Modern warehouse operations face constant disruptions. Finding effective solutions for volatile consumer demands and labor challenges requires a strategic approach rather than piecemeal technology adoption.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
At Zebra Technologies, we believe in the power of collaboration to create a more inclusive world. We have made a commitment to improving accessibility, and we are proud to work with third parties to ensure our hardware and our partner’s software applications
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.
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.
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.
Retailers today navigate a fiercely competitive environment. Consumers expect, and demand, seamlessly connected shopping experiences, whether they shop online or in-store.
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.
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.
I recently had the privilege of joining a host of industry leaders and innovators at the 40th GS1 Global Healthcare Summit. The energy at the conference felt distinct. In every session and conversation, a shared purpose resonated: to tackle the immense pressures on our healthcare systems not as individual organizations, but as a connected ecosystem.
The energy at our recent Channel Partner Summit in Orlando felt palpable. Everywhere you turned, conversations buzzed with the potential of AI.
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.
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.
The air at a FIRST® Robotics competition crackles with a unique energy. You feel a powerful mix of excitement, intense focus, and pure ingenuity.
In logistics, what you can’t see can hurt you. Every moment a package is unaccounted for between scans represents a blind spot, a gap in the story of its journey.
Cybersecurity discussions usually focus on server racks and cloud infrastructure. Executive teams spend millions fortifying data centers against external intrusions. Yet, logistics risk profiles expand dramatically at the physical point of parcel delivery.
When we work together with our partners, colleagues, and technology experts, we feel a powerful sense of community and shared purpose.
Retail associates often face overwhelming app fatigue. Disjointed communication tools and isolated point solution applications cause unnecessary friction during their daily shifts.
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.
After two decades in the transportation and logistics (T&L) sector, I find its constant motion continues to fascinate me. Our industry serves as the circulatory system for the global economy, and its pulse reflects the pressures and priorities of our time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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).
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.
In today's fast-paced digital economy, the frontline of business pulses with activity.
Latin America’s fields and farms feed a significant portion of the world. The region produces more than a third of global agricultural exports, from Colombian coffee to Brazilian beef.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
After more than two decades in nursing, I witnessed firsthand the constant race against time. Clinicians rush from patient to patient, their days a whirlwind of alerts, calls, and documentation.
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.
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.
Healthcare professionals today navigate immense pressure. Disconnected systems and administrative burdens often pull their focus from the critical work of patient care.
Increasingly, healthcare workers are facing the threat of workplace violence. In fact, studies have shown that healthcare workers are five times more likely to be assaulted than any other profession.
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.
You need more than the “stakeholders” involved from day one on healthcare modernization porjects because buy-in on new technology toolsand processes starts – but doesn’t end – at the top of your healthcare organization. Found out whose opinion and support matters most so that you can invite the right people to inform your RFID-projects
As we mark the last day of National Nurses Week in the U.S., Zebra’s Chief Nursing Information Officer and Healthcare Industry Principal, Kassaundra McKnight-Young offers an inspiring glimpse into the evolving role of technology in healthcare. Transitioning from over 31 years on the frontline, she remains dedicated to enhancing patient care by integrating innovative solutions that empower clinicians. Kassaundra passionately discusses her mission to alleviate the burden on nurses, allowing them to focus more on patient care. She also shares her insights on how healthcare professionals can cultivate skills that drive better outcomes and satisfaction. In addition, Kassaundra provides strategic advice on how to leverage technology effectively, emphasizing the importance of choosing solutions that truly enhance clinical practices and align with broader organizational goals.
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.
Discover how AI can streamline your software testing processes while understanding the potential risks it may introduce to your business. Learn the essential steps to ensure trust in your testing results and maintain the software’s performance and objectivity. Optimize your testing strategies with a balanced approach to leveraging AI effectively and safely.
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.
It’s a Monday morning, and I am in a busy Accident & Emergency (A&E) facility at my local hospital. A young boy in a school uniform nurses a sore wrist and a workman wearing a high visibility jacket leans back in a wheelchair amidst a sea of injured humans.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Working in retail today is more challenging than ever. The pressure on frontline workers has reached unprecedented levels, with 59% of them considering quitting their jobs in the past year alone.
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.
In the second episode of Conversations with a CNIO, we tackled one of the most pressing and sensitive issues facing healthcare today: workplace safety and violence. As someone who has spent years navigating hospital floors and collaborating with healthcare leaders, this topic is deeply personal to me. Chad Salahshour, CEO of 911Cellular, one of Zebra’s valued channel partners, joined me to share his insights on how innovative technologies can enhance safety measures in healthcare environments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Every September, we at Zebra Technologies take time to reflect on what truly drives our success: the extraordinary people and organizations that make up our partner ecosystem. This year, as we mark the fifth anniversary of Partner Appreciation Month, it feels especially meaningful. Five years of celebrating the collaboration, innovation, and trust of the people and partnerships that define Zebra’s success.
I am drawn to extraordinary people. People that do things above and beyond the call of duty. My friendship group comprises sports champions, business entrepreneurs and adventurers. Intelligent, confident people that excel in a multitude of outlets, and rarely follow the norm. Which is why I felt so at home. I was surrounded by a room full of people I felt in awe of. Not sports heroes or boardroom execs but people that show up every day and make the world a better place. People that deal with the deprived, those with complex health issues - physical and mental. They operate calmly in situations that would fill me with fear. The most unsung of heroes. Community nurses.
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.
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.
Transportation & logistics (T&L) leaders confront a fast-moving landscape where agility and precision define success. Our study titled, “Impact of Intelligent Operations” which was done in collaboration with Oxford Economics offers fresh insights into how intelligent operations transform this vital industry.
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.
Frontline workers are the backbone of retail operations, yet their challenges often go unnoticed. From juggling demanding schedules to managing inventory discrepancies and navigating volatile pricing environments, the frontline faces significant hurdles daily. We offer solutions designed to address these pain points head-on. Through Workcloud Shift, Workcloud Inventory Visibility, and Workcloud Lifecycle Pricing, we are transforming how frontline workers do their jobs, fostering connected collaboration, and driving operational excellence.
Hello, everyone! I’m Kassaundra McKnight-Young, Zebra Technologies’ Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO), and I’m thrilled to introduce Conversations with a CNIO, a podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of healthcare and technology.
Recognition feels good, but it seldom comes from solitary effort. It grows from a shared purpose and collective dedication.
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 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.
Retailers today face mounting pressure to evaluate their pricing strategies with precision. Yet, the real challenge lies in identifying which metrics truly reflect success.
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.
Looking to simplify your inventory management processes in secure facilities? Let’s talk about how RFID technology can make things easier and more efficient for you!
It’s a given that managing inventory in secure controlled environments can be challenging. But with recent advancements in offline RFID and barcode technology, you can enhance security and efficiency without the hassle of manual methods.
Imagine a world where your inventory counts are fast, accurate, and save you precious time. Even in facilities like SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities) where stringent security protocols govern every aspect of operation to safeguard classified or restricted information.
Strict access control measures require personnel to have security clearances for entry and regulate the use of equipment, ensuring that items like cameras, scanners, and computers adhere to rigorous security controls.
Retail has always fascinated me. It’s a dynamic industry that demands constant attention to detail, an ability to adapt, and a focus on solving problems that can threaten both profits and customer trust.
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.
Discover how hospitals are navigating the complex landscape of artificial intelligence in “Are Hospitals Taking a Gamble on AI? Part One” by Lorna Hopkin, Marketing Lead, Healthcare EMEA at Zebra Technologies. Set against the backdrop of the HIMSS 2025 conference in Las Vegas, the article explores the role of AI in healthcare, from streamlining administrative tasks to enhancing clinical practices like radiology and patient predictions. Dive into discussions on AI governance, digital maturity, and the challenges and opportunities AI presents in transforming healthcare efficiency. Stay tuned for part two, which delves deeper into overcoming data and connectivity hurdles.
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.
Over the last couple years, an unfortunate but true joke has circulated around the Zebra offices related to the fact that it was easier to buy an actual, real-life zebra online through your favorite search engine – in no more than three clicks – than it was to use our Zebra Technologies’ website (www.zebra.com) to buy one of our products. The good news: this is no longer the case with our new “How to Buy” experience!
According to one retail industry observer (and nearly every shopper), the answer is “yes!” Convenience is what drives satisfaction with retailers. Find out which conveniences matter most, though. It may not be the ones you think.
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.
What does a “good” company culture look like? And does a good culture really influence customers' perception of your company - or purchases from your company - or just employees' perceptions? Zebra's Chief People Officer weighs in.
If you're a healthcare provider or administrator who wants to reduce the shocks and stress felt when the world seems to shatter - or just simply grows bigger - you need to make one simple change today then repeat tomorrow. Don't wait "for the money to come in" or a policy push to make the changes needed to improve care capacity or quality. The team at Hull University Hospital didn't. It took a pragmatic approach to modernization and has made great progress with Scan4Safety and strategic RFID implementations in a short period of time. So, if you're not sure what to do first (or next), the story and advice shared in this blog post might help you get the answers you need...or at least know the right questions to ask of the right people.
Are you a military service member or veteran? Don’t let your current or past affiliations define who you are or who you want to be. And don’t let your career history define your current self-worth, say these two Marines-turned-Zebras. Find out why they warn you not to attach your military experience to your identity.
When store shelves are empty, people clearly notice. While that’s a problem, the bigger issue is what people are missing before that empty shelf becomes apparent. Let’s look at that for a minute and talk about what more retailers can be doing behind the scenes to avoid out-of-stocks and solve this hidden crisis.
Though AI can work more quickly than people can in some cases, it still takes its cues from us. That's why you always need to keep a human in the loop. But that’s not the only reason why you shouldn’t let an AI work completely independently. Zebra's Senior Director of AI and Advanced Technologies sits down with the Interim CEO of Humans in the Loop to talk more about why human oversight will always be needed with AI systems and if there’s ever a time an AI system can be left to work autonomously.
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).
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.
Need to connect your Zebra printers to a new Android mobile device? Or want to know how to initiate a print job from a Zebra Android mobile device? There's an app for that...and it's free! Here’s everything you need to know about how to download and use the new Zebra Print app to print labels, PDFs, images, and more while on the move.
When an ambulance is dispatched to a call, the assumption is that it will be fully stocked with the right equipment and medicines for EMTs to stabilize patients or perform life-saving measures in the field. But with the increased number of calls for service, it’s becoming more difficult for EMTs to maintain proper stock in their ambulances – and that has patient care implications. Why is such a fundamental task so hard to manage? That’s one of the questions we asked two public safety experts. The other question? Is there anything that can be done to reduce the wait times for ambulance services where the calls for service are exceeding EMTs’ capacity? These experts have some thoughts.
Two healthcare and pharmaceutical sector experts say resistance to change is causing many organizations to miss out on the benefits of automation and experience preventable disruptions in their operations. Yet, there are many ways you can turn DSCSA requirements into business advantages...if you're open to automating certain parts of your business. Find out how.
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.
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.
In a very candid conversation, tech industry leader Tim Stoddard shares the best way to steer your career and life so that you become who you want rather than who others want you to be.