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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When we work together with our partners, colleagues, and technology experts, we feel a powerful sense of community and shared purpose.
In today's fast-paced digital economy, the frontline of business pulses with activity.
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.
The modern retail environment presents a persistent challenge: a gap between what happens at the point of sale and what store associates actually do.
Every day, your frontline workers navigate a complex world of tasks. They operate vehicles on highways, forklifts in warehouses, and equipment on airport tarmacs. In all these environments, a common, persistent risk exists right in the palm of their hands.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Retail associates often face overwhelming app fatigue. Disjointed communication tools and isolated point solution applications cause unnecessary friction during their daily shifts.
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 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Healthcare professionals today navigate immense pressure. Disconnected systems and administrative burdens often pull their focus from the critical work of patient care.
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.
It’s a familiar pattern in technology: the differentiator of yesterday becomes the table stakes of today. For years, having an AI strategy was a competitive advantage; now, it’s an expectation.
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.
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.
The air at a FIRST® Robotics competition crackles with a unique energy. You feel a powerful mix of excitement, intense focus, and pure ingenuity.
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.
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.
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.
An RFID thread connected to the right frequency makes it easy for manufacturers to relay critical intel on garments to retailers and shoppers.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
It is with a profound sense of loss that we announce the passing of Ed Kaplan, a remarkable visionary, and the beloved co-founder of Zebra Technologies.
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.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
Recognition feels good, but it seldom comes from solitary effort. It grows from a shared purpose and collective dedication.
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.
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.
Office Depot, a global leader in office supply retail, tackled operational challenges head-on by adopting Zebra Technologies’ Workcloud Workforce Optimization Suite.
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.
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.
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.
How can you ensure that perishable items, such as fresh foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, carried in refrigerated “reefer” containers, maintain the correct temperatures throughout their journeys?
Picture this: David, an employee in a bustling store, notices a customer who looks frustrated as she is searching through the jeans display.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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’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.
Do you just keep pushing forward? Or do you immediately stop what you’re doing and find a better fit? Former NFL Pro Julius Thomas found himself asking these questions at the age of 26. His answer might surprise you.
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.
Retail feels different these days, doesn’t it? Shoppers demand more personalized, seamless experiences, while frontline teams juggle growing responsibilities in increasingly complex environments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It is with deep sadness and immense gratitude that we remember Edward Donald Barkan, Senior Fellow at Zebra Technologies and a true pioneer in Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC). While we mourn his loss, we celebrate a life defined by innovation, inspiration, and humanity.
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.
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.