PFIZER

Developing a global vaccine with the help of a digital twin

How do you train employees to produce a life-saving vaccine when you can't access the production line? For Pfizer, the answer was to create a digital twin and VR training modules, resulting in 40% faster learning.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer takes an average of 12 years to develop medicines and make breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. But in 2020, just 9 months after committing to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, their life-saving medicine gained approval from the World Health Organization.

With authorization confirmed, attention turned to manufacturing. Upskilling staff, improving processes and upscaling outputs were essential to meet global demand and bring the pandemic closer to an end. Pfizer knew that the 21st century’s greatest medical challenge needed a 21st century solution.

The difficulties of manufacturing during a pandemic

In order to meet the demand for the new vaccine, Pfizer needed to quickly scale up its manufacturing while at the same time, train new operators in its manufacturing processes. This presented two major pain points:

1. Limited access to production lines for training

Pfizer’s strategy for meeting vaccine demand relied heavily on training new operators in the manufacturing process. Pre-pandemic, this training would have happened on the line, but just as lockdowns brought workplaces to a grinding halt, Pfizer's manufacturing plants faced their own restrictions.

Lines ran for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with limits on the number of staff allowed in buildings. This made training new operators almost impossible. Finding a workaround would need creative thinking.

2. Complex manufacturing processes

Manufacturing medicines is always complex, but the vaccine introduced new processes to both newly hired and seasoned operators. Whether it’s learning a lengthy procedures manual, understanding how to use highly specialized equipment, or correctly following good manufacturing practices, trainees need lots of practice and the guidance of expert trainers before they can develop the necessary competence.

Nicholas Hockley,
Manager,
Smart Factory Technology,
Pfizer

“

Training was taking six-to-eight months, mainly due to challenges with access to the production line.

How Pfizer used VR to upskill staff and ramp up vaccine production

Faced with huge demand for vaccines, the added complexity of reducing the spread of Covid and product lines at capacity 24/7, training staff on the shopfloor was limited to sporadic line stoppages. Pfizer’s Digital Manufacturing 4.0 Smart Factory Team knew that VR held the answer.

Headsets had been used since 2018 but it was time for Pfizer to roll out VR training like never before and use the technology in three ways to ramp up production:

1. VR environments

Pfizer started making digital twins of real-world locations as a ‘proof of concept’. When the Smart Factory Team scanned production lines in a 3D style in 2019, they could have never predicted its importance just a year later.

When the pandemic hit, the scans served as a baseline to create immersive 3D environments, a space for the Pfizer VR Training Development Team to deliver custom VR training on a wide range of processes. These VR environments were used to recreate on-the-line conditions and prepare operators for daily tasks without impeding the work of others. Operators from across the world were upskilled in large numbers, overseen by Good Manufacturing Practice-qualified trainers, located across the globe.

“3D Scanning is an essential part of our VR development pipeline which enables the creation of hyper-realistic VR environments for training.” — Nicholas Hockley, Manager, Smart Factory Technology, Pfizer

”This technology not only enabled our operators to get on the shopfloor 40% quicker but the knowledge retention and reduced error rate shows it was the right tool for the job.” — Ronan Kelly, Global Director, Smart Factory, Pfizer

Besides training, the virtual environments have also been used to hold engineering reviews, onboarding, and due diligence tours. The same innovative team from Pfizer are using the digital twins to build and host augmented reality (AR) experiences too.

2. VR manufacturing training

Pfizer took a 100-page standard operating procedures document and translated it into a suite of VR training apps to create an immersive and hands-on learning experience. By delivering training away from busy vaccine filling lines and allowing operators to repeat training tasks in their own time, Pfizer’s workforce was able to learn in a practical, yet less pressured environment.

”It was giving them an opportunity to get unlimited repetitions on procedures that would sometimes take them four, five, or six repetitions on the physical line to gain proficiency.” — Nicholas Hockley, Manager, Smart Factory Technology, Pfizer

3. VR behavioral training

When manufacturing a vaccine, it’s essential that operators maintain a sterile environment and production line. Meta Quest’s haptic and hand speed tracking allowed the Pfizer team to train staff on proper aseptic techniques to avoid compromising the environment.

From vibrations when moving too fast, to feedback on angles when inserting tools, the devices’ features played an important role in producing safe vaccines to be used the world over.

Nicholas Hockley,
Manager,
Smart Factory Technology,
Pfizer

“

It was giving them an opportunity to get unlimited repetitions on procedures that would sometimes take them four, five, or six repetitions on the physical line to gain proficiency.

Why Meta Quest?

When the world needed Pfizer, the company’s Smart Factory Team turned to a VR headset they could rely on. Here are 5 reasons why they chose Meta Quest:

A trusted and familiar product
Always-improving tech
Wireless, fuss-free design
Simple set-up for all users
Affordable pricing

Pfizer and Meta Quest

Back in 2018, Pfizer’s Smart Factory Team introduced VR headsets to the business as part of their mission to deploy the latest and greatest technologies in the workplace. By 2020, and due to the pandemic, an in-house VR training and development team was introduced to maximize the technology’s potential.

Today, the pharmaceutical giant owns over 200 Meta Quest 1 headsets and 600 Meta Quest 2 headsets. Currently, between 500 and 600 people are trained in VR across three sites: Kalamazoo, Michigan; McPherson, Kansas; and Newbridge, Ireland.

“We partner where it makes sense in terms of software and hardware technologies.” — Ronan Kelly, Global Director, Smart Factory, Pfizer

Pfizer carried out extensive due diligence when looking to partner with a vendor. Some of the reasons they chose Meta Quest devices can be broken down into the following:

1. Familiarity

Meta Quest is among the most recognized names in VR, if not the most recognized name. The devices have earned a reputation for high-quality immersive experiences in the gaming world and Pfizer believes familiarity with the product helps to encourage adoption among new users.

“We spread the net wide when looking for the right technology and although VR and Quest was seen as more of a commercial offering, we see the opportunities it could bring to our training teams.” — Ronan Kelly, Global Director, Smart Factory, Pfizer

2. Tech trajectory

From Meta’s first VR headset to the Quest Pro, the consistent improvement in performance has helped to establish Meta as a leader in the VR field. Pfizer’s Nicolas Hockley cited the advances in technology as another reason to invest in a Meta Quest fleet.

“We’ve been building apps in VR since Oculus Rift. Every iteration has progressed in the right direction.” — Nicholas Hockley, Manager, Smart Factory Technology, Pfizer

3. The form factor

Meta Quest’s simple yet functional design also helped to win over the Pfizer team. With no wires and no need to tether to a powerful computer, the headsets offer 3D environments in a self-contained device. The fuss-free headsets make set up easy and, even more appealing for Pfizer, add to the potential to scale up their use worldwide.

“Having no wires to deal with makes the experience less intimidating and more natural for the user, but also much easier to set up. This is important when you are looking to scale up.” – Nicholas Hockley, Manager, Smart Factory Technology, Pfizer

4. Affordability

Meta Quest 2 makes up the bulk of Pfizer’s headsets. The affordable devices have allowed the pharmaceutical business to invest in multiple units and removed a barrier to entry that may have otherwise hindered innovation.

Key results

In 2022, Pfizer met its commitment to manufacture more than 4.5 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine worldwide. The company’s innovative training approach played a key part in making this possible.

For example, by implementing VR in just one of their global supply areas, Pfizer was able to reduce training time by 40%.

Apart from the vaccine, the pharmaceutical company offered 40 team members outside of drug manufacturing the chance to experience a virtual training workshop in the metaverse. Delivered in a 3D replica of a Kalamazoo training line, the attendees learned about the processes involved in Sterile Injectable Manufacturing.

When asked if they’d rather learn this content through VR than a video call, 90% voted in favor of VR. A further 87% described the experience as fun and enjoyable.

“Training was very intuitive and hands on, which personally aids in the understanding of the process better than e-training.” — Pfizer VR training user

“When I began my role as a Trainer for Pfizer, my goal going into this position was to make a significant difference in training as we know it. Working with the Virtual Twin and Virtual Reality Team is helping us remove boundaries and take training well beyond next level.” — Troy Hinds, Digital Development and Training Lead, Pfizer

Troy Hinds,
Digital Development and Training Lead,
Pfizer

“

Working with the Virtual Twin and Virtual Reality Team is helping us remove boundaries and take training well beyond next level.

The difficulties of manufacturing during a pandemic

Pfizer has big plans for VR. As well as building and testing content for the Meta Quest Pro, the Smart Factory Team are building an Enterprise metaverse. It’s a place where employees can hold virtual events, meetings, training and more.

In an increasingly hybrid world, the PfizerVerse will open new pathways for collaboration, training and introduce new ways of thinking and driving efficiency.

And what would Pfizer’s advice be to other companies looking to get started with VR?

“Look for the biggest problem with the highest ROI and focus only on that.” — Ronan Kelly, Global Director, Smart Factory, Pfizer

Rather than force headset use on their employees, Pfizer introduced new technologies where it made the most sense. When operators needed guidance for longer periods of time on the shopfloor, tablets with augmented reality worked best and helped to pave the way for a more immersive experience elsewhere.