US Chambers Address Workforce Shortage and H-1B Quota

The US Chambers of Commerce is enacting a massive effort to support business. There is an acute shortage of skilled and professional workers in the US. As such, doubling the H-1B visa quota and eliminating the per-country quota for Green Card holders are being pursued by the Chambers.

The highly sought-after non-immigrant H-1B visa supports foreign workers in specialty occupations to work in the US. The demand to increase the H-1B quote from the current 65,000 annually is part of the America Works campaign. There are an additional 20,000 H-1B visas available for those who have higher studies.

A worker shortage is holding back companies across the US.

Through the America Works program, the US Chamber highlights specific requests, including:

• Double the cap on H-1B employment-based visas
• Double the quota on H-1B and H-2B visas
• Growth in federal investment for employer-led job education and training programs
• Expanding childcare for working parents

The program asks for support to train workers in the skills needed by US companies to help fill high-demand jobs locally as well as internationally.

The Chamber asks to double the cap on all employment-based immigrant visas from 140,000/year to 280,000/year. By eliminating the practice of counting spouses and minor children under the Green Card annual quota, the number of employment-based immigrant workers could nearly double.

The program also asks the Biden administration to give international students who graduate from US universities more opportunities to get employment-based green cards. Additionally, they ask for more options for entrepreneurs to gain permanent residency so they can grow their businesses in the US.

As possible on a safe level, the US Chambers is also asking the administration to reinstate routine visa processing at consulates around the world.

It also seeks to expand access to H-2A agricultural worker visas for non-seasonal agricultural businesses to ensure the future success of these businesses.

As always, ILBSG continues to monitor developments around employment-based visas and all immigration topics. If you have questions, contact us at ILBSG. We are here to help ensure you get the right advice.

Originally published here!

If you are having trouble finding fresh flower arrangements, chicken wings, and even some prescription drugs, you’re not alone. These are among the many items still in short supply due to pandemic-inflicted production delays and/or unusually high demand. They are also among the many items cold chain stakeholders are working diligently to preserve when they do have inventory on hand.

In fact, we’ve seen a dramatic uptick in technology spending among those responsible for producing, storing, and distributing temperature-sensitive products since COVID-19 emerged. Between the current shortages and the 2020 storage overstocks of beef and dairy when restaurants suddenly closed and orders were cancelled, cold chains have had to simultaneously accelerate throughput, extend shelf life and reduce waste. Any one of these efforts alone is a heavy lift from a logistics perspective. In fact, it’s dizzying to think about the resources required to keep tabs on the billions of items exchanging hands each day across the globe. It’s not easy to keep an eye on static inventory, either. Stock being held in refrigerators and freezers at warehouses, distribution centers, retail stores and hospitals need frequent quality control inspection, as a single temperature excursion can render them inconsumable.

So, we sat down with our cold chain experts, Andre Luecht, the global vertical practice lead for Transport and Logistics at Zebra Technologies, and Mike Montana, a Senior Business Development Manager for Temptime, which is now part of Zebra, to find out just how the temperature of cold chain products gets tracked through each touchpoint and what can be done to create more visibility into temperature-related quality for consumers, manufacturers, and retailers. Andre has spent the last 25+ years in the supply chain, transport, and logistics field, both as a provider of technologies and services and as a customer/end user. And Mike has spent nearly two decades helping biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies improve manufacturing and supply chain process controls. 

Your Edge Blog Team: For months we have seen workers loading COVID-19 vaccines into coolers with dry ice and ultracold trucks parading across our cities via headline news channels. And, in the process, we’ve learned a lot about the effort that goes into delivering other perishable or temperature-sensitive items to stores and homes, including fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, dairy and cosmetics. Now that consumers’ interest in cold chain logistics has been piqued, have you found supply chain organizations under more pressure to become transparent about their inventory handling and storage processes?

Andre: I do think there’s been a call from consumers for more information. Or perhaps consumers are just proactively investigating cold chain practices now that they know what information to look for and the questions to ask. Before last year, I doubt many of us realized how intense the distribution process is for something like makeup or the muffin we get at the local coffee chain. And, yes, we know manufacturers, warehouse operators, distributors, transporters and others are having to share more information about their quality control standards – specifically the equipment and processes used to preserve the quality of temperature-sensitive goods. That’s not a bad thing, though. They have always been held accountable for the quality of goods they sell or distribute by commercial customers, such as retailers or hospitals. Now, the end user is paying more attention.

Your Edge Blog Team: Are you seeing technology investments heat up in the cold chain to be able to streamline the distribution of information to stakeholders or improve visibility and accountability across operations?

Andre: Most certainly. Of course, the most publicized investments are those tied to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort. There has been a lot of coverage about vaccine vial monitors that can be used to confirm temperature stability was maintained from the first mile through the last. And we’ve seen a great deal of discussion about how electronic data loggers can be affixed to a pallet or installed inside a cooler or freezer to monitor temperature variations at a batch level.

However, we are seeing those responsible for other perishable items commit just as much effort to preserving their inventory, whether over or under-stocked. No one wants to have to throw away prescription drugs, food, beverages, flowers or even cosmetic items.

Your Edge Blog Team: Can you walk us through how temperature tracking works?

Mike: It varies a bit depending on the type of goods being distributed and the required features or complexity of the temperature sensors selected. There are different temperature indicators on the market today, ranging from simple chemical-based sensors to passive USB monitoring devices to more advanced Bluetooth-enabled ones.

But, in essence, a temperature indicator for shipping is either attached to a product or pallet – or perhaps installed in a truck, train or shipping container – to help someone easily confirm the performance of the cold chain. If the sensor detects a variation in temperature from what was programmed in as acceptable, it will alert the next person to handle the temperature indicator or potentially someone monitoring the shipment from a distance. Or there may be a self-adhesive, chemical-based indicator attached to the packaging of each item, like a vaccine vial monitor, that allows for a fast visual confirmation of temperature stability.

Your Edge Blog Team: A box doesn’t have to be opened or a pallet broken down to read the temperature monitor or extract sensor data?

Mike: With chemical-based sensors, as well as many of the data loggers in use today, someone does have to open the shipment and/or remove the data logger before the data is accessible. However, recent advancements in data logger technologies have resulted in the addition of Bluetooth® and near field communication (NFC) connectivity. In turn, cold chains gain what I would describe as modern-day x-ray vision. They can see what’s happening within a package without needing to open the box, making it very convenient to track temperature variations in near-real time.

Your Edge Blog Team: Is the data accessible to multiple stakeholders throughout all phases of the supply chain?

Mike: It is. Data from these wireless-enabled data loggers are typically sent to the cloud. The inventory or quality control manager can then sign into their private portal to view the data for an entire shipment.

However, chemical-based sensors don’t transmit data. They require a visual review by the people handling the product.

Your Edge Blog Team: So, inclusion of the temperature sensors starts at the very beginning?

Mike: Yes. In most cases, the manufacturer will hand the product off to a qualified cold chain third-party logistics company (3PL), which will take responsibility of maintaining the temperature in storage and in transit to its next destination.

Your Edge Blog Team: How does the manufacturer decide which type of sensor to use?

Mike: There are many factors that the manufacturer must consider when determining what type of sensor to use. Some of these include the product value, the stability profile of the product being shipped, the length and duration of the journey, and the requirement for data at the reception point. All of these will help guide whether a chemical sensor or data logger is most appropriate.

Your Edge Blog Team: What other technologies can be leveraged throughout the cold chain to track and trace inventory, either from a quality or location perspective?

Andre: There are several technologies critical to executing the cold chain in today’s fast-paced world. You can see in this infographic how many different Zebra technologies alone are used in the distribution of temperature-sensitive vaccines.

The ones most important to note are:

• radio frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth® Low Energy and other locationing solutions, which are a primary method for the track and trace of items as they move in, out, and through facilities.
• fixed industrial scanners that can help track the status of items moving down an assembly line or warehouse conveyor belt during production and packing via automated barcode scans.
• machine vision solutions that can automatically identify product or labeling defects and validate quality as items move down the production or inspection line.
• printers capable of generating the specialized RFID tags or barcoded labels needed to track and trace items.
• mobile computers that can push detailed instructions to workers about the best next step to take in every workflow.(Efficiency is key to cold chain logistics given the time and temperature sensitivity of goods.)
• handheld barcode scanners that can be used to verify which items have been put away, picked and/or packed as part of a more focused inventory count, stock management or fulfillment effort.

There are also several intelligence-based software solutions that can fuse data from multiple sensors to automatically and proactively make decisions about how to manage inventory without much human intervention needed, if any. For example, the data captured via temperature sensors, location beacons and RFID at the time goods were unloaded from the trailer, put in inbound staging, released from staging and taken to cold storage can be aggregated and compared using a prescriptive analytics solution. Should the temperature drop at any point in time, the inventory managers can identify the trouble area, time frame, etc. to rectify the root issue and prevent a reoccurrence. They also use the data to determine the potential impact of the temperature variation on product quality. It may have been a minor dip, and quality inspectors might conclude the shipment is still viable. Or they may realize the temperature excursion was long enough to potentially impact quality or efficacy. If that’s the case, they may reject the order or recommend disposal so those items never make it into consumers’ hands. No one wants to have to issue a recall.

Intelligent workforce management and task management software can then be used to reassign or direct labor to address identified issues in a highly effective manner.

Your Edge Blog Team: It sounds like it is quite easy to monitor and maintain the temperature of cold chain items if you have the right technologies in place then. Do you agree?

Andre: With the right technologies, absolutely. But what we’re realizing is that many cold chains are still lacking those technologies, and that’s posing a huge risk to the reliability and resilience of cold chains.

Your Edge Blog Team: How so?

Mike: Product packaging can be qualified before a shipment leaves the plant or warehouse. But it’s impossible to qualify a package and a transit process or cycle without the right technologies in place gathering real-time insights. For example, if a package is shipped from the manufacturer on the west coast of the country to a distributor on the east coast, it may encounter all kinds of different weather patterns, including snowstorms or even a tornado that could delay a shipment longer then the qualification has allowed. If a box qualification is done in an environmental chamber for 24 hours, but the product is held up due to a snowstorm for 48 hours, the product will be placed in quarantine.

Additional steps in the process will follow, further delaying the availability of the product to the market. Once a verification of the environmental temperature experienced has been reviewed, the product may be released for use, sent back to the manufacturer, or safely disposed. The challenge is that no two transit events are ever the same and thus cannot be repeated consistently.  That’s why temperature indicators for shipping have been designed to provide data about what happens to product environments throughout transit and allow data-driven decision making.  

Andre: Besides the countless numbers of weather calamities that could impact the transit path and duration of any given shipment, we must also worry about highway or maritime traffic. A single accident or canal closure could significantly delay shipments. As we learned in the past year, things like global pandemics can also interrupt supply chains in a tremendous way and be extremely costly to both the manufacturer and the consumer. So, we also have to monitor and make decisions about shipping activity in the context of other factors outside people’s control.

That’s why technology solutions such as Zebra SmartPack™, prescriptive analytics, and the Fourkites platform that Zebra Ventures has invested in are also becoming highly valuable to the cold chain. They provide a heightened level of intelligence about logistics operations and can help all parties adapt. For example, the Fourkites solution offers end-to-end, real-time visibility of supply chains, so you can see the real-time status for shipments in transit and in the yard with predictive ETAs. If it reports the delayed arrival of an empty truck, loading dock managers can turn to an intelligent workforce management solution to determine how best to reallocate labor. They may have four workers they can send to help load or unload another temperature-sensitive shipment to minimize exposure to warmer (or colder) temperatures. Or they can coach their teams on how to load a container faster to avoid having to discard loaded pallets sitting on a hot tarmac. In another scenario, the system may be able to reconcile weather reports with anticipated transit routes to recommend a delayed departure. Yes, the shipment may be late, but it’s better to be late than have to toss everything upon arrival because it was temperature compromised after being stuck on the highway two days.

Your Edge Blog Team: Do you find items flowing through commercial resellers, public sector agencies or healthcare providers being more closely scrutinized from a quality perspective and, thus, prompting more urgent investments in these types of technologies? Or do companies that sell direct to consumers value the visibility and accountability just as much?

Mike: I can confirm that pharmaceutical manufacturers spend an enormous amount of effort and resources to make sure their product is maintained at the right temperature throughout the shipment process. They will often use dedicated trucks and or active refrigeration cargo containers on air carriers to move inventory from the production facility to the first distribution point. In some cases, they use sophisticated packaging that consists of either expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane or some other biodegradable insulation. These boxes go through a series of tests in an environmental chamber, as well as real-time testing in the field, to verify their cold tolerance and temperature stability capabilities. Wholesalers, distributors and hospitals want to see that every precaution is being taken to avert a loss while in route.

They will also add gel packs and a chemical-based sensor or electronic data logger (EDL) into the package as part of the shipping process. This helps product handlers, including pharmacists, clinicians and even the end customer, confirm that the medication stayed at the right temperature from the moment it was produced to the moment it was used.

Your Edge Blog Team: What about food producers, flower harvesters or even cosmetic manufacturers? Do they take this much care to maintain the temperature stability of their products? Is there even as much temperature sensitivity?

Andre: Food suppliers do spend a lot of time figuring out their packaging options to keep their high margin items from going bad, especially considering the time and distance traveled during distribution these days. For example, they want to keep fresh fish cold, but they may not want it to freeze. Or they want to ensure their flash frozen foods don’t start to thaw. Even strawberries require special care, as humidity can adversely affect their quality and make them turn quickly. So, food producers will typically include a temperature sensor in the packaging based on their distributors’ requirements and industry regulations. This allows the fish or strawberries to be monitored from the moment they leave the plant until they get to their destination. They know every effort has been taken to ensure the highest quality item is being delivered to their customers – their brand name is associated with top quality food.

Your Edge Blog Team: Is this level of diligence required for other types of temperature-controlled items that may be stable at room temperature but negatively impacted by high heat?

Mike: In the pharmaceutical space, we’re actually seeing more attention being given to temperature stability for these types of items. Many products that can be shipped at room temperature still need to be held between 15 degrees and 25 degrees Celsius for the entire duration of transport. This is considered “controlled room temperature” (CRT). Like refrigerated products, if these CRT products exceed their recommended temperature ranges, the items could be rendered unviable and need to be thrown away.

Andre: Even more broadly, there has been significant focus by manufacturers and regulating bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assure controlled room temperature products are being handled with the same type of care commonly seen with cold chain medications. Like refrigerated products, similar packaging and temperature monitoring protocols are being implemented to assure CRT products maintain their quality and efficacy as they move throughout the supply chain.

Your Edge Blog Team: How accurate are the technologies used to capture temperature exposure? Can consumers trust the data generated by the solutions you just mentioned?

Mike: People need to be confident that what they’re putting in or on their bodies is of the highest quality, and they want assurance the foods and medications they receive have been stored and transported at the right temperature. So, we go to great lengths to ensure these technologies are accurate when developing and testing them, and there is a lot of regulatory oversight.

We also work with manufacturers, distributors and even the final suppliers – such as pharmacies and retailers – to ensure temperature sensors are visible in the packaging the consumer receives it, especially if sent in the mail. There is no way to know if there was a breach in temperature unless you have a chemical-based sensor or data logger in the package, so part of this effort is to provide peace of mind to that consumer that the package arrived in the right condition.

At the same time, if the manufacturer neglects to use a chemical-based sensor or data logger, it could put consumers in danger. If the product arrives outside of the manufacturer’s specified storage temperature range, there is a risk of reduced efficacy or, in some cases, an increased risk of toxicity. Though the temperature indicating device can’t be used to definitively determine a product’s safety or efficacy, it can prompt the consumer to pick up the phone and call someone who can advise on what to do if there is a verified temperature excursion. In many cases, the pharmacy or retailer will decide to send a replacement to err on the side of caution and just ask the consumer to dispose of the original product.

Your Edge Blog Team: Who incurs the cost of replacement in these cases?

Mike: If it’s a medication, usually the pharmacy, healthcare provider, insurance company and/or manufacturer. If it’s a food item, usually the food producer or reseller. However, the cost can be justified because the risk of consuming or using a temperature compromised product is significantly reduced. The use of a temperature sensor can reduce the number of replacement requests from consumers who suspect the product may have been exposed to either too warm or too cold temperatures. The temperature sensor allows them to know for sure if it was within the allowed temperature range.

Your Edge Blog Team: Have you run a cost-benefit analysis for all the cold chain technologies discussed? Are there some that will deliver a faster return on investment than others?

Andre: I could write an entire post on the total cost and benefits of ownership (TCO/TBO) for each of these technologies. The specific qualitative and quantitative costs and benefits will be influenced by several factors. So, cold chain organizations really need to consult with a trusted solution provider on their specific challenges and goals to get a personalized solution recommendation and TCO/TBO.

Your Edge Blog Team: What can participants in the cold chain do to reduce the maintenance expense of these technology devices? Obviously, some are meant for one-time use, such as the chemical-based sensors. But what about the other technologies used for cold chain logistics?

Andre: My biggest advice is to ensure you’re choosing hardware that’s purpose built for the cold chain, possibly attached to re-usable transport packaging like totes or trays. It must be able to withstand freezing temps or condensation without malfunctioning. You would be surprised at how easily internal electronics can rust out in damp environments because they don’t have heating elements to dry up humidity as they move between cold storage and the warmer temperatures of the warehouse, plant or yard. Also be sure you’re following the proper handling instructions provided by the technology manufacturer.

Originally published here!

Your device analytics dashboard probably looks pretty busy right now with charts, graphs and color-coded icons indicating the current health of your fleet. However, you might only be seeing a fraction of what’s really happening with each handheld mobile computer, tablet, and printer.

On average, our customers tell us they lose 5-15% of their device fleet every year, which has a direct impact on worker productivity and on their overall return on investment (ROI). If even a single device becomes unavailable, someone – most likely a front-line worker – has to stop to either troubleshoot or grab a replacement from the back room. Even if the disruption is short lived, it’s still a disruption. A workstation – or entire department – could go unstaffed. An entire workflow might get backed up. And that worker’s productivity level automatically declines, assuming only one person is directly affected. If others have to stop what they’re doing to cover, overall business output can start to decline on a broader scale.

In other words, your team needs the foresight to anticipate and mitigate a host of device issues, and that’s a lot easier when your system is pulling in and analyzing all the data points needed to fully assess device performance. The challenge is that devices are often geographically dispersed, and the information needed to make an accurate assessment may be “hidden” in separate places across your operation. This makes it difficult to centrally access performance data and nearly impossible to see what’s happening at a holistic level – even if all your mobile computers and printers are from the same manufacturer.

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW…UNLESS YOU ARE CHECKING ON YOUR DEVICES DAILY

Every organization should know:

• what assets it has online and in the storeroom.
• where its assets are currently located.
• the health of every asset.
• how – and how much – each asset is being used.

Without this information, it becomes difficult for procurement to know when it’s time to reorder batteries, labels or printer ribbons. And front-line workers won’t know when device batteries need to be pulled from service (unless they completely die). It’s also hard to keep devices online 24/7 if you can’t see their current status.

That’s why we have developed more than 20 VisibilityIQ application programming interfaces (API) that offer customers and partners the ability to leverage and ingest the collection of data points from the Zebra VisibilityIQ™ Foresight directly into their own management systems. (And more are on the way!).

We want to further expose – and help you distil – the volumes of detailed information related to device health, availability, utilization, and support collected from Zebra software, battery, device components, and service and repair systems. We also know how much it will help you to consolidate the 250 machine-level data points extracted via the Zebra Savanna™ intelligent edge platform alongside your contract-level support/repair data.

So, we’ve designed these APIs to give you a deeper and more customised view into your business than what you might have with our standard VisibilityIQ OneCare and Foresight services or a third-party product that can only access publicly-available Android and Zebra APIs and data points. Within seconds, anyone on your team can confirm an application’s responsiveness or utilization as well as device-level disruptions and usage. You can also retrieve other real-time and historical status details, such as battery swap activity, WLAN signal strength, and even predictive states. Plus, the APIs give you flexibility to incorporate this data directly into your systems to automate actions, such as purchasing new batteries or assigning a resource to replace one that is dropping below an acceptable performance threshold.

This makes it so simple to systematically and proactively check in on the health of every device, every day. More importantly, it makes it possible for front-line workers and others in your organization (i.e., procurement) to play a central role in optimizing device usage, which is critical to maintaining operational continuity when people and facilities are geographically dispersed.

Our VisibilityIQ APIs help to yield immediately actionable insights directly in your management systems. You can program your applications to automatically send workers clear-cut guidance on the time-sensitive actions they must take to avoid a device failure – or even degradation of performance. In some cases, workflow optimization will be necessary. Other times, a battery or entire device might need to be replaced. Either way, the proactivity elicited by the automatic ingestion and analysis of this aggregated cloud-stored data will prove extremely valuable, especially considering the correlation between device and worker/workflow performance.

BOTTOM LINE…

If you need a more complete or customized picture of your business, or you’re looking for a way to automate the distribution of device-related insights, visit our VisibilityIQ API webpages to learn about all the new tools available to you.

Originally published here!

​As the Official On-Field Player-Tracking Provider for the National Football League (NFL), Zebra frequently has the opportunity to team up with coaches, players, executives and even broadcasters to give back to those in need in our communities. For example, we financially supported the Safe Zone Activity Day hosted by Vincent Country during Super Bowl LV week, and we gave each child in attendance a copy of our Zippy’s Special Gift book. (Vincent Country is the philanthropic organization led by the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Troy Vincent, and his family.)

We also contributed to the “December to Remember” campaign sponsored by NFL linebacker Brandon Copeland’s non-profit organization, Beyond the Basics, which we spoke about during this podcast.

Most recently, we met with NFL Network Commentator Rich Eisen and six NFL Legends to see who could reach the fastest speed – measured as miles per hour (MPH) running the 40-yard dash – while raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

WALKING THE WALK WITH RUN RICH RUN

Every year for the last five years, Rich has run the 40-yard dash in a suit and tie to show off his speed during the NFL’s Scouting Combine in what’s now known as the “Run Rich Run” event. Over those years, he has raised about $2.5 million to benefit the St. Jude mission – and Zebra was proud to contribute to this year’s event!

On May 1, team Zebra was able to run “with” Rich and NFL Legends Terrell Davis, Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Michael Vick, Cris Carter, and Jerry Rice as they sprinted across the field at SoFI Stadium in Los Angeles, the amazing new home for the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. Two Zebra employees supported the event onsite and helped place Zebra’s RFID player tags on the participating legends and Rich himself. This is the same technology used by the NFL to track player speed, acceleration, proximity, and other data for every game as part of the NFL’s Next Gen Stats service.

Though everyone’s times were impressive, Michael Vick hit the ground running at 21.07 mph!

In case you missed it, Rich shared his enthusiasm about the experience during the NFL Network’s coverage of the NFL Draft and later on Twitter. And on May 4, I was invited to call into the Rich Eisen Show to talk more about the Run Rich Run results, how our RFID technology captures speed insights, and how we support the NFL and other industries with our tracking data. Check it out

Originally published here!

One of Zebra’s newest executives, Suresh Menon, is a well-respected technologist who has been responsible for growing a number of venerated software companies over the last 24 years. He has seen the big impact that small actionable data can have on organizational agility. He also recognizes that companies must embrace software-centric technology solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning if they want to simplify and adapt complex operations to do more with limited resources.

We recently sat down with Suresh to learn more about what organizations should be doing – and how they should be thinking – to better prepare for future disruptions and create more sustainable operations today…

Your Edge Blog Team: The magnitude of change that has occurred in the past year is unprecedented, and we know you’ve been having several conversations with Zebra customers since you joined the company in December to understand the state of their businesses. Can you sum up what you’re hearing? What are the pain points hindering their recovery? What opportunities are they hoping to pursue in the coming months?

Suresh: Everyone from retailers to healthcare providers and even food manufacturers spent the last several months trying to figure out how they can get the right people in the right places at the right time to meet demand. Even more so, they’ve been focusing on empowering those people to do whatever it takes to serve customers, support patients, etc. In many cases, their operations were completely upended. Retail stores had to start functioning as micro fulfillment centers. Hospitals were being set up in convention centers and parking lots. And restaurants had to ramp up to-go options in order to best serve customers in their homes on a much greater scale.

Therefore, many of the conversations we’re currently having with organizations about technology aren’t necessarily in the context of business modernization so much as reinvention. They want to know how technology can help employees more easily interact with new systems and provide new services.

Your Edge Blog Team: As tasks and operations become more complex and businesses are being asked to do more – or something completely new – they are turning to technology to simplify and adapt.

Suresh: Exactly. It’s not just about simplifying complex tasks, though. It’s also about optimizing simple tasks such as inventory counts and rotations – or even patient turnover – that can make a meaningful impact on the customer experience and your bottom line.

Most hospitals gradetheir operational performance using a bed turnover rate metric. Historically, they’ve been very slow to discharge patients once cleared to go home. A workflow that should take 30 minutes often takes five and a half hours because there are so many gates to clear (such as filling prescriptions) and disruptions (such as shift changes). If you can bring all the back-end systems together in a way that allows for better coordination between the people involved in the discharge process – the nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and porters – you could eliminate the gaps in communication, facilitate more simultaneous actions, and exponentially reduce that turnover time. This will help you see more patients, which benefits everyone.

The same concept applies in retail. You know you have to conduct an annual cycle count – and that it makes the most sense to manage that process in house for several reasons. But you need to ensure the technology tool you leverage for that count is so simple to use that a first-day associate could figure it out in a few minutes and then work independently the rest of the shift. Along those same lines, retail associates might be assigned to online order picking one day, shelf stock replenishment the next, and then the customer service desk the following week. If they don’t have a mobile device in hand with an app that can essentially tell them where to be and what to do when they get there, they will be challenged to be productive. You must give them more than high-level direction, though. That device essentially needs to coach them through each step of department specific processes, tell them how to prioritize tasks, and enable them to collaborate with colleagues when playing a role in highly coordinated workflows, such as order fulfillment.

Your Edge Blog Team: So, the goal is to find technologies that support a more optimized operation?

Suresh: Precisely. When we sit down with business leaders to discuss their technology leads, many ask questions about the nuts and bolts of certain technologies. They want to know what it is and how it works at a fundamental level. Yet, what they really should be asking is how those technologies can work within their unique business environments. If you understand what prescriptive analytics or RFID or a self-directed inventory management solution can do for you, then you can start to visualize the way in which assets can be connected – facilities, inventory systems, equipment, labor. Then, once you make those connections, you start to build this global data pool that makes it easier to see and analyze operations on a holistic scale. You can increase accountability across cross-functional or broader supply chain workflows. You can better gauge operational performance. And you can better direct individuals on what actions they should take in each situation to improve efficiency, productivity and outcomes.

Your Edge Blog Team: Here at Zebra, we often talk about how technology can help organizations become more “intelligent enterprises.” What does that term mean to you? And how should decision makers think about intelligence in the context of their technology strategies?

Suresh: A lot of people think an intelligent enterprise is one that can make sense of all the information flowing into its systems. But business intelligence is only valuable when it elicits action. You can’t just aggregate and analyze all the data captured via mobile computers, scanners, sensors, RFID systems, and intelligent automation platforms across your operation and assume people will know what to do with it. You must incorporate a higher level of intelligence – such as artificial intelligence and machine learning – to uncover the patterns and trends that impact your business. Then, any time opportunities and issues are identified, you must be able to elicit action among front-line workers, managers, or even IT in a very prescriptive and practical manner. Only then will you start to see your workflows enhanced in a way that improves the customer experience and drives operational execution. 

Your Edge Blog Team: In a recent Wall Street Journal article, you said “hardware is only half of the solution” when asked about what’s driving retailers’ increased technology spend on software right now. Can you explain more what you mean by that? And do you feel some businesses – or sectors – are underestimating the influence that software has on their ROI for technology holistically?

Suresh: Those who have embraced AI-powered software solutions, such as prescriptive analytics, workforce management, task execution, and even self-directed physical inventory management solutions, have seen just how transformative they can be in a very short period of time. You would be hard-pressed to find any hardware component today that can deliver the return on investment (ROI) expected without synergistic software. This is true of everything from mobile computers, tablets, scanners, wearables, and printers to more advanced RFID, robotics automation, and machine vision technologies. And it’s a notion applicable to all industries. Everyone from retailers, restaurants and hotels to banks, healthcare providers, and warehouse operators benefit from technology that enables them to better manage business processes and assets.

The world has been changing over the past decade, as have customer expectations. This was driven first by the proliferation of digital technology and then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Business leaders are quickly realizing that, if you can’t see what’s happening around you in real time or you can’t figure out quickly how to adjust to disruptions, the customer experience is going to suffer. That, in turn, could result in financial losses which could subsequently reduce your resource capacity and further hinder your ability to keep up with market demands. It’s a vicious cycle.

On the flipside, if you’re able to systematically collate and make sense of all the information at your disposal and figure out how best to use that data, then you can prescriptively tell employees the best next step to take to manage each challenge that arises. You won’t always be able to prevent disruptive events, but you can dampen their effect on your operations and the customer experience by leveraging the right SaaS solutions.

Your Edge Blog Team: Can you give us an example of how you’ve seen software improve a customer’s operations in the past year?

Suresh: Let me give you a more categorical example of the larger trend we’re seeing. If you’re a grocery store manager, and you have a truck that comes in at 11am every day, you might have four people ready to unload the pallets and put away items in the back stockroom every day like clockwork. And you might have a whole other set of workflows in place to support related front-of-store actions, as well as workers who know that – at 1pm every day – they need to go retrieve that new inventory and restock empty shelves to ensure in-store shoppers and online order pickers can find the items they need. This is representative of a system of record. “I have my plan for the week based on how I think things will go.”

Of course, we can’t predict the future and something disruptive inevitably will happen. Perhaps Tuesday’s truck is delayed 4 hours and you have workers that need something else to do. This is where SaaS solutions have become invaluable. Because of the way they’re constantly analyzing data and the unique level of visibility they provide into multiple facets of your operation – even beyond your four walls – the right software solutions can help you prescriptively rework those workflows and redirect labor within minutes. Perhaps there’s a big game tonight and you’re expecting a lot of shoppers to come in for meat, beer, and soda. A prescriptive analytics solution can help identify and assign tasks related to those high demand items to workers to keep them productive – and shelves stocked – while they wait for the truck. Or perhaps you had two of your five banking associates call in sick today. A workforce management app can help you see that the bank branch down the street is overstaffed today and allow you to reassign people to your site for the day. The system of reality powered by SaaS solutions helps you react to issues and opportunities as they unfold.

You can even integrate data from external sources, such as weather reports or the number of local COVID-19 cases, or other internal systems to better understand demand trends that could lead to stagnant inventory without pricing adjustments or potential impacts on labor availability.

Your Edge Blog Team: Are there certain industries or sectors benefitting from data analytics more than others right now?

Suresh: Everyone is trying to cope with this unprecedented scale of change and demand, and everyone is adapting in a different way. If we’re being honest, many organizations have not put data analytics at the forefront of their business strategies yet simply because of historical risk tolerances. They don’t necessarily want to be on the bleeding edge of innovation, even for something as fundamental as SaaS utilization. They want to wait and see how it works for others. Fortunately, investments are starting to pick up now in the SaaS space in healthcare, banking and traditional brick-and-mortar retail.

Warehouse operators and logistics companies need visibility into their assets, and workers need access to real-time data tools that can tell them the best next step to take at every turn. There’s also a dire need for greater visibility into the transaction lineage as goods move from one node – or touchpoint – to the next, starting at the point of production.

Everything from food to vaccines and medicines are closely scrutinized these days to ensure quality is preserved during distribution. Retailers, restaurateurs, consumers and regulators alike want to see when and where farm-raised salmon was packaged. They want to know that it has changed hands seven times between the farm and the table. And, if a quality issue is detected or a delay incurred, they want to be able to trace that chain of custody within minutes to identify the responsible party.

So, we’re going to see more money spent on building this global data pool, making those digital connections, and improving analytics capabilities. The more data we can bring in, the better the analytics will become.

Plus, even businesses with a basic technology setup – maybe a smartphone-like handheld mobile computer used for inventory and order management and a label printer for shipping – will find operational speed and capacity is influenced by the software they choose to use (or not use.) You can buy an enterprise-grade mobile device with all the bells and whistles in the world, but if it’s not running the software you need to properly track inventory utilization, order fulfillment actions, or even demand trends, you’re going to find it very hard to keep up when demand starts increasing, inventory starts depleting, and critical adjustments need to be made.

Your Edge Blog Team: What advice would you give to organizations that have integrated SaaS solutions into their business environments and want to maximize their investments?

Suresh: First and foremost, you must be business oriented, not technology oriented. I know this may seem counterintuitive when you’re talking about how technology can be applied to support your business. But if you think first about your pain points and goals at a very granular level, it will become very easy for you to pinpoint ways in which your solutions can better unite and harmonize each department/function over time as your business evolves and market demands fluctuate. The ultimate goal is to eliminate process bottlenecks that could disrupt workflows and slow down workers. So, be prepared to continuously optimize or scale SaaS solutions to incorporate new data sets, look for new patterns, or make current insights more actionable.

It’s also important to maintain an entrepreneurial mindset at all times. This might feel unnatural, especially for business owners who are rightfully hesitant to do anything disruptive. However, we’re in uncharted territory here. We must think about how we can apply best practices and proven technologies to new business models to maintain workflow efficiency and meet the expectations of today’s workers – many of whom have spent their whole lives with a device, and real-time guidance, in hand. Listen and learn from your peers and competitors, but always make decisions based on what’s best for your unique business. Find a technology partner you trust to keep you focused, and don’t be afraid to think ahead when making decisions about new utilization strategies. I’m always considering what’s around the corner: what type of technology or business model might emerge or suddenly mature? What could potentially disrupt my business or my customers’ businesses?

By taking this future-forward approach to technology decisions, you will gain extreme value from scalable solutions that can support your operation as demand grows, new platforms need to be integrated, and workers require more data to be most effective day to day.

Originally published here!

There’s no doubt that productivity is directly tied to one’s online connectivity. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find someone whose job isn’t at least partially dependent on digital data. Farmers, factory workers, retail associates, transporters, and utility field technicians must all be able to report, receive, and review information related to the job at hand in order to meet demand, even while on the move. But they aren’t the only ones who rely on mobile technologies to stay connected and productive. Over three-quarters of the global workforce is deskless!

That’s why we recommend organizations of all sizes do these three things to help keep devices in workers’ hands and make them easy to recover when accidentally misplaced:

1. Create a record of daily device ownership/usage and location. (This is especially important if you have a fleet of shared devices and workers grab a different device each shift.)

2. Provide team members the insights they need to be able to manage and identify devices that are at risk of being lost.

3. Invest in a tool that makes it easy for anyone in your organization to locate any number of missing devices, regardless of where they may be – even if they’re powered off.

Though there are other ways to locate devices, the easiest, accurate, and most effective in my experience – if you’re a Zebra customer – is to use the Device Tracker tool. This tool is particularly valuable as the volume of devices used – and misplaced – in the workplace grows. Locating missing devices can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Was a device left behind in the break room? Or by the promotional display in the sporting goods department? Or in Row J in the warehouse?

These are all questions easily answered by Device Tracker, especially the new cloud-based version we just rolled out. It can help you locate up to 100,000 Wi-Fi connected devices at up to 5,000 sites!  

All you have to do is…

1. subscribe to the Device Tracker service for the number of devices you own.

2. configure the backend for your environment.

3. download the Device Tracker Client application onto your organization’s devices via your enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution or StageNow, Zebra’s Mobility DNA complimentary staging tool. You don’t even need the user to do anything on the phone or with the app during deployment.

Our team takes care of the rest. You don’t have to purchase or maintain any infrastructure with the cloud-based Device Tracker iteration. Nor will you have to deploy or manage certificates. Our goal by moving this tool to the cloud was to reduce your device management overhead costs as much as possible. We also wanted to reduce your overall resource burden. So, our Managed Services team will fully deploy, monitor and maintain the cloud server for you to ensure uptime, and you can request as much technical support as needed day to day.

TAKING TRACK AND RECOVER TO THE NEXT LEVEL – AND THE DEVICE’S PRECISE LOCATION

Organizations with large device fleets will definitely benefit from the expanded coverage of the new cloud-based Device Tracker tool. But, if you’re a smaller business with just a few devices used in a single shop, you might be wondering, “what’s in it for me?” Do I need to spend money on something like this?

Let’s just put it this way: if a single worker’s mobile device goes down – or missing – for just a few minutes, productivity can be dramatically reduced and customers impacted. Even short recovery delays can compound and create longer fulfillment delays. And mistakes can occur when that worker must revert to manual processes, even temporarily. The problem is, 10% of all company-owned devices go missing each year according to our customers – not just one. On top of that, the typical “find my device” tool is limited to geographical locationing, whereas Device Tracker will locate your device within a couple feet even if the battery dies and the device powers off.  

You can always see the status of every tracked device at a glance from within the Device Tracker app on your mobile device. This includes details such as the name of each device and the access point to which it is connected, the remaining battery charge level, the time of the last check-in, along with many other useful data points associated with that device. You’ll know right away if it’s in the general vicinity of the “Hardware Department” or “Customer Service Desk” – or if it wandered to another site. (It happens!)

If a device is reported missing and it’s connected to your Wi-Fi, you or an associate will be able to quickly see where it was last located and head straight there to retrieve it. In fact, you’ll be able to use a real-time proximity indicator on your own Zebra mobile device to see whether you are moving farther or closer to the device as you get within range. (It’s a little bit like the game Marco Polo, except you’ll win a lot faster because you’ll have a Geiger Counter-style tool to tell you when you’re warm!). If you can’t see the device – which could be on a high shelf, behind a larger item, or in a box – you can remotely trigger the device’s alarm at full volume to pinpoint its exact location.

Of course, I’m always asked, “what happens if the device is powered down for some reason?” And it’s a great question. If there is a secondary Bluetooth® Low Energy radio built into the device or battery, you should still be able to find it because a beacon will still be broadcasted to Device Tracker.

So, if you’ve been looking for a better way to track and recover your company-owned Zebra devices, I’m happy to say you just found it!

A FINAL THOUGHT

In my opinion, the best way to use Device Tracker is as a loss prevention tool. It will enable you to take corrective action before the battery discharges completely and the device location is no longer visible. You can also have employees scan a barcode on their badges when checking out and in devices to increase accountability. And since you can see how many devices are in service at the start of every shift, you can ensure all devices are returned at the end of every shift – and know who to track down if they’re not.

Just remember, if you want to maximize your mobility tools and keep your workers’ productivity levels up, it’s just as important to track device performance as it is to track device location. There are several tools available to streamline device monitoring, especially if that’s something you’re managing in house. You can learn more about them, as well as best practices for device management, in these blog posts:

• How Healthy are Your Workers’ Mobile Devices? (Do You Really Even Know?)
• How Well Do You Know Really Know Your Business?

Originally published here!

This blog post was contributed by Robin Kallsen, Content Specialist, Omron Automation, a Zebra original equipment manufacturer (OEM) integrator that provides scanning and print verification technologies to a broad set of industries, including healthcare and manufacturing.

What drives the requirement for accurate, high-quality labels? With so much hanging in the balance for manufacturers and retailers competing on a global scale, there’s no good reason to ignore the need for label quality. Mislabeled packaging could have consequences that range from wasted product to (potentially severe) consumer health issues. For example:

• Undeclared ingredients can lead to allergic reactions and recalls. (Did you know inaccurate labels are one of the top reasons for food recalls?)
• Missing marks can lead to fines.
• Unscannable labels can lead to costly returns and chargebacks.
• Illegible labels can lead to reprints, reporting errors and even lost inventory – all of which waste labor and financial resources.

And these are just a few of the many reasons why it’s critical to ensure the accuracy and legibility of product and packaging labels. Today, I want to point out the four things that most often prompt organizations to reevaluate their labeling strategies and ultimately invest in label verification technology solutions:  

1. General product traceability

Product traceability, in a general sense, is essential for consumer safety, regulatory compliance and overall quality perception. If there’s a problem with a product, traceability allows the consumer, retailer or another entity to quickly locate and segregate defective products. This is especially beneficial in the event of a recall and to ensure compliance with regulatory mandates, such as those that improve visibility into the location and use of medical equipment, raw materials and more.

In fact, companies paid up to $24 billion USD in recalls in 2018 for reasons including misprinted labels, and just last year a major auto manufacturer was fined $20 million for failing to adhere to recall procedures mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a government body. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) has even defined common transport label standards to facilitate the easy and compliant movement of goods and the exchange of data among all members of the supply chain.

2. Life sciences industry regulations

In most life science-related industries, and particularly in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries, there are regulatory requirements requiring that labels are legible, show the correct content, and contain barcodes of a minimum quality.  

Noncompliance with respect to labeling can lead to warning letters from regulatory bodies and recalls. In fact, label issues have historically been one of the top three causes of recalls in the pharmaceutical industry. According to the Sedgwick Brand Protection Recall Index, there was a 22% increase in medical device recalls from 2019 to 2020.

Large retailers are also working to ensure quality compliance for pharmaceutical products. Amazon, for example, has begun imposing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling requirements on firms selling supplements on its U.S. site. If a seller can’t demonstrate this compliance, the product will be removed. And the European Union (EU) has enacted strict traceability standards for pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to help mitigate the risk of counterfeit items entering the supply chain.

3. Customer-driven labeling specifications

Many manufacturers of higher value or higher risk items rely on proprietary, serialized label content to help mitigate the risk of counterfeit products entering the supply chain. Label authenticity can be controlled and verified by means of label inspection and serialization.

As an example, the recent report of counterfeit N95 masks entering the supply chain highlights the need for anti-counterfeiting strategies. Plus, compliance with GS1 labeling standards has been a key investment driver for verification infrastructure in regards to the serialization of retail merchandise and healthcare products.

4. Safety and brand protection

Most retailers require their suppliers to conform to certain specifications that define label content and printing quality. If retailers cannot receive product due to a poor-quality barcode or incorrect information within the barcode, they often return the product and issue a financial penalty to the supplier.  

For example, one manufacturer of brooms and mops incurred costs in excess of $100,000 due to the use of an incorrect barcode type on the product packaging. This issue led to the manufacturer adopting a printer-integrated label inspection system to avoid such errors in the future.

THE POWER OF PRINTER-INTEGRATED LABEL INSPECTION

Printer-integrated label inspection systems are a highly effective way to prevent labeling errors and ensure that only high-quality barcodes make it onto final packaging. These systems are capable of analyzing 100% of all labels produced in a way that doesn’t slow down production. If an error is discovered, the system can be programmed to stop all printing immediately.  (One such system that is integrated into the Zebra ZT600 series thermal printers is the Omron V275 barcode verification and print quality inspection system.)

In the long run, automated label inspection can dramatically increase a company’s competitive advantage by minimizing the likelihood of hefty fines or dissatisfaction among retailers and consumers.

Originally published here!

A key hallmark of a world-class Professional Services organization is the customer experience it provides. That’s why the best service providers will ask customers to rate their performance and then follow through on that feedback. They want to continuously fine tune their service delivery models to improve project outcomes and ensure customers are fully satisfied with project outcomes.  If there is a customer-facing issue, chances are that changes may need to be made behind the scenes to improve planning and communications, either among the implementation team, with the customer, or both. Perhaps a product or solution change is required and fast action is now needed to both resolve the present issue and avert similar setbacks in the future. Customer feedback might also indicate the need to adjust the overall service delivery strategy and approach on either a project basis or larger program scale. That’s where a Program Management Office (PMO), such as mine, comes in.

WHAT IT TAKES TO PERFECTLY ORCHESTRATE A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION IMPLEMENTATION

Though I now lead the PMO for Zebra’s Professional Services team, I am an engineer by trade. I spent many years overseeing software and firmware implementations before moving into customer advocacy and project management roles. One thing I’ve learned in these many different roles is that project managers are a lot like the ‘maestro’ in a classical music concert. The maestro directs the musicians (i.e. engineers, sales team members and other integrators) to ensure they play in harmony from start to finish. The result is pleasant to the ears (especially for front-line workers), and attendees (i.e., our customers) enjoy the show. This encourages attendees to invite more people to watch it (or in this case, become a referencable customer).

Now, the PMO and project managers aren’t exclusively responsible for customer satisfaction. However, they are the ones charged with leading a continual improvement program. They are the ones who must ensure their organizations adopt best practices at the global and regional levels to provide the best customer experience possible.

Though each organization is different, it is important that the PMO ensures alignment of internal practices with external benchmarks. This will make it easier to incorporate the right assets, technologies, and quality attributes into operational processes, methodologies and tools – which is critically important considering how challenging it actually is to coordinate and direct technology implementations.

When you take into consideration the amount of people that must participate in one project to drive it to completion, or when you think about the planning needed to deliver on time and achieve the desired outcome, you realize that effective program and project management – both behind the scenes and on the front lines – is crucial to achieving the right result in the right time. The project manager is the one who is ultimately responsible for delivering the highest level of customer satisfaction, garnering the customer’s trust and laying the foundation for a long-term relationship with Zebra.   

Now, I’m sure you want to know the secret sauce for a perfect project implementation. So, let me share some of the best practices, processes and procedures our project managers employ within Zebra’s Professional Services organization to ensure the right assets and technologies are leveraged and help maintain accountability among all stakeholders. These are the ways in which we prioritize quality behind the scenes to deliver an excellent service experience and improve the quality of front-line results, no matter the type of technology being deployed, the complexity of the solution or the scale of implementation:

– Establish a framework by which you deliver, govern, and onboard. Defining the right process for each project is vital, as is the creation and distribution of a highly detailed scope of work. You can start with templatized guidelines and then tailor accordingly. Make sure you define, communicate and stick to strict timelines and due dates. This will help ensure high-quality handovers between each department and individuals participating in the project in any capacity – both on the solution/service provider side and within the customer organization.

Like everything in life, you must also set up milestones that allow you to monitor progress and confirm you’re still going in the right direction. Dashboards and regular cadence reviews will be critical to this type of project tracking. Just ensure all parties have access to them. This is key to setting expectations, maintaining accountability and proactively mitigating risks that could delay certain actions or otherwise hinder project execution.

· Communicate, communicate, communicate. Gather internal project team members regularly to review plans and progress. Conduct discovery workshops, planning sessions, design collaborations, site visits, and project reviews with the customer.And communicate with everyone regularly. There is no such thing as overcommunication when it comes to project management. Don’t leave room for misunderstandings or oversights. Confirm – and reconfirm – that everyone within the Professional Services organization and customer organization understands roles, timelines, goals, and deliverables. Encourage people to ask questions and don’t be afraid to send frequent status updates along with detailed reminders about next steps.

· Choose the right project management tools and leverage them to the fullest extent. At Zebra, we use a Professional Services Automation (PSA) tool which interfaces to other systems such as our customer relationship management (CRM) platform and other business tools. Together, this suite of tools is the one-stop-shop that helps us easily facilitate our business, specifically as it relates to:

o   bid and quote management

o   project planning

o   project execution

o   resource capability and capacity planning

o   project administration including booking, billing, and project financials

o   project and portfolio reporting

We also use this technology to facilitate remote service delivery and remain highly coordinated with geographically disperse teams. It gives everyone visibility into the same data sets and allows for an aggregate view of project progress.

· Make “Talent Excellence” the top priority when convening the project team. This is the ace under my sleeve. People are your most valuable asset. Leverage all your internal tools of communication to solicit ideas during the discovery and planning phases and verify that all best practices are being taken into account during the implementation and optimization phases. Leverage both internal and external resources to address different geographical needs (when applicable). Promote training and compliance on tools and processes. And keep communication channels open to gather feedback and build a collaborative community.

·  Utilize phase gates to better monitor and control service delivery – while there’s still time to correct course. Most of our Professional Services projects are segmented into four phases: scope, plan and design, delivery, and review. Before we move from one to the next, we pause to review that all goals have been met and that the customer is fully satisfied. This helps reduce the risk of oversights and facilitate smooth, successful solution delivery. If there is an issue, the gate stays ‘closed’ until there’s mutual agreement on how to best move forward.

A FINAL THOUGHT

You can either leverage these insights to benchmark service providers’ capabilities when soliciting project support, prepare your internal team for project success, or better support your customers as a solution/service provider. Just know that the effort put forth behind the scenes by the solution/service provider is just as influential on project outcomes as what actually happens on site during the implementation. Without the proper project planning, coordination and service delivery, it will be difficult to extract maximum value from the solution.

If you want glowing customer reviews – and repeat business – solicit customer feedback at frequent intervals. More importantly, welcome constructive criticism with enthusiasm and make adjustments to your methodology as needed. Continual improvement is not a concept exclusive to hardware or software design. Service innovation is just as essential to solution performance and customer satisfaction (with both your people and products).

Originally published here!

This post was written by Daniel Kwoka, Solutions Account Manager, RMS Omega, a Zebra Premier Solutions Partner.

More and more businesses are considering an investment in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to help automate their inventory, data capture, and tracking processes. However, despite the proven value it adds to organizations, there is no shortage of questions and misunderstandings around the full capabilities of RFID:

• How effective and accurate is RFID?
• Is it the right fit for my business and application needs?
• How can I leverage it to get the best results?
• How difficult is it to implement?

If you’re struggling with these questions, don’t worry. RFID has been around for more than a decade and is used by thousands of businesses in a wide array of applications. That means there is a lot of experience and results to share when implementing and using RFID technology.

Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to using this technology. (RMS Omega has been part of the RFID revolution by advising many of our clients on this technology, and we have an entire decade of experience in designing, installing, and supporting RFID systems alongside other RFID solution experts such as Zebra).

More importantly, we’ve seen a lot of misinformation circulate throughout the market about what RFID can and can’t do, much of which has caused hesitation among organizations that can gain considerable benefits from the technology. In turn, we wanted to review the top ten myths and misconceptions about using RFID and paint a more accurate picture about what the technology can do and how it can add value to your business.

So, let’s get started!

Myth #1: RFID Is Only for Big Organizations

RFID technology provides the most efficient and accurate way for organizations to track, trace, and monitor assets, and enterprises of all sizes can benefit from the improved asset visibility and management facilitated by RFID. So, while it’s true that big companies were among the early adopters of RFID technology – and the cost of RFID tags and infrastructures was originally quite expensive – the reality today is that RFID is often the right solution for all enterprises, even smaller businesses with limited budgets.

In fact, RFID can be very cost effective depending on your application and the infrastructure and resources you’ll need. For example, if you want to better see and manage assets within a warehouse or manufacturing facility, you can potentially use handheld RFID readers and relatively inexpensive RFID tags that you can print with an affordable RFID printer.

Additionally, you don’t even need to have a warehouse management system (WMS) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in place to utilize RFID, which translates into potentially more cost savings when compared to other types of asset tracking technologies. RFID solutions can be standalone systems that simply run on your handheld devices using a basic software app that connects to whatever database you might be using to track inventory, tools, people, raw materials, semi-finished goods and more.

Myth #2:  You Need a Barcode System Before Getting into RFID

Some people think they need to have a barcoding system in place before they start using RFID, but they don’t. Yes, many businesses use barcode solutions as a stepping stone from completely manual processes to automated systems, but you don’t need to have a barcoding system at all to use RFID. If RFID meets your application needs, you can jump right into it and use it exclusively. And if you prefer to start with barcoding, know that it can serve as a cost-effective and straightforward way to make incremental improvements while you build toward a more sophisticated and automated approach that includes location tracking.

Myth #3: RFID Will Replace Barcoding

In the early days of RFID, some champions of the technology predicted that RFID will eventually replace barcoding. And some businesses are under the misconception that if you implement RFID, you have to replace your barcoding system.

Both of these ideas are incorrect. While RFID is a fantastic technology that has revolutionized inventory and asset tracking, there are plenty of use cases where barcoding is sufficient to meet a business’ needs. If it would cost significantly more to use RFID for the same application and you’re not going to get any added benefits, it wouldn’t make sense to take on the extra cost. Conversely, if barcoding is requiring your workers to do too much manual scanning, and you need a more efficient way to track and locate assets, RFID will typically generate better results and provide a higher ROI.

RFID and barcoding each have their place, so one isn’t going to replace the other. Moreover, there are many applications and processes where they can be used together. For example, in healthcare, patient ID wristbands can have both RFID inlays as well as barcode data. The RFID tags allow healthcare facilities to track the locations of at-risk patients for safety or identify a patient without disturbing them, and the barcodes are used by nurses to quickly scan and verify a patient’s identity and medical record number.

Myth #4: With RFID, You’ll Always Have Real-Time Information on Item Locations

The ability to locate tagged or labeled items and track their locations in real time is one of the biggest selling points of RFID. But the reality is that not everyone needs real-time visibility into item location. In fact, previously known location information delivered via passive RFID solutions is often more than sufficient once use cases and desired outcomes are clearly defined. Of course, there may be times when real-time visibility is required – and this can absolutely be achieved if you choose the right RFID solution.

For example, to gain true real-time information on item locations, you may need to have fixed RFID readers placed in many strategic locations, such as doorways or aisles, so those readers can send out signals, read tags, and detect items where they are currently stored or as they move past the reader.

But, the ability to detect item locations is dependent on the range of your tags and readers. If a tagged item is out of range, it won’t be detected. So, there’s a built-in physical limit. However, if you’re using the right RFID tags and reader technology for your application and you have the right amount of infrastructure in place, you can track items in real time with a high degree of location accuracy—down to as little as a few feet.

There is also a common misperception that active RFID is more accurate than passive RFID for locationing when, in fact, properly designed passive RFID solutions are accurate within 2-4 feet. If you need more precise location information, then Ultra Wideband (UWB) RFID technology provides location accuracy within a few centimeters. So, consult with a solution partner to clearly define your use case requirements, including when, where and how tags will need to be read to extract desired asset data.

Myth #5: RFID Is Only for Inventory

This is a natural misconception because RFID is used so widely in inventory management. However, it has also proven to be useful in other applications. RFID can be used for a wide array of applications, including equipment and asset tracking, work-in-process tracking, checking items in and out, monitoring chain of custody, maintaining maintenance and safety records, quarantining defects for quality control, and much more.

For example, major aerospace manufacturers use RFID tags to track and locate expensive equipment that they need to move and share between buildings. Similarly, energy companies use RFID tags to track equipment and update maintenance and repair records for those items in the field.  Other companies have used RFID to track parts and materials as they move through production processes, so they can validate when the correct items have reached each stage.

RFID is an excellent tool for any use case where you need to accurately identify, track, and/or locate items, especially when they’re higher-value or business-critical assets. You can track items and quantities and tie them to virtually any type of information you want to maintain about them in a database. Advanced active RFID tags can even record conditions such as temperature and humidity, so they can be used to monitor transit conditions in cold chain applications.

Myth #6: RFID Is a Problem for Privacy

Some people wonder if the RFID tags used to track a company-issued asset (such as a laptop) or items they purchase from retail stores (such as clothes) can be used to track their movements or create profiles. This should not be a concern at all.

Companies might use RFID for employee tracking on their premises and to limit access to restricted areas. And, in the event of a building evacuation, such as a chemical spill or fire, RFID tracking can be used to verify that all workers have left a location and are safely out of harm’s way.

However, employees should know that a badge can only be read if it is in range of their company’s RFID infrastructure. Many people confuse RFID and GPS as being synonymous, but an RFID badge cannot be read if an employee is off work and outside the company’s RFID network. Plus, the only way someone can “read” RFID tags is if they have both a suitable RFID device and access to the associated database of RFID tag data to understand the meaning of the number they read – and neither the hardware or database access are readily available.

In other words, it’s natural for some people to worry about privacy if they know their locations might be tracked. Understanding how and why it’s being done, in addition to the extreme limitations of RFID tracking, goes a long way in alleviating some of those concerns.

Myth #7: RFID Can Solve Any Asset or Inventory Problem

RFID has solved many asset and inventory problems in countless applications around the world. However, as with any technology, it may not solve every conceivable business problem. So, it cannot be force fitted to solve every use case. You must be aware of the proper use of RFID and choose the right type of solution to meet your business objectives. This includes having the right tags, labels, readers, antennas and software to create a successful system.

Plus, not every RFID system is the same. Each solution is unique to each business and might be used differently, so it needs to be tailored to your needs. It’s also important to remember that RFID is not GPS. As noted before, RFID tags can only be read where you have the right readers and infrastructure in place. Part of the confusion about RFID stems from the fact it is actually a broad umbrella of technologies: active (which includes UWB), passive (which includes high-frequency/near-field communications and ultra-high frequency) and semi-passive or battery assisted passive (BAP). Each has unique characteristics that make it ideal to address some specific use cases. UHF RFID generally has broader applicability in terms of use cases and verticals.

With all this being said, you can use RFID to solve most asset tracking and inventory problems, especially if you work with an experienced technology partner who can help you design, implement, and maintain the right system for your needs. Partnering with Zebra, the RMS Omega team works with many businesses to evaluate RFID, determine if it would be feasible and effective for their needs, and identify exactly what kind of RFID technology, infrastructure, and software they’ll need to implement a successful system. The process often starts with an RFID assessment and then a site survey and pilot test to validate whether RFID will work for a specific application, perform reliably in a given environment, and deliver the results that are expected.

Myth #8: RFID Is 100% Accurate

It’s true that RFID is a highly accurate (99.5% or better) way to identify, locate, and track inventory and assets. However, 100% accuracy is not always guaranteed and depends greatly, once again, on how and where you’re using RFID technology. This is why it is critical to work with an RFID technology provider who can help you construct the proper solution based on each use case. They can help you determine whether you need a passive or active system (or both, if you have multiple use cases that warrant different technology system designs). And they will make sure you select the right components, including tags, readers and antennas.

If you follow the lead of RFID experts and are disciplined in your discovery, design and execution processes, then you will be able to come up with a solution that addresses your pain points very well. In fact, the Zebra team reports 99.5% or better accuracy among its customer deployments, which it credits to its collaborative solution development and deployment approach.

Myth #9: Transitioning to an RFID System Is a Big Challenge

Many businesses assume that moving to an RFID system is a big undertaking filled with challenges. Some implementations can be challenging, especially if a business needs a highly complex, sophisticated, and comprehensive solution on a large scale. But in the vast majority of cases, RFID is relatively easy and manageable to implement.

The key is to start by working with an RFID expert through a discovery and design process to identify your business goals, explore how RFID will fit into and improve your workflows, and figure out what sort of RFID solution you’ll need. From there, you’ll need to design a solution, test it in your environment, and then deploy it and make sure your workers are trained to use it effectively.

Once an RFID solution is in place, you should find that it reduces or eliminates the more labor intensive, error-prone, and cumbersome manual processes related to inventorying, tracking, tracing and monitoring assets. Depending on the implementation, these processes may become mostly or fully automated which will make them far faster and more accurate than they are today.

Of course, this is a process that takes time and effort, but that is why there are technology experts, like Zebra and RMS Omega, that can work closely with you to achieve your goals. And once your system is in place, you can rely on your technology partner to help maintain and support your system, so there isn’t additional strain on your IT resources, and you can keep things running smoothly.

Myth #10: Implementing RFID Is Difficult

Over the last 15-20 years, RFID technology, solutions, and processes have all matured greatly, and there are many domain experts available to help ease implementation across a number of use cases.  

Thousands of businesses have already implemented RFID in some capacity, and many have expanded their solutions beyond the initial use case to gain tremendous benefits. But, because the scope of your project is going to be unique to your business, the key to reducing complexity is spending the time properly assessing your environment, identifying your pain points, defining your use case and refining your strategy.

Get the process rolling by scheduling a consultation or two with a trusted RFID solution provider. They’ll guide you through the discovery process and help you structure the solution accordingly to ensure you have the right hardware and software, including fixed and/or handheld RFID readers and antennas, tags and printers. For example, the software component can include RFID reader middleware, a comprehensive RFID platform, or asset tracking and inventory software.

You’ll also want to invest in a site survey and take time to test and validate your system before you plan a full-scale rollout. Finally, there’s the task of actually deploying your infrastructure, hardware, and software; providing the required training; and maintaining your system over the long term.

Again, an RFID partner will help you assess and design your system, work with you to test and integrate the components, and then optimize as necessary to ensure everything goes smoothly and works correctly. A good partner will also provide you with ongoing services and support and a dedicated expert to be a point of contact for all your RFID needs.

READY TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES WITH RFID?

At RMS Omega, we are a single-source provider for all components of your RFID project. We work closely with Zebra Technologies, a global leader in RFID and other solutions, to bring the world’s best RFID hardware, tags, labels, and expertise to every project.

If you’re considering RFID for asset tracking, inventory management, or any other business application, feel free to contact us to get answers to your questions, learn more about RFID systems and solutions, and find out how we can help you achieve a successful implementation.

Originally published here!

As the lovable Kermit the Frog of the Muppets once sang, it’s not easy being green.

That’s why Zebra has formed a cross-functional council to meet regularly and discuss opportunities for reducing hazardous substances and packaging, increasing the usage of alternative materials, assessing our product life cycles and more.

Formally referred to as Zebra’s Green Product Council (GPC), this group of engineers, product managers, environmental health and safety experts and other thought leaders, has set out to champion green product initiatives across Zebra in alignment with our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and protecting the environment via Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) programs.

Michelle Grodzki and Nick Clemente, co-leaders of the GPC and members of our Product Environmental Compliance team, are leading the charge to explore innovative and impactful ways Zebra’s product portfolio can become greener and more sustainable. And Steve Le Goff, Vice President of Design, Management and Operations for Zebra, is actively steering the GPC’s strategy, providing execution oversight, and ensuring alignment with the company’s brand values as executive sponsor.

All three joined us for a special podcast episode on this World Environment Day to discuss what the cross-functional team has accomplished thus far, what other businesses can learn from the endeavor, and what’s on the horizon.

Listen to this podcast episode now to learn more about:

• how Zebra’s GPC originated and the ambitious goals the group has set out to achieve.
• the most notable initiatives of the GPC to date, for both the environment and the business.
• what the group plans to tackle this year.
• why EPEAT certification has been among the council’s top priorities and how it can encourage businesses operate more sustainably.
• why cross-functional representation within the GPC is key to collaborative innovation and success.
• how Zebra, its customers, its partners and the planet will benefit from the GPC’s work.
• how businesses can best prepare for the rapidly changing regulatory landscape globally.

Deanna Self was just named one of Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s 2021 Pros to Know, but we think she is a person whom everyone should know. Deanna has faced many roadblocks in life on a personal and professional level, and to say her career path has been unconventional would be an understatement. Yet, she has figured out a way to achieve her goals – mostly because the failures she has endured have created the opportunity to become more creative to overcome them.

So, to kick off Pride Month, we asked Deanna to share her story of both strife and success as she trailblazed her way up the corporate ladder. Learn what has set her apart from other supply chain professionals the past 25+ years, why she insists on staying true to herself no matter the consequences, and why she has become a hero to so many in the LGBTQIA+ community who have big dreams like Deanna…

Your Edge Blog Team: First off, congratulations for being named one of Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s 2021 Pros to Know! I know it’s well deserved.

Deanna: Thank you. It was a nice surprise to find out I was one of the winners. There are some amazing people on that list.

Your Edge Blog Team: Can you tell us a little bit about your role at Zebra? What are your responsibilities? And what does your day to day look like?

Deanna: My main role here at Zebra is to help bring insights to our customers and the organization in terms of what’s happening within the industry. The goal is to help drive and define roadmaps and provide recommendations on where it makes sense to invest. At the end of the day, I really want to be able to help customers succeed and eliminate pain points within their operations, so I am proactive in sharing my expertise on what solutions would be most effective. Outside of that, as you can imagine, I also spend a lot of time immersing myself in the industry itself, keeping up to date on various technologies and solutions, and in turn, sharing and engaging in thought leadership to further those insights and validate trends.

Your Edge Blog Team: Why did you decide to work in sales?

Deanna: Ihave worked in sales or supported sales my entire career. For me, when you really believe in the products or solutions the company is selling, it makes you want to be a part of that because you understand the value it’s bringing to customers.

Your Edge Blog Team: What values are important to you from a career perspective?

Deanna: The first words that come to mind are trust and integrity, but those are immediately followed by having an innovative mindset and agile approach. I also consider diversity and inclusion very important. I’ve learned through past personal experiences that if you don’t have this strongly embedded into your culture, you don’t get the best from your people.  

Your Edge Blog Team: Have you experienced those values here at Zebra?

Deanna: One of the most refreshing things for me to see here at Zebra is the innovative mindset.  I love the curiousness and how people are always looking to improve. It’s also nice to see the pace at which some of that change can happen. Coming from a larger global company, the pace wasn’t near as fast. But in terms of the other values, it’s very clear in our stock price and relationships within the market that Zebra is a trusted company.  

Your Edge Blog Team: Is that why chose to work at Zebra?

Deanna: Absolutely. I would never work for a company if I didn’t share the same values and vision.  Zebra used to be my vendor when I was at my previous company, and the one thing I most valued was how much Zebra employees wanted to do the right thing at the end of the day – even if it meant they missed out on a sale. Doing the right thing and having a trusted relationship is what I value most.

Your Edge Blog Team: Well, we’re grateful you are a part of Zebra Nation. In fact, you’re making quite an impact beyond your day-to-day professional role as a champion of inclusion and diversity. Can you tell us about some of the I&D initiatives you’ve been involved in lately?

Deanna: I just recently joined the Zebra Equality Alliance, otherwise known as ZEAL, which is a resource group for the LGBTQIA+ community. I haven’t had a chance to really get involved yet, but I’m excited to do so. I am also a part of the I&D team for Zebra’s North America Sales organization. As part of our recent initiatives, we brought in an outside company to provide I&D training, and I was able to share some “cover” stories to help others realize what I go through when I can’t be authentic as well as the downside it has on my performance as well as the company’s performance.

I am married to a woman, and we have two small children.  I can recall early in my career, and even occasionally now, when I felt that I had to “cover” for the safety or security of my family or job. When you have someone who can’t show up and be their full self every day, you’re losing out on so much greatness from that person. And for me, I got tired of not sharing my full self and not being treated equal because of it. It’s hugely important we provide support in every way possible to make sure everyone can show up every day and bring their true, best version of themselves – that’s what makes a company better.  You’ll find the ideas, teamwork, and overall effectiveness of your employees go way up when this type of environment is fostered.

Your Edge Blog Team: Have you always been actively involved in I&D initiatives such as this?

Deanna: Prior to coming to Zebra, I was involved with a group that’s very similar to ZEAL. I feel it is super important to support the community in a number of ways, such as by listening, coaching/ mentoring, standing up, and even sharing in my own personal experiences.

Your Edge Blog Team: What advice would you give to allies? How can they help foster a culture of belonging, whether in the workplace, social settings or within their homes?

Deanna: Be conscious about the things you say and what you’re joking about. Speak up, educate, and stop behaviors that don’t support an inclusive culture. Don’t just assume things. For example, I think many people assume I am straight because I don’t fit the typical lesbian stereotype. It makes it very difficult for me to be myself when you think I’m something else. Be a friend and listen, and ask questions about how you can help or even maybe how you can challenge your own biases.

Your Edge Blog Team: What advice would you give to members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are faced with biases in their personal or professional lives? Is there something you would say to help give them the strength and courage to continue to forge a path forward – and up the career ladder?

Deanna: If you’re surrounding yourself with people, professional or personal, that don’t support you being the full you, then go find those that do. From a professional standpoint, it’s okay to ask questions regarding inclusion and diversity when you’re thinking of switching roles or careers. It’s important to understand the culture you’re entering and whether or not it allows you to flourish. I used to work for a company that wasn’t supportive and created a lot of fear and uncertainty about my career. It took me a few years to realize it was in my power to address this. Ask yourself if you’re able to bring the best version of yourself to work every day – and, if not, why not?  Address those “whys” until there is nothing stopping you from being the awesome person you were born to be.

Your Edge Blog Team: That is great advice! Now that you’re able to put your full self forward at work each day, we know you’re probably running full steam ahead. What do you enjoy doing in your free time to help rebalance yourself? What brings you joy?

Deanna: My twin two-year-old boys take most of my free time. You can generally find us outdoors playing and exploring. But when they are sleeping, or when my wife and I sneak away for a couple hours, I enjoy all kinds of things from catching up with friends, to trying new foods/restaurants, going out for cocktails, and fun events – anything music or sports, you can count me in.

Your Edge Blog Team: Is that how you’re going to celebrate Pride Month, or do you have something else planned?

Deanna: Ahhh…Pride Month! We’ve been in the process of selling our home and will be moving the majority of Pride Month. I know that sounds like a terrific way to celebrate. HA! But in all seriousness, I support Pride Month by taking time to listen, educate myself on how I can continue to improve, challenge myself to create more inclusion.  This is outside of work, but right now my main focus on this topic has been with my kids’ daycare because I also want to make sure they have a diverse and inclusive environment to thrive in. I work with the principal there to expose them to various books, and I recommend ways to incorporate I&D both inside the class and with their staff.

Your Edge Blog Team: What is your proudest accomplishment in life thus far, either personally, professionally, or both?

Deanna: When I graduated high school, I already had a passion for business and was ready to get started, so I never went to undergrad school. Instead, I opened my first business by the age of 20.  Once I did that, I never looked back at college. That was until I realized, after I joined the corporate world, that the policies in place were going to stop me from further climbing the ladder.  And at that point, companies were really looking for more than a bachelor’s degree, they were seeking master’s degrees. So, I set out on a personal mission to figure out how to get a masters, but not via the traditional method. I’ll be honest, I had zero desire to get a bachelor’s degree, so I wasn’t quite sure how I could possibly make this happen. After a lot of research, a lot of testing, and a lot of interviewing, I’m proud to say I’m probably the only person you know that has a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) without an undergrad degree. I graduated from the McColl’s School of Business at Queen’s University in Charlotte in 2014. So, my advice to everyone out there: don’t let all the rules, policies, or politics in place stop you from achieving your goals. Figure out how to change or work around them!

Originally published here!

Chicago, IL – June 3, 2021 – ServerCentral Turing Group (SCTG), a cloud, network, and data center managed service provider, has completed an extensive rebranding initiative to better convey its expertise in converting complexity into success for businesses large and small. The rebrand includes a new website, logo, and name – Deft.

After adapting to extraordinary circumstances in 2020, businesses will spend the duration of 2021 reconfiguring their operations for the future. As technology becomes a critical aspect of their core competencies, businesses continue to undergo fundamental shifts in how they operate and deliver value to their customers.

“No company is too big or small for technology complacency,” said Jordan Lowe, CEO of Deft. “With promises of streamlined hybrid cloud infrastructure, instant scalability, and seamless cloud migrations, today’s technology has the potential to fundamentally change the way businesses operate and deliver value to their customers. The challenge is successfully meeting these opportunities.”

The name change reflects Deft’s commitment to bringing humanity to every client journey and supporting its customers through its core business areas including public, private, and hybrid cloud services, cloud consulting, managed services, and data center services.

Deft partners with its clients to deliver on the promise of technology to the benefit of their employees, customers, and business through:

• Consistent thought leadership: Deft leverages over two decades of experience to anticipate an organization’s needs and proactively deliver expert advice.
• Ever-evolving skill sets: Deft recognizes the steady pace of innovation in technology and stretches its skill sets to set new standards over maintaining the status quo.
• Creative problem-solving: Deft embraces innovative thinking within its problem-solving process, allowing for an original, informed viewpoint to guide strategic decision-making and achieve dynamic business outcomes.
• Thoughtful guidance: Deft understands the role it plays within an organization and positions its solutions to act as a launchpad toward big-picture success.

Deft offers the combined expertise of an expansive partner network as it designs, builds, operates, secures, and scales unique hybrid cloud solutions tailored to businesses’ unique needs. As day-to-day operations continue while companies redefine themselves with technology, Deft ensures continued digital transformation occurs with minimal disruption to critical systems and processes.

For more information about Deft, visit www.deft.com.

### 

Originally published here!