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.
The idea of a fully autonomous warehouse - a "dark facility" running on its own - is an inspiring vision for the logistics industry. However, the path to achieving it is filled with immense practical challenges.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Speed gets all the headlines in fulfillment centers. Warehouses and distribution hubs across the globe are facing immense pressure from tighter service-level agreements built on continually rising consumer expectations.
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.
The energy at our recent Channel Partner Summit in Orlando felt palpable. Everywhere you turned, conversations buzzed with the potential of AI.
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.
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’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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
In part one of the series, I shared my experience attending Zebra’s inaugural RFID Forum in Prague. As we continue our journey through our first-ever RFID Forum, it’s evident that RFID is not just a buzzword but a pivotal technology driving tangible change across industries.
In the fast-paced world of retail, staying ahead of changing consumer demands is more challenging than ever. As retailers strive to enhance customer experiences and maintain competitiveness, many are turning to the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI). Zebra Technologies is at the forefront of this movement, offering AI solutions that unlock the potential of frontline operations, allowing retailers to make smarter business decisions.
That depends on how you want to use your system and who you want to be able to operate and maintain it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do you know exactly when, where and why losses are happening within your operations? If not, it will be hard to figure out how to prevent them, fix inventory distortion, and eliminate friction within your operations. So, let’s talk about loss detection.
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).
AI, robots and other automation technologies will help you drive operational improvements sometime in the future. But, today, you need to be using voice-command automation (which is not the same thing as the voice-directed picking “solutions” you’re struggling with today.) Find out how voice-command automation differs from the other ways your frontline workers are using voice technology today.
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.
While AI is certainly proving helpful with quality control during the electric battery production and electric vehicle assembly processes, AI isn’t the only thing that improves inspection results. Find out what can help automotive suppliers, manufacturers, and integrators even more.
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.
AI must fail over and over to succeed. But there are several mistakes you want to avoid making when teaching an AI-driven application how to look for anomalies on a product, component, or label using deep learning.
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.
Zebra’s inclusive, innovative culture ensures our employees are empowered to bring their whole selves to work every day. Find out how.
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.
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.
These are the questions to ask every time you’re assessing a new machine vision project for a production or distribution environment, if you want to get it right the first time and save money in the process.
If you used machine vision years ago, you may be hesitant to go there again. But modern AI-based systems are giving many manufacturers and warehouse operators significant competitive advantages. Here’s how.
Google and Zebra are pulling out all the stops around mobility (and AI and AR) so you and your employees can source the info needed to more confidently do your jobs and secure more wins. Hear what’s unfolding.
If you’re wondering, “How is deep learning already at work in the real world (i.e., my world)?” or “How could deep learning help me work in new, more efficient ways?” then you’ve come to the right place. This blog post serves as a primer to deep learning, explaining what it really is, how it works, and how you can make it work for your business for inspections, quality control and more.
A manufacturing veteran agrees, adding that you need to start thinking about IT/OT convergence differently as well. You must create more synergies among people and machines, and that requires a new strategy.
Marcin Kowalski from Avicon Vision Systems in Poland pulls the veil back on some very cool ways machine vision technology is being used to track ball movements, confirm the quality of a chicken’s life, and more.
Chris Sullivan, Global Healthcare Lead for Zebra, explains how everything from robots and AI to RFID and machine vision is being used from the point of production to the point of care to improve patient experiences.
Your in-house team may struggle to manage a software implementation project because they don't work for the software provider. They only know how the application should work, not how to make it work as it should. Find out what it really takes to define MVP, keep the project on schedule, and ensure software acceptance of end users.
AI does not start and end with ChatGPT (or whatever other generative AI is creating the most buzz). So, let’s talk about what AI means for your business, including your workers.
Between the expanding capabilities of machine vision systems, maturity of deep learning OCR, and modularity of industrial automation systems, you have an opportunity to de-risk your operations and meet SLAs with ease.