AWS for Industries

Helen of Troy is getting the most out of temperature data using AWS IoT Core

In an increasingly connected world, global consumer products company Helen of Troy saw an opportunity. By offering digital experiences, Helen of Troy could help customers get the most value out of physical products from many well-recognized and widely trusted brands, including Braun1, Vicks1, and Honeywell2.

With a vision to innovate by enhancing the customer experience, Helen of Troy looked to Amazon Web Services (AWS) for assistance designing and implementing an Internet of Things (IoT) solution using AWS IoT Core (which organizations use to securely connect billions of IoT devices to the cloud). Helen of Troy uses data to improve products, increase innovation, and engage users with its connected devices framework (CDF) built on AWS IoT Core.

Building a Connected Devices Framework that Improves the Customer Experience Using AWS Professional Services

Helen of Troy was founded in 1968 as a beauty products company and has expanded into areas like consumer health, kitchen, and housewares.

Before developing the CDF, Helen of Troy offered a connected experience for some products, such as reviewing blood pressure readings over time. However, these apps had limitations, like processing power, and weren’t built on a scalable framework for use across products and industries.

To develop a centralized digital solution, Helen of Troy compared cloud providers, choosing AWS in the fall of 2020. Based on experience in other business areas, Helen of Troy trusted AWS to handle sensitive and private data. It also appreciated the expertise and flexibility of AWS to meet immediate needs with room to expand as Helen of Troy added more advanced features and scaled its digital solution to additional products.

From the beginning, Helen of Troy engaged AWS Professional Services, which organizations use to achieve desired business outcomes when using AWS, to help design the CDF and provide guidance around regulatory compliance requirements. “The AWS Professional Services team had expertise, which gave us the confidence to complete the project the right way the first time,” says Edwin De Leon, director of engineering at Helen of Troy. “There was a sense of collaboration from the start.”

Improving Products and Increasing Innovation Using AWS IoT Core

For the first connected experience built on the CDF, Helen of Troy launched the Braun ThermoScan®3 7 Connect thermometer with an accompanying Braun Family Care app in early 2022 in the United States. The app receives thermometer data from Bluetooth-capable customer devices, using the CDF built on AWS IoT Core to send data to the cloud for processing.

By analyzing this data, Helen of Troy can be agile and adjust how it invests resources based on which features customers use in the app. Helen of Troy aims to facilitate innovation and develops advanced features by using the large volume of temperature data that it collects across the United States using AWS IoT Core. “Using data in the app, we can answer questions that we have but can’t design consumer product testing around,” says Rich Thrush, vice president of design and innovation at Helen of Troy. “Insights from our solution built using AWS IoT Core drive the new products that we create, how we think about innovation, and the decisions that we make in the near term.”

Helen of Troy also gains valuable information from the data collected using AWS IoT Core in the form of actionable feedback, which helps improve the product. Product designers at Helen of Troy consistently test products and adapt based on feedback, but there are limitations to test cases. “If a child is sick at two o’clock in the morning, we aren’t going to be there, and that’s a different use case that we can’t replicate in a consumer test,” says Thrush. “The beauty of this data is that it’s real data, over a longer time, and in the moment, when we can’t be there.”

Because a key requirement for a product like a thermometer is accuracy, Helen of Troy plans to analyze temperature data to make sure customers have a positive experience. The company’s goal is to identify outlier readings that might be perceived as inaccurate if a customer takes several readings throughout a day. Helen of Troy will also be able to see when a customer enters a temperature manually in the app and compare the value to readings received through the CDF. The company plans to use data analysis for troubleshooting so it can proactively fix issues before they affect a larger group of customers. Helen of Troy can also release software updates to continue improving the experience after a customer takes a product home.

With a cloud infrastructure, Helen of Troy benefits customers by collecting and delivering insights in near real-time. For example, if a parent indicates that a household member has a fever, the app shows age-appropriate recommendations for care. Everyone with access to the app can see historical temperature readings, offering reliable data regardless of who uses the thermometer.

By building a cloud solution, Helen of Troy can quickly expand to offer connected experiences for additional products and locales as it rapidly expands internationally. With support from AWS Professional Services, Helen of Troy is working toward releasing the Braun Family Care app in the European Union in early 2024. This project requires an application to the Medical Device Regulation and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation. “We’ve benefited greatly from the expertise of AWS Professional Services while pursuing compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation,” says Jim Gorsich, associate director of engineering at Helen of Troy. “That team has been invaluable and is leveling up our knowledge in a very tricky field.”

Adding Products to the Framework Built Using AWS IoT Core

Using the CDF built on AWS, Helen of Troy plans to offer additional connected products in the future. “As we create more connected products, release updates to continue improving software, and continue to grow the user base, we expect to see more cost savings,” says Gorsich. “We know that going fully cloud-based from the start will pay dividends in the end.”

To learn more, visit the AWS for Consumer Packaged Goods website or contact an AWS Representative.

Further Reading

1 Certain trademarks used under license from The Proctor & Gamble Company or its affiliates.
2 Honeywell is a trademark of Honeywell International Inc., used under license by Helen of Troy Limited.
3 ThermoScan is a registered trademark of Helen of Troy Limited and/or its affiliates.
Kate Wiley

Kate Wiley

Kate Wiley is the Head of CPG Industry Marketing at AWS. Prior to this position and AWS, Kate held several marketing roles for CPG companies and retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Reebok, and Drybar. As the Head of CPG Industry Marketing, Kate is responsible for supporting and educating CPG brands and retailers on how to use the cloud to build closer consumer relationships with their brand, improve operational agility, and accelerate their digital transformation with AWS.