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Product recalls represent a massive threat to food and beverage manufacturers. One industry financial analysis estimates the average direct cost of a single incident at $10 million.
As leaders, we constantly pursue new ways to improve operational efficiency and empower our people. We invest in digital tools to make work simpler and more productive. Yet, when I connect with frontline workers in retail, logistics, and manufacturing, I often witness a disconnect between our intentions and their reality.
As leaders in the manufacturing industry, we constantly navigate a landscape of disruption. From volatile supply chains and fluctuating market demands to persistent labor shortages, the pressure to perform is immense. Many of us have turned to digital transformation as the answer, and rightly so.
Enterprise operations run on precision, yet a single unreadable barcode label threatens to halt your entire workflow. You rely on printers to keep products moving, but choosing cheap, non-certified supplies often introduces unexpected chaos into your daily processes.
I recently had the pleasure of joining a fascinating discussion with Deborah Weinswig of Coresight Research and my colleague, Chip Yager from Zebra Technologies. We explored the evolving landscape of self-service technology in retail.
If you attended the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show this year, you might have seen a few eye-catching cars navigating the busy streets of New York, wrapped in the iconic Zebra stripes and featuring our name alongside our latest acquisition, Elo.
A significant shift is coming to the European retail landscape. New regulations signal the end of wasteful practices and the beginning of a more transparent, circular economy.
Imagine a customer walking into your store, smartphone in hand. An item they desperately want sits out of stock on the shelf. Within seconds, they locate that exact product on a competitor’s app, and with a few taps, the sale vanishes completely.
When we work together with our partners, colleagues, and technology experts, we feel a powerful sense of community and shared purpose.
April 2026 marks 10 years of Zebra’s award-winning PartnerConnect programme. The anniversary comes at a pivotal moment for the channel, not least with AI turning more frontline tasks into intelligent operations performed and overseen by an increasingly informed and connected frontline workforce.
AI-driven frontline operations will require companies to develop new capabilities that augment their current approach. Previously we explored how Asset Visibility delivers a complete, real-time view of the entire frontline environment, critical to provide AI models with knowledge of the current situation.
Bringing together thousands of the brightest minds in our industry at our Channel Partner Summit sparks incredible collaboration and reinforces a fundamental truth about our business: technology alone does not solve challenges, people do.
Legendary ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” In the highly competitive footwear retail market, this translates to an absolute truth: you miss 100% of the sales you cannot fulfill.
In today’s demanding business environment, challenges like labor shortages and supply chain disruptions test the resilience of every organization as the pressure to deliver better results with fewer resources is constant.
In my conversations with customers and manufacturing leaders across Vietnam, there is a palpable energy right now. As global supply chains diversify, our local manufacturing sector is experiencing breathtaking growth.
A recent story that caught my eye involved a rather audacious theft. Somewhere on a route between Italy and Poland, thieves made off with a truck carrying twelve tons of chocolate bars.
Food and beverage facility leaders face a difficult reality. A significant labor crisis continues to challenge the manufacturing sector, creating immense pressure to hit production forecasts and reduce downtime.
Across the transportation and logistics industry, AI continues its transformation from a future concept to a daily reality. In the back office, leaders successfully leverage AI and intelligent software solutions to refine demand forecasting and optimise asset visibility.
In today's fast-paced digital economy, the frontline of business pulses with activity.
The manufacturing landscape across the Asia Pacific region faces a profound operational shift. As organizations digitize their factory floors and supply chains, they encounter a critical intersection of human workforce dynamics and technological advancement.
In the next edition of our Winning Together blog series, I want to talk about how one of the best parts of my role as CMO of Zebra is the opportunity to talk with our customers and partners. The early part of the year is a great time to gather with them in person at trade shows like NRF and our Channel Partner Summits.
Each January, the tech world converges on Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), offering a preview of the future. We see smarter homes, next-generation gadgets, and brilliant displays.
The familiar barcode, a staple of commerce for over 50 years, triggers the checkout beep we all know. It reliably tells a scanner a product's identity, its Global Trade Item Number (GTIN).
At the start of each year, CES offers a compelling glimpse into the future of technology. While much of the focus is on the latest consumer innovations, I find the most impactful story of technological evolution unfolds outside the main event.
In the fast-paced world of retail, your team relies on a growing arsenal of mobile devices. Handheld computers manage inventory in the aisle, tablets process sales from anywhere on the floor, and wearables keep associates connected and informed.
The Wall Street Journal recently recognized Zebra Technologies as a global Top 10 company for AI Readiness. Earning a spot next to major tech innovators validates our strategic focus on AI for the frontline of business.
Manufacturing and logistics leaders face a complex, shifting landscape. The relentless pace of e-commerce, persistent labor shortages, and rising consumer expectations demand a new approach to operational strategy.
Bringing our partners together from across Latin America for our Channel Partner Summit always creates a unique and powerful reminder that our greatest achievements happen when we work in concert toward a common goal.
For years, a significant hurdle blocked the path toward truly intelligent, automated operations on the manufacturing floor. In environments prioritizing network integrity, particularly in automotive production, strict policies often ban Bluetooth® devices.
AI commands headlines and captures imaginations, promising a future of unparalleled efficiency. Yet for executives leading operations in retail, manufacturing, and transportation, the practical application of AI often feels distant from the hype.
Inside a bustling food and beverage facility, the smooth movement of materials dictates the pace of production. Any delay in getting raw ingredients to the line or moving finished goods to the warehouse creates a bottleneck.
As leaders in the manufacturing sector, we stand at a pivotal moment. The pressures of global competition, rising consumer expectations, and supply chain volatility push us to innovate constantly.
Imagine walking into a store you’ve visited for years, only to find the shelves are empty, the decor outdated, and the staff unsure of how to help. That’s what it feels like when a brand doesn’t keep up with the evolving needs of its customers.
I am thrilled to share insights into the upcoming Frontline AI Summit, an exclusive, director-level event designed for senior executives across all industry verticals. The summit will showcase AI technology and explore adoption challenges for organizations deploying AI in frontline operations. Attendees will benefit from the diverse perspectives of top executives, each presenting their unique point of view on how AI is transforming their sectors and what it means for the future of frontline work. The Frontline AI Summit is your opportunity to engage with fellow leaders and technology partners, gain actionable strategies, and shape the next chapter of AI-driven success for frontline teams.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of industrial automation, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. Enter 3D imaging technology—a game-changer that is transforming manufacturing, logistics, and industrial operations by offering unprecedented precision and efficiency. As industries strive to enhance their competitiveness, understanding the capabilities and applications of 3D imaging is crucial.
In the dynamic world of frontline operations, the spotlight has been on optimizing workflows through Asset Visibility, a critical pillar of operational intelligence discussed in my previous blog post.
In the fast-paced world of technological innovation, government contractors find themselves at the forefront of a digital transformation imperative. As these organizations strive to meet strict audit requirements and manage vast inventories of government property, modern RFID technology emerges as a beacon of efficiency and accuracy.
Before a pair of shoes reaches your doorstep, it may pass through up to 30 touchpoints where Zebra products, solutions, or workers using Zebra devices play a critical role in its journey.
In the ever-evolving landscape of intelligent automation and manufacturing, smart cameras have emerged as pivotal tools transforming machine vision technology. With advancements in edge processing and seamless integration capabilities, these devices are redefining the way industries approach efficiency and precision. As manufacturers, logistics operators, and warehouse professionals seek to optimize operations, smart cameras offer a promising solution for intelligent automation. By delivering real-time insights, and automated decision-making capabilities, robust, scalable, and adaptable smart cameras are ideal for a diverse range of industrial applications.
Today is an important day for Zebra as the company unveils its brand refresh. While our logo hasn’t changed, our new brand platform, “Better Every Day” represents a strategic evolution and tighter alignment with modern technology trends which recognize the impact that automation and AI are having on frontline workflows.
As the backbone of retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics (T&L) businesses, frontline workers drive results. Yet, according to Korn Ferry, a new study reveals that more than three-quarters (77%) of these workers believe senior leaders fail to understand their daily challenges.
Last month, Zebra and Clearview, a Zebra industrial automation distributor, hosted a launch event to officially open our new Industrial Automation Center of Excellence. The two-day launch event underscored our commitment to collaboration and innovation in fixed industrial scanning and machine vision. Today, I want to share with you the story behind this initiative. The center is more than just a facility; it represents our vision for the future of industrial operations—a future where technology serves people and empowers organizations to thrive.
If you’ve ever wrestled with outdated workstations, limited connectivity, or technology that feels more like a barrier than a tool, you’re not alone. Across industries, from retail and healthcare to logistics and manufacturing, the need for smarter, more flexible solutions is clear. The ZEC500 Enterprise Computer isn’t just another device. It’s a way to untangle the complexities of modern workflows and create a seamless, efficient experience for businesses, their employees and customers alike.
As Zebra rolls out its refreshed brand, I realize how privileged our role is as Independent Software Vendors in applying this new messaging around mobile devices.
Retail operations generate vast amounts of data every day. This data, which includes sales transactions, inventory levels, customer interactions, and employee actions, holds the key to understanding and resolving operational issues. However, traditional data analysis methods often fall short, struggling to address the multi-step nature of many retail problems.
Manufacturers today are under more pressure than ever to operate smarter, faster, and leaner. In fact, a recent study conducted by Zebra Technologies in collaboration with Oxford Economics shows that organizations implementing intelligent operations have seen a 19% boost in employee productivity.
Turnover rates for warehouse and storage workers remain significantly higher than in other sectors. According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, annual churn in transportation, warehousing and utilities is currently around 43%.
As business leaders, we constantly look for ways to streamline operations, empower teams, and deliver better results. If you’ve ever wondered how AI could make your frontline team’s workday smoother, more efficient, and maybe even a little less stressful, the Frontline AI Summit offered some exciting answers. Hosted by Zebra Technologies, this event brought together some of the sharpest minds in the industry to talk about how AI is already transforming operations and what’s next.
When Kevin Lawton, host of The New Warehouse Podcast, visited the Zebra Robotics demo center in San Jose, we didn’t just demonstrate Zebra Symmetry™ Fulfillment. We put him to work. With just a few minutes of instruction, Kevin went through a complete warehouse workflow, from building a cart at induction to picking items in the warehouse and unloading finished orders at a packout station. “I had minimal — minimal — training on this. So you can see how easy it is,” Lawton said after completing his first day on the job. In addition to giving Kevin an immersive experience, I sat down with him and Cody Upp, Zebra’s head of commercial robotics sales and solutions, to record a full podcast episode. Here are some of the high points from our interview.
The way we work is changing, and it’s happening fast. Across industries like manufacturing, retail, and transportation and logistics (T&L), businesses are embracing smarter, faster, and more connected ways of working. Why? Because the world demands it. Customers expect flawless service, employees want meaningful roles, and companies need to stay resilient in the face of constant change. But how do we get there? The answer lies in intelligent operations.
The scarcity of labor resources and high costs of robotics ownership are pushing fulfillment companies to rethink their automation strategies. Zebra addressed these challenges head on in a recent Making the Case report published in collaboration with Modern Materials Handling. This report delves into the top challenges fulfillment operations are dealing with on the robotics front today. It reveals how a collaborative approach to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can help you overcome automation hurdles, operate more efficiently, and enhance overall performance and profitability.
In today’s fast-paced industries, ranging from logistics to retail and manufacturing, the need for precision, efficiency, and real-time visibility into assets has become a critical factor for success. Organizations under constant pressure to streamline operations want to cut costs and maintain agility, making it essential to adopt tools that enhance productivity and simplify complex workflows.
Although there’s a growing understanding of how autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can reduce warehouse travel, we need to be asking a much more important question. How can a real-world operation transform the efficiency of its fulfillment workflows by optimizing both robots and people?
Label printing plays an important role in ensuring operational efficiency, product traceability, and regulatory compliance in industries like manufacturing, transportation & logistics, retail, and healthcare. Whether it's labeling parts on a production line, shipping packages, tagging retail inventory, or identifying medical supplies, the accuracy and consistency of labels directly impact business outcomes and the global supply chain.
Amidst rising demands, global competition, and evolving consumer expectations, manufacturing operations must adapt to thrive. The research we recently unveiled with Oxford Economics sheds light on how intelligent operations can unlock transformative efficiencies throughout manufacturing operations. The study titled, “Impact of Intelligent Operations” quantifies the benefits of workflow optimization and identifies how intelligent automation transforms manufacturing performance. It also reveals a compelling case for adopting intelligent operations to improve quality, reduce costs, and unlock new growth opportunities.
Should you bring in a partner to help you research, design, or implement business technology? Or should you handle everything in house? Larry Walsh, CEO, Chief Analyst & Founder of Channelnomics, explains exactly how resellers, systems integrators, and service providers can help you most effectively translate concepts of how you want things to work into reality.
In the fast-paced world of technology, we know that achieving milestones is all about teamwork. Here at Zebra Technologies, we’re fortunate to have a strong culture driven by our employees and incredible customers and partners whose collaboration inspires us to achieve more every day.
Recognition feels good, but it seldom comes from solitary effort. It grows from a shared purpose and collective dedication.
Picture this: It’s a busy morning in a bustling retail store. Shelves need restocking, customers have questions, and associates juggle tasks to keep operations running smoothly. Meanwhile, in a warehouse across town, workers navigate aisle after aisle to locate products, prepare shipments, and reconcile inventory. At the same time, a driver is frantically trying to find the packages for their delivery in the back of their van to keep up with the delivery schedule.
Want to make the right decisions for your tech project? Ask your tech partner about the mistakes they have made in the past. The ideal partner will possess extensive firsthand experience across a variety of IT implementations, equipping them with the expertise to steer you clear of typical and expensive project pitfalls.
As a communications strategist, I live for a great story. I recently had the distinct pleasure of hearing five incredible ones during a special CRN Women of the Channel podcast.
I’ve spent over four decades working on technology solutions that support businesses, and I can confidently say there’s never been a more exciting or challenging time to innovate for the frontline. Recently, I joined a webinar with guest speaker Denise Lund, Research Vice President, Worldwide Telecom and Unified Communications at IDC and my Zebra colleague Bethany Wiegand. The discussion centered on the mounting pressures of the retail frontline and how Unified Communication and Collaboration (UC&C) solutions, like Zebra Workcloud Sync, are stepping in to help.
If you're an SAP customer looking to migrate from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA to better support frontline workers and back-office processes, you may be wondering: "Should I choose SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) or Stock Room Management (SRM)?" This post will help you arrive at the right answer for your business.
Picture this: David, an employee in a bustling store, notices a customer who looks frustrated as she is searching through the jeans display.
In the fast-paced world of frontline operations, where distribution centers race to ship packages, retail stores are crowded with shoppers, and manufacturing plants strain to meet tight schedules, it is increasingly difficult to orchestrate all the simultaneous activities it takes to be successful. Companies are finding that they need to track more information than ever – accurate, real-time information.
The world is changing fast, and so is your frontline. Whether you’re in retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics (T&L), or healthcare, you’ve likely felt the pressure to do more with less.
The challenges facing AI today, such as data scarcity and quality concerns, might seem daunting, but they also present an opportunity. By turning to the wealth of data generated on the frontline, businesses can create more intelligent, efficient, and adaptive systems.
Security-minded solution architects from Google Cloud and Qualcomm explain how far you’re going to have to go – and the lengths to which they’re going – to help protect your organization’s data.
When working with an ecosystem of partners on digital transformation or other complex IT/OT projects, it can be advantageous to have one partner who leads the charge. Larry Walsh of Channelnomics explains why in this blog post.
Skilled labor shortages are likely here to stay, and skills aren’t gained overnight. But they won’t remain problematic for your business if you do these three things.
Zebra CEO Bill Burns highlights some notable accomplishments of Zebra employees, partners, and customers in his latest blog post about the impact of culture on a company.
Many frontline jobs have become harder to do over the last decade. That’s why we have further accelerated our innovative approach at Zebra since making our largest acquisition 10 years ago. We want to create new ways of working to help make frontline jobs more efficient, impactful, and fulfilling. Learn more about how we're driving advancements that help frontline workers.
The thinking used to be that a warranty plan was enough to protect business mobile devices, scanners, and printers. Here’s why that thinking has proven to be flawed.
Do you dread the day you have to migrate to a new Android OS? Are you delaying the move to Android 14 because you fear it will be too much work? According to one solution architect, doing these things should help reduce your anxiety. They may even prompt you to get excited about migrating applications to A14 (or whichever OS is next for you) rather than dreading or delaying it and paying the price.
Two venture capitalists from Zebra Ventures share the out-of-the-box thinking that helped them become more strategic (and successful) investors across the supply chain.
Technology, like medicine, is only effective if the right formula/dose is prescribed and “taken as directed.” Here are the three habits you need to adopt now if you want to avoid the side effects of “wrong” technology decisions and ultimately get relief from the "triple squeeze" choking your business.
Bob Bova, President and CEO of AccuspeechMobile, sits down with Andre Luecht, Global Strategy Lead for Transport, Logistics, and Warehouse at Zebra, to provide his honest take on why you may be struggling with your voice technology.
They say there’s two sides to every story. Well, now there’s at least two viable machine vision solutions to every problem when you invite both seasoned and early career vision system engineers to the table, and that’s making it easier to see the right path forward. These two engineers (from different generations) explain why.
The features and functionality of the cameras, sensors, and scanners used across your vision system won’t matter if you don’t have the right software underneath. Software is the glue. So, I'm curious: Did you closely inspect the software needed to run each of those pieces of hardware before buying them? Did you consider how easy (or difficult) it would be to get all the software platforms to work together as part of "one system"? Or have you found the software complicating things since putting those new hardware components in place? No matter your answer, you need to read this post.
A strong (wireless) connection is often missing in factories, plants, and warehouses. But there’s an easy solution to that, as two wireless technology experts pointed out in my recent discussion with them. Here are their recommendations.
Did you know there’s a way to configure your SAP mobile apps so they – and you – can keep working when offline? That's probably good news if you’re losing access to your SAP data and workflows every time your mobile device loses its connection to a Wi-Fi or 4G/5G network connection, you’re going to want to hear this. Read this blog post to learn more.
From multiple substrate applications to automated compliance checks, the team at Cobalt Systems has come up with some interesting techniques to affix and validate labels on almost anything using common technology such as industrial printers and industrial scanners. Hear what they've done (and you can do) to the benefit of manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment operations.
What do you think about on-device AI? Is it all hype or will it prove helpful to frontline workers? Zebra CTO Tom Bianculli sat down with Art Miller from Qualcomm and Rouzbeh Aminpour from Google Cloud in this new podcast episode to break down the benefits of this new approach to AI so you can decide for yourself.
You need safety stock in your store or warehouse, but you also need to avoid overstocks. So, how can you get the math right when you’re not even sure what figures to put in?
The food wasted annually – the ~1.3 billion tons of food that ends up in the landfill – contains enough calories to feed approximately three billion people for a year! So, why is even a single person experiencing food insecurity or hunger right now? There is clearly enough food being produced to feed everyone on the planet today and then some. In this blog post, Leo Lowy takes a closer look at the root causes of food waste and loss as well as the technology tools that could be applied right now to stop food waste in its tracks at a global level. Read his recommendations.
Were exactly should RFID, machine vision and other automation technologies be used within the reverse logistics chain? Alex Whiting, founder of MiTEQ, reveals what he’s found to work best.
If you're planning to use machine vision to assist with quality control or automate other visual inspections, there are some things you need to account for when designing your system. In the latest episode of the Industrial Automation Insider podcast, two engineers from Tri-Phase Automation explain what you should think about when spec'ing out your vision system to avoid headaches later on and make sure you get the results (and return on investment) you want.
Check out the Design Studio in your Zebra DNA software suite.
There's a lot more to consider than just the temperature rating when choosing a handheld mobile computer or tablet – or even an RFID reader, barcode scanner, printer, or wearable – for use in cold chains (or cold weather). So, Andre Luecht took the time to detail what other factors influence the performance of technology devices, accessories and supplies in different types of cold settings so that you always make the right choice for your operation the first time.
There is so much that can be done on planes, in airports, and on the tarmac to make the air travel experience so much smoother. Fortunately, it sounds like some very smart tech upgrades are going to be made by airlines to improve the passenger experience amidst competing priorities and regulatory pressures. Find out what will likely be changing soon (and what changes are already starting to land).
It's Deanna's Self's (new) job to steer Zebra’s Global Supply Chain and Repair Operations toward an innovative digital future. More specifically, she will be looking for ways to bridge technology and business in a way that benefits our customers, partners, and employees. But what does that mean in actionable terms? She explains in her latest blog post.
I’m often asked this question, along with two more: ‘What training format is best?’ and ‘Do I need to train them on every little change or new feature?’ Here’s my advice (based on some regrets other business leaders have expressed.)
What is it about telnet that makes it possible for modern warehouse devices to continue to run it?
If you’re only thinking about which mobile applications you need to develop or download to support workers, they may not be getting what they really need to be effective at their jobs. That's one of the reasons why you need to put more thought into your software decisions. Find out the other reasons why you need to look closer at the software you're running across your operations.
Two AI experts explain how exactly you can maximize your margins by integrating, adopting, and executing AI-powered solutions.
Find out why you must put your workers’ mobile experiences first when modernizing your SAP warehouse. Plus, learn about the seven things you must do to ensure you are addressing your frontline warehouse workers’ needs when making warehouse management system (WMS) and workflow changes.
If you want to know exactly where your Zebra Android mobile devices are within your facilities, the you'll want to find out how the 802.11mc fine time measurement (FTM) locating feature works. You'll also want to turn it on across your Wi-Fi network and Zebra devices. (There's no extra cost.) Learn more.
Find out how one Fortune 1000 manufacturing company is going to save $1.1 million annually…just by digitizing forms and going paperless with a zero-code, SAP-friendly software solution.
You need to know everything there is to know about deep learning OCR, a new AI-based text reading tool, mainly because it’ll tell you what you need to know about so many things – such as your products’ quality and status.
You can’t just bolt on AI and expect things to get better. If you don’t take these steps first, AI use will only add to your care team’s workload, detract from patient care, and multiply your IT spend.
