Winning Together: A Pragmatic Guide to AI for Your Frontline Workforce
The energy at our recent Channel Partner Summit in Orlando felt palpable. Everywhere you turned, conversations buzzed with the potential of AI.
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The energy at our recent Channel Partner Summit in Orlando felt palpable. Everywhere you turned, conversations buzzed with the potential of AI.
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.
The devices that power your frontline are the heart of your operations. Your Zebra scanners, printers, and mobile computers function as the critical link between your physical and digital worlds.
When we work together with our partners, colleagues, and technology experts, we feel a powerful sense of community and shared purpose.
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.
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.
After navigating the energetic cacophony of NRF 2026, one thing is abundantly clear: the retail industry's conversation around AI has pivoted from the theoretical to the practical.
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.
Picture this: it is the peak of the holiday shopping season. Every register has a long line, associates race to fulfill online orders, and the stockroom buzzes with activity. Suddenly, a handheld scanner in a key department stops working. The frontline associate feels stranded.
The retail landscape continues its rapid evolution, especially across the Asia Pacific region. Today’s shoppers enter stores with high expectations for a digitally enhanced journey.
In today's fast-paced digital economy, the frontline of business pulses with activity.
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.
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.
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 first half of 2026 has been a period of rapid technological evolution, but our core mission at Zebra remains unchanged: ensuring that every frontline worker is visible, connected, and fully optimized.
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.
Retailers today navigate a fiercely competitive environment. Consumers expect, and demand, seamlessly connected shopping experiences, whether they shop online or in-store.
Retail associates often face overwhelming app fatigue. Disjointed communication tools and isolated point solution applications cause unnecessary friction during their daily shifts.
I recently returned from Orlando where the energy at our Channel Partner Summit was undeniable. Spending time with our partners is always a highlight for me, but this year felt different.
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.
SAP enterprise systems provide the robust foundation that successful businesses rely on to manage, track, and process complex order, inventory, and industrial workflows. This centralized structure is highly optimized for strategic data management and core business operations.
Earlier this year, at our Channel Partner Summit, the buzz of excitement was unmistakable. The conversations with our partners, the lifeblood of our ecosystem, consistently circled back to a significant evolution in our industry.
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).
For logistics and postal leaders, the last mile has become the most critical and complex part of the entire supply chain. The pressure to improve its efficiency is immense, driven by the relentless growth of e-commerce, soaring customer expectations for speed and the high operational cost of failed deliveries.
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.
Zebra's Channel Partner Summit provides a vital opportunity to connect with the partners who help us deliver solutions to our customers every day. This year’s conversations centered on Winning Together.
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.
The most critical part of any package’s journey is the final 50 feet. It’s a moment filled with anticipation for the recipient, but also potential anxiety.
In my years leading technology and product teams, I have witnessed a fundamental shift in how businesses operate. The frontline, once disconnected from the digital core, now stands as the epicenter of value creation.
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.
A striking paradox is unfolding in boardrooms worldwide. Companies are investing heavily in AI, yet a recent Hoover Institution study found over 80% of them report no meaningful productivity impact.
In a dynamic business environment, stability, reliability, and a clear path forward are not just beneficial – they are essential for success. As you navigate your technology investments, we want to reaffirm Zebra's unwavering commitment to being the partner you can trust, both now and in the future.
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.
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.
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.
If you’ve ever managed a team on the frontline, whether in a warehouse, a hospital, or a retail store, you know how challenging the work can be.
Warehouses, factories, and other supply chain facilities have become host to some intense competition and big prizes lately. Who would have thought? (Apparently, the people who understand how to modify behavior and started building gamification apps.) Learn more about how gamification works and how it can help motivate your workers.
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.
Is friction friend or foe in retail? Most would argue the latter. But, what motivates a retailer to modernize stores more than friction (or the cost of friction)? Not much, right? That's why Rack Room Shoes’ CIO Brian Minnix viewed the four dozen friction points he found in his stores to be a source of opportunity for the retailer. He sits down with Zebra Retail Industry Principal Jim Musco to talk about the approach he took as a technologist, together with store operations team members, to improve the associate and shopper experience. He explains what he did, why he did it, and what he would do differently the next time.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recognition feels good, but it seldom comes from solitary effort. It grows from a shared purpose and collective dedication.