices that automatically measure food intake using wearable technologies. For users with issues like diabetes, the key to improving their health is a holistic overview of that data with automated, continuous feedback. Dr. Kleinberg’s approach leverages the ability to store, retrieve, and analyze all the data pulled in by apps and off-the-shelf smartwatches and fitness trackers. The shift in demand to “why” has influenced the direction of her own work.

Fostering connections via community

We’re seeing virtual communities and virtual events playing a critical role in maximizing data value, a trend that’s echoed by others throughout the industry.

Mike Caldwell, founder and chief engineer of Pacer Health says, “A common scenario is the virtual event, where activity trackers allow their global user base to participate in online events that have sponsorships, medals, and rewards just like real offline endurance events or charity walks. Corporate wellness and insurance tie-ins are also areas to watch, with white labeling of existing products also being a commonly discussed business model.”

Gartner suggests that by the end of 2017, 70% of enterprise organizations will be sponsoring wellness-focused wearables. Not only are brands and products leveraging community data to increase engagement and success, but there are also benefits for community health trends. Right now, communities are comprised largely of people users already know, thanks to connections harvested from their social media networks. Could predictive analytics help users forge connections with wider communities that share their goals and wellness styles in a way that could further embed the experience in their lives?

A connected view of the entire person

What does all this mean for the future of health solutions devices? What kind of underlying analytics are required to feed a user’s fitness tracker, sleep monitor, calorie app, and an emotional feedback system into a single dashboard, parse that data, and circle back with recommendations?

We think it creates an important mandate for product creators to ensure that while their products deliver value alone, they also link into a system that isn’t yet fully developed. Building intelligent products is going to be less about requiring one device to deliver a holistic experience, and more about creating products that are complete in and of themselves, while also feeding into a larger wearable health technology system.

“Although smartphones are incredible supercomputers that open up countless doors for IoT functionality, a tiny wearable that is reliant on another device is like throwing a party in someone else’s house,” says Ran Craycroft, founder of UNA, a panic device for the elderly.

The real market opportunities may be for companies that can develop the platforms that mediate between devices and pair the most insightful predictive analytics with friendly, artificial intelligence-inspired interfaces.

As greater demand creates pressure to produce products quickly, Flex’s Hooi Tan explains how advanced manufacturing technology helps shorten time to market.

Transforming an idea into a product that helps improve the world is complicated. Doing it at scale? Even harder. From ideation to prototyping, engineering, assembly, reverse logistics, and everything in between, mass manufacturing is complex.

However, the complexity doesn’t keep demand at bay. According to the most recent United States Census Bureau data, new orders for manufactured goods through July 2021 increased again, spiking fourteen of the prior fifteen months and accounting for nearly half a trillion dollars. Similar trends span the globe, with consumer spending and interest in durable goods increasing in many countries, especially with the holidays fast approaching. It’s not just consumer demand, though. The past 18 months showed how quickly health systems could request highly regulated medical devices like ventilators and oxygenizers.

To keep up with the increasing demand, manufacturers are working harder than ever, accelerating time to market with quicker ramps, less waste, and greater efficiency. And this task becomes even more challenging for certain product categories.

While the product lifecycle for consumer goods is already short, they rapidly change year to year and sometimes even month to month. While highly regulated industries, such as medical and automotive, move slower, they are also in high demand. To address these challenges, organizations need to invest in Industry 4.0 technologies that help create smart, efficient, and sustainable factories.

As someone who manages operations for one of the world’s largest manufacturers and oversees more than 150,000 team members who help produce approximately 50,000–60,000 different products across more than 100 sites, I can attest that advanced manufacturing technology has helped us drive greater efficiency and sustainability while lowering costs during every step of the product journey. Not only do these innovations help us meet growing demand, they enable us to make data-driven decisions, improve safety on the factory floor, and reduce repetitive manual work.

Ways advanced manufacturing technology can support every facet of the product lifecycle:

Innovate and ideate

Turning a vision into a viable product requires a mix of art and science. Before moving forward, organizations need to consider design plans, production strategy, building materials, and more.

Simulation and modeling technology are two innovations that can help check for product viability and potential pitfalls during these early stages. By modeling and simulating what the product will look like in a virtual realm, organizations can save time and money instead of building it and testing it in the real world. This type of innovation can also help identify high-risk components or parts before a product even exists.

Design and develop

The next step is to shorten the time to market with a working prototype. This step requires the right mix of know-how, advanced software, and production capabilities.

Additive manufacturing solutions have become incredibly important in this leg. Instead of leveraging legacy production solutions, which often require the removal of materials through milling, carving, or other means, additive manufacturing enables engineers to quickly create a prototype leveraging CAD software or 3D object scanners. Here, 3D printing and rapid prototyping serve as an incredibly cost-effective and fast way to deliver a product in its first tangible form. In addition, the use of additive enables teams to quickly test the design before it goes into mass production, where potential errors can be detrimental.

Build and produce

Once a product is ready for primetime, the factory must be too. Ensuring a factory is leveraging the latest automation and digitization solutions can reap massive benefits in the long run.

Smart automation and robotics can help streamline repetitive assembly tasks, reduce variability and possibility for error while increasing safety, and freeing up human workers for more valuable work. These machines can also exchange information with one another using machine-to-machine (M2M) communications to improve coordination, thereby boosting performance, lowering downtime, and raising productivity while reducing costs.

Deliver and support

With production running at full steam, organizations come to the final leg of the product journey, where the focus shifts to fulfillment, distribution, logistics, and aftermarket support. At this stage, keeping up with constantly changing dynamics, shortages, and repairs can be one of the more complex steps.

Real-time visibility into transport networks, orders, and returns becomes paramount at this stage. Therefore, a strong digitization plan is fundamental here. Leading manufacturers implement distributed digital technologies on factory floors globally to act as a 24/7 decision-making system. These systems can integrate feeds from various sources, including factory machines, supply chain feeds, and even global news media, turning insights into actions to navigate a crisis.

While this overview provides a high-level snapshot of what it takes to create a product at scale, anyone who has ever worked in a factory knows it’s not that simple. No two ramps are ever the same, and challenges can pop up on any line at any time. Industry 4.0 technologies represent a much-needed step forward that helps alleviate costly mistakes that can delay production. However, the real importance will always be the knowledge of the workers and managers on the factory floor. Technologies can free up time, increase safety, and improve decision making. Still, it’s the real-time human-level problem solving that drives the most value and ensures that deadlines are met, products are produced, and contracts are fulfilled.

In future blogs, I’ll write about the innovations and people that drive manufacturing forward.

Manufacturing firms need to respond rapidly to changing business conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has created temporary shutdowns and supply chain challenges across industries around the globe. As sites prepare to re-open, manufacturers need to maintain business continuity and operational efficiency.

To anticipate, understand, and respond to changing production levels at our sites, we use Industry 4.0 innovations such as machine-to-machine communications (M2M), smart automation, and business intelligence. Another digital manufacturing innovation is remote-enabled technology made possible by a combination of Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and real-time analytics. These tools provide insights that help us get back to normal production levels.

Here’s how we used remote-enabled technology for advanced manufacturing to improve operational efficiency during a mandated lockdown in Shanghai — and positioned our teams for success as the site re-opened.

Cloud for manufacturing resiliency

Even before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in remote-enabled technology tools for manufacturing was on the rise. MarketWatch estimates that the global cloud manufacturing market will continue to increase at a CAGR of nearly 20% over the next four years.

We had taken proactive measures prior to the pandemic to move more of our information technology and manufacturing operations systems to the cloud. So when the Shanghai factory shut down in February 2020, employees still retained full access to critical systems — even while working remotely.

Developing and deploying infrastructure 

When the shutdown began in Shanghai, we notified employees and confirmed their safety. Then we immediately began planning for a return to production.

In partnership with Arch Systems, team members outside China continued developing the underlying technology infrastructure for a new manufacturing IoT solution. This allowed us to transition the floor from manual to automatic operations when factory employees returned to work in Shanghai.

A combination of hardware and software monitors the status of key machines and feeds data back into the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). The system automates scheduling, work in progress (WIP) tracking, order fulfillment, material backflush, and other MES features to drive fundamental efficiencies. Operational data uploads to the cloud. The digitization of this data then feeds into analytics to show key performance indicators (KPIs).

Understanding and anticipating utilization — from anywhere 

Using the tracking data to provide real-time analytics gave us an immediate sense of our progress upon reopening. Within the solution, operational data aggregates to automatically calculate KPIs like machine utilization (MU) and line utilization (LU). And since the solution is cloud-based, we can easily track productivity at our Shanghai facility from anywhere, while keeping suppliers and customers updated. The remote visibility into operations will also help us monitor the progress of other key manufacturing sites around the world.

We’re also using the automated performance data from each line to develop predictive models. These models will help us avoid unplanned downtime and optimize production schedules in the future, saving time and money.

A stronger foundation with Industry 4.0

The combination of IoT technologies, cloud, and analytics have primed manufacturing to adapt in the face of unexpected global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to our investment in these technologies, we were able to maintain forward momentum as operations stopped and restarted at our Shanghai facility.

Not only did we save critical margin and return to full production faster than expected, but we also launched new technology that increases operational efficiency. As the pandemic response continues, we’re committed to helping our customers design, develop and deliver crucial resources to their end customers.

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word “clinical trial”? You might think of being poked and prodded at a medical facility in the name of science, but clinical trials are looking much different, thanks to the use of wearables. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration noted that the wearable devices could provide robust insights in trials, and signaled a willingness to allow researchers to use consumer-grade wearables to collect data.

Information collected by wearables

While exercise trackers are the most widely known wearables, the wearables that clinicians are using are more sophisticated and track more than basic biometric information.

“This could be collecting information from the body itself or from the person’s activity. Wearables can also collect information or respond to conditions in the environment around the person. Wearables can be inward-looking, outward-looking or both,” says Dr. Albert Titus, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University at Buffalo. The device then transmits the data to the researchers using technologies, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, depending on the device.

Below are four benefits currently witnessed in clinical trials:

Wearables are making it faster and easier to conduct trials

If you’ve led or participated in clinical trials, you know that they require a lot of coordination; finding a sample population, scheduling appointments for everyone, and closely overseeing procedures. While participants are paid for their time, often times, the money isn’t enough to make the effort and inconvenience worth it for people to participate. Wearables reduce much of the data capture burden from participants, which can help with recruitment and retention.

You get a more accurate picture of your patient’s health with fewer office visits

Using wearables means that you get more accurate data faster. Trials using wearables inherently require fewer in-person visits with researchers because data can be collected 24 hours a day and automatically sent to the clinician. Unlike taking a “snapshot” of data during an appointment, collecting data by using a wearable gives a much broader, more accurate picture of the patient’s health because it’s collected over the long-term. Common measurements include blood pressure, glucose levels, sleep cycles, heart rate and activity level.

We help bring to life all kinds of medical-grade wearables. These are smart, connected medical devices which combine digital health with consumer-friendly wearables. Examples of these applications include insulin patch pumps, smart pills which track patient adherence, the wearable injectors;  thin, flexible sensor patches which can be worn directly on the body, and smart technologies that can be integrated into clothing. In the future, we expect to see widespread application of these technologies, including in clinical trials.

The best part? These devices enable patients and researchers to monitor progress through the submission of data feeds without the need for frequent office visits.  

Doctors can collect new data types to improve care

Wearable devices can collect data that are not otherwise possible to collect. For example, in trials involving sleep, wearables can help researchers test hypotheses that were not previously possible, such as how variations in sleep affect a participant’s activity or blood pressure the next day.

Another example is a recent clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease. Because small changes in movements can be hard to track, researchers used wearables to help find the right dosage of a drug to give patients. Participants used a finger sensor during two office visits to measure specific motor tasks related to Parkinson’s disease symptoms such as tremors, bradykinesia (slowed movements) and dyskinesia (involuntary movements). While at home, participants wore wrist and ankle sensors that used a cell phone for monitoring their symptoms throughout their daily activities.

What about security and privacy of patient data?

Security and privacy are often top concerns with patients and researchers. Protecting patient data in our digital world is mission critical and by setting up the necessary security and privacy policies and procedures, wearables can be a secure means of transmitting information. If you’re using wearables in your trials, be sure to educate participants on security best practices, such as using strong passwords and keeping both the network and wearable security software up-to-date.  It’s also important that the cloud infrastructure hosting the data is built and certified to manage regulated healthcare data.

Any data passively collected needs to have a purpose, as Premdharan Meyyan, a consultant with Fuld + Company, points out. “Data from these trackers can be transmitted, in real-time, back to the physician for monitoring purposes. But we still have to ask ourselves, ‘How useful is this information?’ In other words, does this data provide any meaningful insight into the safety and efficacy of the treatment, or is it merely information that is nice to know?”

Our BrightInsight solution is a medical-grade Internet of Things platform that integrates data from wearables, connected medical devices and therapeutics to deliver real-time intelligence for pharmaceutical and medical technology companies in clinical trials as well as commercial settings. We built the platform from the ground up to go beyond simple connectivity solutions to minimize our customer’s cybersecurity, privacy and regulatory risk. 

We have implemented over 50 privacy policies and procedures to safeguard information, have deployed automatic processes to decouple sensitive personal information from other health data, and more.

Privacy policies implemented to protect patient data and information 

Wearables could help improve your patients’ quality of life

In the Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics article “Wearable Devices in Clinical Trials: Hype and Hypothesis,” authors Elena S. Izmailova, John A. Wagner and Eric D. Perakslis suggested wearables are most helpful in clinical trials that positively affect patient’s quality of life. If the trial is able to shed light on conditions underlying the patient’s behavioral patterns and educate them on how to improve, that’s an ideal scenario.  

Let’s take the example of VitalPatch^®, an IoT biosensor that monitors eight biometric measurements continuously, in real time. It sends vital sign data from heart rate to skin temperature, giving caregivers and clinicians powerful insights into the connection between a patient’s activities and biometric readings. It detects falls, heart rate, ECG, respiratory rate, body posture, skin temperature, heart rate variability and activity, enabling access to data previously unavailable. 

Learn more

From the physician’s office to the patient’s home, the future of healthcare involves technological innovations that improve the patient experience. The healthcare industry is investing heavily in these technologies to make patient care more automated, personalized, and efficient. The digital health industry alone saw a record $2.8 billion investment in the first quarter of 2018, according to the Startup Health Insights Global Digital Health Funding Report.

This investment is paying off with widescale adoption of new technologies within the industry. About 73 percent of healthcare organizations use Internet of Things (IoT) technology for patient monitoring and maintenance, with about 87 percent of office physicians using electronic health records that are easily accessible to a patient’s other healthcare providers. These innovations are just the beginning though.

Here are three of the industry’s most transformative trends:

1. Taking the Guesswork Out of Patient Care

Tools that help manage chronic illnesses and help patients avoid emergency room visits save everyone money in the long run. Cutting-edge technology offers personalized healthcare with a preventative focus.

Through our partnership with Cellnovo, we scaled production of the first connected wearable insulin pump to improve care for people with diabetes. The micropump system frees patients from daily injections by collecting data in real time through an integrated blood glucose meter and automatically administering proper amounts of insulin when needed. Our predictive algorithm and IoT technology warns patients if a device might fail, which reduces health risks from mechanical or technical issues. In a recent study, the pump reduced hypoglycemic events an average of 29 percent for adults and 39 percent for teens.

We are also working to improve patient care with our wearable therapeutics products. These sensor-based connected medical devices are intended to detect, monitor, and deliver a medical therapy (such as a drug) and even improve efficiency in clinical trials.

2. Unifying Patient Data

At every visit to a new doctor, patients must complete lengthy intake forms about their medical history, which doesn’t always capture the full picture of their health or past treatments. To provide the best care, healthcare organizations need to operate within ecosystems where they can access a patient’s complete medical history.

Our medical-grade BrightInsight IoT platform captures and aggregates data from connected apps, drugs, devices, and combination products and seamlessly integrates with third-party Health IT systems, such as Electronic Medical Records, making the data available to clinicians within their regular workflow. BrightInsight meets security and privacy requirements and is designed to provide actionable insights to our pharma and MedTech customers to enable them to improve patient adherence and engagement.

3. Accessing Information Instantly

In the world of healthcare, every minute counts. When treating critical patients, providers need fast, uninterrupted access to information since system failures have life-or-death consequences.

We partnered with Intel to provide the Intel Health Application Platform software and Flex IoT Compute Engine. The Intel Health Application Platform (HAP), is an innovative application software platform that can be used by remote care solution providers to enable a variety of remote health usage models. The Flex IoT Compute Engine based on the optimized Intel architecture hardware design specification coupled with the Intel HAP software provides an innovative solution which reduces hospital readmissions, lowers costs, and accelerates time to market.

The primary goal is to make improvements to the healthcare industry that help providers deliver a better patient experience. As uses of IoT devices and sensors continue to evolve, we have the capability to innovate products in lockstep. The appetite for data from these devices to predict, prevent, and manage various health conditions will continue to feed the demand for tools, platforms and processes. We’re ready to meet this demand by supplying the industry with transformative products that will continue to enhance patient treatment.

We’re dedicated to sharing the stories of our colleagues who push boundaries to create the extraordinary throughout their careers at Flex. In this installment, you’ll get an inside look at a career in logistics and customer relationship management, including how a Flex employee has harnessed those skills to make a meaningful difference and help those in need.

Meet Tetyana Buhera, who works at our Cork, Ireland site as a Director, Global Account Management in Global Services and Solutions (GSS), a function dedicated to value-added fulfillment and circular economy solutions. Originally from Boryslav, Ukraine, Tetyana’s career path was shaped by her focus on continuous learning and growth, both professionally and personally. With roots in an English teaching career, Tetyana now challenges herself in a role that emphasizes nurturing customer relationships and driving business performance. Her passion for her job goes beyond Flex’s walls as she is an active volunteer, leading record-breaking aid initiatives to support communities in Ukraine from Ireland.

Tell us about your career journey at Flex.

I started at Flex as a Transportation Manager in Mukachevo, Ukraine where we developed and implemented the processes needed for a high-performing logistics department.

One example of the kind of work we did was creating and integrating a web-based transportation ordering tool, which considerably shortened ordering and approval time and resulted in a 15% reduction of site transportation costs.

Our work allowed me to advance to a regional transportation role, where I focused on strategic supplier management, procurement and the implementation of best practices across EMEA. Alongside my Global Logistics peers from Americas and Asia, I was able to deliver exciting solutions and tools that improved cost recovery workflows and more.

How did you end up moving into a different function in a different country?

In 2014, I transferred to Global Services and Solutions as a senior manager of Logistics Solutions, which involved a lot of time with customers and traveling. Because of this, my family made the decision to move to Cork, Ireland in 2016 to be near the Global Services and Solutions hub. I eventually became Head of Logistics Solutions, working on all customer requests for quotes involving logistics and supporting 28 Global Services and Solutions facilities globally.

In 2021, I decided to progress further and build on my skills and expertise in logistics to grow my career further as a Director of Global Account Management. As an account manager, I oversee all aspects of the customer relationship, including initial contact to ongoing communication to final resolution, a contract signature. One of the most rewarding parts is cultivating long-term relationships with customers globally and in multiple industries to create new business opportunities.

“As a GAM director, I help manage the performance of strategic accounts across multiple GSS sites and am dedicated to linking people together and having the right conversations to create meaningful solutions.”

— Tetyana Buhera, Director, Global Account Management

What has been critical to your career success?

Developing a network of professionals who trust and work well together requires a commitment to meaningful conversations and listening to what people have to say. I’m lucky to have mentors and managers who’ve supported my career growth.

Specific to logistics, I would add that adaptability to change is an important trait one needs to succeed. A career in logistics is a two-way street. You need to communicate with partners and respond quickly to changes.

Great account managers avoid getting trapped in the weeds or only prioritizing tactical execution. Instead, they remain focused on the bigger picture and meaningfully invest in customer relationships. That’s why I love my role. It feeds my constant curiosity, empathy and drive to win.

Tell us a bit about your passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and how you reflect that passion at Flex.

I come from a traditional and conservative male-dominated culture. Throughout my life, I’ve tried to shift this perception and prove that women can take charge of their careers.

I was honored to participate in the SheLeads program at Flex, an accelerated development program for diverse female leaders. As part of SheLeads, I worked on developing a sponsorship initiative for women with colleagues from Brazil, Singapore, India and the U.S.

Sponsorship is critical for women, as advocating for someone when they’re not in the room is influential to a person’s career trajectory. I’ve had the privilege of having many sponsors at Flex over the years, which helps close the gender gap in managerial and leadership roles and I look forward to paying it forward and mentoring other women in the future.

You also have a deep passion for community volunteerism. Can you tell us about the amazing work you’ve done to support the people in Ukraine?

In 2014, at the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War, I was inspired by my friends at home and pulled together a campaign to raise funds to support the Ukrainian community. We had a network of people we could reach out to ask for help, and we did everything we could to provide soldiers and their families the support needed. Since then, volunteering has become my second nature.

During the 2022 Ukraine invasion, I tapped into my logistics skillset and network on social media to start a humanitarian aid transport campaign from Ireland to Ukraine.

After collecting parcels at my house, we eventually moved to a warehouse where everything was stored and then coordinated for shipping into trucks before departing for Ukraine. It was truly amazing to see many people and companies get together to provide much-needed relief to the Ukrainian people.

Within days of the Russian invasion, a group of Ukrainian doctors in the Irish healthcare system established Medical Help Ukraine, a campaign designed to deliver medical aid from Ireland to Ukraine. As part of this work, in 2022, several volunteers and I sent several trucks of donated food, medical supplies and hygiene products totaling over €1 million of aid from the Rosslare Port in Ireland to Ukraine. More than 25 trucks reached Ukraine in the Spring of 2022.

And so far, I’ve supported the transport of 75 trucks to Ukraine. The feeling was incredible – I could put my logistics skills and industry network to good use and support those in Ukraine. The efforts are still ongoing. We send 1-2 trucks every month, focusing on the critical and vital supplies that is needed in Ukraine.

In March 2022, in collaboration with the Cork City Council we also arranged a charity concert in the Cork City Hall that raised over 10,000 euros. It was, by coincidence, the first concert to be held there since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. I attended as a representative of the Ukrainian community, addressing the City Council, participants and the guests on Ukrainian culture and how important the community support in Cork means to displaced Ukrainians.

Team members who work in the exciting and dynamic manufacturing industry deserve assurance that their mental well-being is important, and that it’s okay to not be okay.

Mental health, along with physical and social well-being, is an essential aspect of our overall health. Our mental health influences how we show up personally and professionally, which makes destigmatizing the topic of mental wellness in the workplace crucial for employee satisfaction and safety. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of mental wellness, reaffirming that access to employee mental health support is as much a global priority as promoting physical health and safety.  

We’ve prioritized promoting and improving workplace safety from all angles and have integrated our employee’s physical and mental well-being into our sustainability strategy.

Our company and employee-driven efforts to invest in the development and accessibility of mental health resources enabled us to reach our goal early of ensuring that 100% of our employees have access to emotional and mental health programs. 

Employee Assistance Programs — A first line of support globally  

An essential way to support the mental well-being of our team members is offering access to designated, professional support.  

We offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) globally, with unique offerings region to region, that represent a first line of mental health and well-being support. Some of our EAP offerings include access to an online therapy platform in the U.S.; mental health seminars and online psychological counseling resources in Europe; and individual counseling, psychotherapy, and consultation with licensed, in-house psychologists via face-to-face and online sessions across all sites in Asia. 

In Asia, we also proactively emphasize and educate the importance of early detection and intervention of wellness needs by conducting regular psychological screenings. 

We recognize that there are many barriers in talking about employee mental health and wellness in the workplace

Flex’s well-being programs are designed to reduce barriers to employee access.  

In Mexico, the Orienta Program helps employees access professional medical, emotional, legal, nutritional, and personal economic advice at no cost. In the U.S., we offer an online therapy service application, making it convenient to connect with a licensed behavioral therapist anywhere at any time. Consequently, U.S. based employees can send unlimited text, video, and audio messages to their dedicated therapist through the application.  

In Asia, we use the employee well-being index to analyze and better understand employee needs for future programming and sessions and to better improve accessibility. And at many of our EMEA sites including Ireland, the UK, and Hungary, the EAP hotline offers health, financial, and legal assistance 24/7. 

Also, our team members around the world have gone above and beyond their role at Flex to volunteer time and resources to offer mental health awareness and support activities at their site. In the UK, there are several employees who volunteer to advocate for mental health and host many events, including bringing speakers from all backgrounds to discuss their stories.

One of the best ways we support the mental health of employees is to keep the conversations going. We do this by inviting speakers to share their stories, providing resources in newsletters, and through peer-to-peer check-ins. Simply asking your colleagues or team members, “are you doing okay today?” can open doors.

— Trish Harrop, Executive PA, Flex

Localizing employee mental health support at sites around the world 

There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to providing employee mental health support. It’s important to acknowledge that people of different backgrounds and identities have nuanced experiences and wellness challenges. 

Our Harmony Program in Brazil leverages this approach by offering avenues for more personalized guidance around psychological well-being.  

For example, through the program, members of the LGBTQIA+ community can request specific psychological assistance from professionals within this profile. This, in addition to other initiatives, has earned a recognition as one of the “Best Companies for LGBTQ+ People to Work For” according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. 

Additionally, the program also offers employees and their families guidance for financial, legal, social services, and more. 

In the spirit of supporting mental health in the context of overall well-being, the site also offers extensive physical health benefits. These include individual and personalized services with nutritionists, access to gyms for employees — including their dependents — as well as a complimentary remote medical care program focusing on those with chronic illnesses or those who are pregnant. 

Extending wellness offerings outside of mental health is not unique to Brazil. For example, employees in the U.S. have access to work-life balance resources and consultation services such as pet care, care for persons with disabilities, and legal, financial, and identity theft services. 

Furthermore, in 2022, we launched the Asia Flex Care Program to promote employee well-being. 

The program involves inviting wellness experts including medical doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, and more to organize health campaigns and educate employees on topics related to wellness. Noting the essential connection between physical and mental health, the program launched a healthy lifestyle challenge for employees across several sites in Asia to give employees the tools and motivation to embark on a fitness journey.

Asia Flex Care Program

Our aim is to provide comprehensive well-being care to support employee mental health and emotional wellness.

Program area focuses:

Smarter lifestyles

Nutrition, finance, and fitness

Social wellness

Influencing and communication skills, parenting, and marriage

Workplace well-being

Career and job satisfaction and motivation

Several sites in Asia also offer in-house well-being services such as fitness classes, free dental checks, basic health checks, and more. Many locations even feature a well-being center where employees can do walk-in consults with a psychologist.

Flex Mexico also launched a holistic well-being program called Flex Meta with activities designed to raise awareness, improve the health of employees at work, and promote habits for a healthy lifestyle.

Continuing a culture of well-being  

In addition to mental health, we believe in supporting our employees in all aspects of their lives, including work-life balance, financial security, physical health and nutrition, and more. We do this to help our team members thrive both professionally and personally. 

Providing our employees access to emotional and mental health resources is a landmark accomplishment as we continue on our journey to not only provide useful resources, but cultivate a culture with a holistic view of health to support the heart of our organization: our people.