With Cyberattacks on the Rise, Security Strategies Must Change. Here’s What You Should be Doing Now.

October marks Cybersecurity Month in the U.S., and many organizations (including Zebra) are advocating for you to “Do Your Part to #BeCyberSmart.” But what does that even mean? Locking down Wi-Fi networks? Changing passwords more often? Something else completely?  

Zebra’s Chief Security Officer Mike Zachman says there are several best practices organizations of all sizes can and should be employing to mitigate risks and keep devices and networks well-defended against emerging threats.  

Mike, who was just named to CISO’s Top 100 CISO (C100) list, spends his days monitoring for vulnerabilities, tracking new threats, and recommending new strategies and tactics for Zebra as well as our partners and customers. So, we asked him to give us an honest assessment of the current cyber climate and what types of threats could become most concerning in the coming months. He also explains what you can do to protect your company and customer data against bad actors.  

We hope you’ll spend the next 20 minutes listening to his updates and advice – especially if you’re a Zebra customer or partner.  

Expert: Consider These Cybersecurity Strategies for Your Organization

Listen to the podcast here!

You’ll walk away knowing…

• what you can do to help reduce the risk of these ransomware, data breaches and other disruptive security incidents within your business environments.
• what companies and individuals should be doing to protect devices and data in remote work and front-line settings.
• the security considerations for heads-up displays, ring scanners and similar wearable devices, as well as mobile computers, tablets, and barcode scanners.
• how printer security strategies have changed in the last year – and why.
• the extra measures that should be taken to protect business data and equipment now that more data is being sent to the cloud for storage, analysis and redistribution and more operational systems being controlled via the cloud, 
• what Zebra specifically is doing to help customers lockdown the solutions we provide. 

If you haven’t hit “play” yet, please do so now or bookmark this page to come back to it soon. Of course, we encourage you to share these insights with others in your organization, channel and supply chain. So, please feel free to pass along using the “Share This” buttons on the left-hand side of this page.

And if you ever need recommendations or assistance securing your Zebra devices or corporate networks, you can contact the Zebra Support team here or reach out to your local Zebra representative.

Over the last few years, most technology projects initiated by enterprises have been centered on system migrations. Specifically, operating system (OS) migrations. Several main legacy platforms have reached end of life, leaving edge devices without support from OS providers. In turn, newer platforms have risen to take their place. These migrations have come in all sizes and scales of manageability. And for better or worse – I prefer better – most of the migrations I have been involved in have been on the larger side. That’s the beauty of a routine – and well-planned – technology refresh. It’s usually better for all parties involved for migrations to be as expedited and all-encompassing as possible, rather than migrating a trial site and letting it breathe. 

In completing so many migrations with customers over the last few years, my team and I were able to document and share key learnings so colleagues, partners, and customers could achieve the best possible outcomes with the least friction along the way.

There were some common denominators that stood out with the projects that truly excelled:

• Putting the work in on the front end and saving headaches on the backend.
• Catching issues before they cause crises.
• Setting realistic expectations and keeping as close as possible to pre-defined success criteria. 

The steps below helped point us to these success criteria and are nothing unique to OS migration projects – or any technology system migration for that matter. But they can easily be replicated in most projects and should be accepted as best practice, whether you’re a project lead for your organization or the third-party integrator brought in to work alongside the project lead.

Step One: Insert yourself as the advisor as much as possible. Every technology project needs a strong voice guiding the process. This line could blur between advisor, project lead and task manager at times but lean into the advisor role. The rest will fall in place. Soak in the end-users’ needs and challenges and organizational drivers for the migration. They’ll often be one in the same and your north star for the duration of the migration.

Step Two: Do your due diligence so you can make the right technology decisions – or guide your team to make the right decisions. In most migration projects, there’ll be an option of platforms to which you can migrate. In OS migrations, for example, Android™ isn’t technically the only option for legacy Windows® Mobile and CE mobility platform users, even though it typically performs better in complex, multi-component enterprise solutions. So, remember the platform is the critical part of your next gen solution, as it will act as the backbone for all the other technology components to connect. Educate yourself on possible platforms, line them up against your end-user’s migration drivers, and run through the pros/cons of each with your end user. If there was a struggle to land in the advisor role for the project, this will assist and drive comfort with the end-user that you have their best interest in mind.

Step Three: Trust but verify. Once you and the team have a good idea of which platform you will move forward with, it’s time to confirm compatibility with all components that may need to connect with the new platform in some capacity. This is typically a pretty short list, even if you’re thinking about the longer-term roadmap, and can usually be done with a formal “request for information” (RFI) to component providers or informally through meetings with their solution engineers. This will be time to check component feature changes between platforms, platform version strategies and overall fit for the end-users’ needs. I’m a firm believer that there’s no true “out of the box” component that’s ready for any end-user. Some development work should be expected here.

Step Four: Verify again (from a comprehensive vantage point). By now, there should be some confidence in the preferred platform and which components will fill out the rest of the solution. Ideally, the preferred components will be limited in quantity and chosen on their viability for the overall solution – not based on a unique feature or cost consideration. But it’s important to confirm they can indeed deliver. Remember, up until this point, components have only been individually evaluated or considered in the context of select integration points. You need to make sure all the pieces will come together as needed and be compatible with each other. Commonly referred to as a “conference room pilot,” this type of discovery session will keep all component stakeholders honest about their component’s capabilities and help you catch any surprises that could need to be addressed before you get to the full-scale implementation and realize you made a wrong turn at this fork in the road. What you do – or do not do – at this point will have a large impact on outcomes. 

Step Five: Get buy in and sign off from all stakeholders. Once an all-encompassing evaluation is done with all possible components, the solution is mostly formed, and all stakeholders should have a solid understanding of the work needed to get to the finish line. This is the point where all stakeholders need to finalize terms, implementation strategies, and rollout plans. It’s critical here to stay grounded in reality. Setting unachievable deadlines and success criteria will only add pressure and hard talks to the mix, which are always a hit to project productivity. Working the overall plan into manageable phases never hurts.

Steps Six and Seven: Communicate. Test. (Repeat.) These are the two most important steps to success. That doesn’t mean you can disregard everything I’ve said to this point. If you skip any of the above, mistakes and regret are bound to transpire. It’s just vital that all parties involved in the project are consistently aligned.

You should be having open, frequent dialogues as early as possible, throughout the rollout, and even after the solution is live – especially with end-users and those who will be responsible for maintaining the solution. Early and frequent inclusion will give them a feeling of ownership and ease the rollout once the solution’s ready to go-live. Their feedback will ensure any issue is found quickly and addressed even quicker. Issues found late and only known to a portion of the stakeholders tend to grow fast, affect unknowing stakeholders’ components and turn into serious productivity sinks. For example, you don’t want to find an issue once you begin your rollout, only to hear that a couple super users involved your initial pilot had long been aware of the issue and already crafted a system workaround for it. (True story!)

Component and overall solution testing should follow the same rules: start testing early and often.  Robust testing starting in the evaluation stages, sustained throughout the implementation and conducted once the solution is live can catch issues before they hit the field.

MY BEST ADVICE: PROCEED WITH BOTH CAUTION AND CONFIDENCE

These simple steps can take time to manifest but are the difference between a successful project and one that needs continued hand holding for the life of the solution. Trust me, I know. The system migration that followed these steps closest is one I still dream about to this day. It was a consumer packaged goods (CPG) distributor migrating one of its divisions with 6,000 routes from a legacy route accounting solution to a new platform. There were significantly more change variables than the CPG industry is accustomed to. This customer followed the above steps to the letter: had a thorough evaluation, detailed implementation, full-fleet rollout of ~10 months and – most importantly – minimal solution support since! In fact, rather than be onsite for the first site’s “go-live,” the project leads were standing with me in a tradeshow booth. Not hearing a peep from their on-site team and exuding the cool confidence of expecting nothing less. I was very grateful to all parties involved in that migration and would work with them on other projects with them in a heartbeat! In fact, I did. (There were several more projects that soon followed, all just as successful.)

Migrations that veer away from these steps…well, there’s many.

In the haste of things, it’s very easy to pick a platform without researching and considering all industry leading components. With just one wrong first decision, you could find yourself on a hamster wheel, cycling through one component after another, hoping the next selection will be better. And once you get on that wheel, it can be hard to get off. Multiple small fires and hidden issues will start growing until they are almost all too big to fix, resulting in a lot of wasted time and unnecessary stress. Believe me, I’ve been called in to help customers who spent over a year and a half trying to rollout a small number of devices, because one issue after another cropped up as they tried to implement different solutions to fix other ones. Some are still dealing with issues years later.

If you ever want to hear some of those war stories, just hit me up on LinkedIn (and make sure you have hours to spare)! But know I would far rather talk about the best practices you can apply to one day have your success story featured here. So, don’t hesitate to reach out. My team and I would be happy to walk you through these steps in the context of your specific business goals and migration ambitions.

Originally published here!

Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that Americans are leaving their jobs in record numbers. In July 2021, 4 million Americans quit their jobs, only to see another 4.3 million quit in August. Throughout 2021, 1 in 4 employees have left their jobs, a number we could see grow by the year’s end. What is being called the “Great Resignation” raises some important questions for employers about employee retention. Why are employees leaving their jobs and what can companies do to retain talent? This article explores some effective strategies for securing the talent you need, as well as how to retain your existing resources amid a favorable labor market with millions of job openings.

Why are Employees Leaving?

A recent study from the Harvard Business Review found that employees between 30-45 years old are experiencing the greatest increase in resignation rates. In other words, mid-level employees are quitting at higher rates than any other group. There are several things that could be contributing to this increase. First, with the increase in remote work, companies may be hiring fewer entry-level employees. Remote work makes training more burdensome, so inexperienced employees present a higher risk to employers in the current environment. This means there is likely a greater demand for mid-level employees, so these employees have increased leverage to secure new positions for higher salaries or better benefits. It’s also possible that mid-level employees who avoided making any job changes during the earlier stages of the pandemic felt more comfortable this year, boosting resignation rates among this demographic. Finally, many mid-level employees experienced high workloads during the pandemic, meaning burnout could also be contributing to the mass exodus of these employees.

By contrast, while younger employees typically have the highest turnover, resignations in the 20-25 age range actually decreased over the last year. This is likely because there has been less demand for entry-level workers since remote work environments typically require more experienced workers who need minimal supervision. Further, younger employees usually have greater financial uncertainty, meaning they are less likely to leave their jobs during a pandemic.

Overall, resignation rates have not only been affected by age group, but also by industry. The Harvard Business Review study found that resignations have been heavily concentrated in two areas: healthcare and IT. In fact, in the tech space, resignations have increased by 4.5 percent. For many of ILBSG’s clients, these statistics may have a direct impact. Mid-level IT employees are more likely to leave their jobs and an unusually favorable job market with millions of job openings could make it difficult to retain the important talent your business needs to succeed.

Strategies for Retaining Existing Talent

More than ever, companies will need to be proactive about retaining existing talent. In the immigration context, there are a couple of strategies we recommend to ensure your employees aren’t tempted to move on to new opportunities.

First, with remote work options available for most IT positions, employees may want to move to a different state. This could be based on wanting to be closer to family or simply wanting to live somewhere with a lower cost of living. Regardless of the reason, we have seen this happen at increased rates over the last year. For H-1B employees, a work location change requires an H-1B amendment and updated LCA, so there are some additional considerations to bear in mind if your employees are relocating.

If your employee is moving to a state with a lower prevailing wage than their existing location, it can be tempting to adjust their salary accordingly. However, ILBSG strongly advises its clients to maintain the current salary for that employee. The reason is twofold: first, you may raise a red flag with USCIS and/or the DOL if you lower a foreign worker’s salary, particularly since you are obligated to pay the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher. If you have already been paying a higher salary for that employee for the same position and project, then that salary has become the actual wage for the position at your company. Second, if your employee is looking to move in order to enjoy a lower cost of living based on their existing salary, cutting their wages may push them to find another employer willing to maintain their current rate of pay or pay them even more. Particularly for experienced, mid-level employees, there are ample opportunities to find a new position or higher paying job. While it is understandable for a company to want to cut costs where possible, retaining talent means keeping salaries competitive.

Next, employees are motivated by the opportunity for long-term growth and career stability. If you have a foreign worker employed on a nonimmigrant work visa who you wish to retain long term, consider sponsoring them for a green card earlier than later. In general, employees are likely to leave their existing positions for higher salaries. But foreign workers are also motivated by their immigration status, so this is an important benefit to consider. If another employer will sponsor them, they are more likely to leave. If you have already invested years in an employee, take the necessary steps to retain them long-term.

Finally, be mindful of burnout and high workloads. If your employee has worked increased hours over the last two years, consider offering additional paid time off or mental health days. The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone. Especially for employees working from home with children or navigating homeschool, some extra time off can go a long way.

Strategies for Securing New Talent

Across the board, the U.S. is experiencing labor shortages. Since the IT industry has been especially impacted, employers should plan ahead in order to fulfill their staffing needs. The next H-1B cap will occur in March 2022. As in the years past, there will be a 3-week registration period immediately followed by a selection period. A recent court decision has ensured that the next H-1B cap will again be a lottery, which is good news for our clients. Employers who rely on H-1B visas to fill their staffing needs should strategize early to take advantage of the next lottery, particularly since the future of the program is uncertain and a wage-based system could be coming.

In 2021, ILBSG has experienced extremely favorable conditions for the H-1B program. In the wake of the ITServe lawsuit, denial rates have plummeted to almost zero. While filing an H-1B petition used to almost guarantee a Request for Further Evidence (RFE), that is no longer the case. In fact, ILBSG has not received a work itinerary-related RFE in 18 months and many petitions are approved directly, without any RFE at all. Looking at a random sampling of 100 cases filed by ILBSG in the FY 2022 Cap, 75% received a straight approval, with the remaining 25% approved after an RFE. Simply put, the data support our advice. The H-1B program is extremely favorable at the moment, so we urge our clients to take full advantage.

Finally, with the recent news that the nonimmigrant visa bans will be lifted on November 8, employment-based immigration will no longer be restricted. As long as those traveling to the U.S. have received a full Covid-19 vaccination, nonimmigrant work visas can once again be issued by the U.S. consulates. This will also help alleviate some of the difficulties employers have faced over the last year in bringing much-needed talent to the U.S.

If you need help planning for the upcoming H-1B lottery or advice for how to ensure your immigration staffing needs are met, please reach out to an ILBSG attorney today. We will help you get the right advice.

Originally published here!

Ever since news broke that Zebra intended to acquire antuit.ai, people have been flying high! We’ve welcomed a lot of really cool companies into Zebra Nation lately. But it was no secret that with the addition of antuit.ai to our software-as-a-service (SaaS) portfolio, we would have the tools needed to give you (our customers) the crystal ball needed to break the cycle of supply chain disruptions. “Empty shelves no more!” has been our motto – or at least our mission – for the past several months. Yours, too, we know.

Well, we hope you’re ready for this…

antuit.ai is now officially part of Zebra!

What does that mean for you? How will the incredible (artificial) intelligence and rare (demand) sensing capabilities of antuit.ai work with your prescriptive analytics, fixed industrial scanners, robots and other technology systems to help you better sense, analyze and act on what lies ahead? Will you really be able to forecast demand with near perfect accuracy? Or say with confidence the merchandising decisions you make today will move product tomorrow? 

That’s something you’ll find out in the next 20 minutes…assuming you hit play on this podcast episode now:

Why Zebra Acquired antuit.ai and What This Move Means for You

Ever since news broke that Zebra intended to acquire antuit.ai, people have been flying high! We’ve welcomed a lot of really cool companies into Zebra Nation lately. But it was no secret that with the addition of antuit.ai to our software-as-a-service (SaaS) portfolio, we would have the tools needed to give you (our customers) the crystal ball needed to break the cycle of supply chain disruptions. “Empty shelves no more!” has been our motto – or at least our mission – for the past several months. Yours, too, we know.

Well, we hope you’re ready for this…

antuit.ai is now officially part of Zebra!

What does that mean for you? How will the incredible (artificial) intelligence and rare (demand) sensing capabilities of antuit.ai work with your prescriptive analytics, fixed industrial scanners, robots and other technology systems to help you better sense, analyze and act on what lies ahead? Will you really be able to forecast demand with near perfect accuracy? Or say with confidence the merchandising decisions you make today will move product tomorrow? 

That’s something you’ll find out in the next 20 minutes…assuming you hit play on this podcast episode now:

Why Zebra Acquired antuit.ai and What This Move Means for You

Listen to the podcast here!

Trust us, this is not a discussion you want to bookmark for later. In addition to giving us the scoop on why the antuit.ai acquisition is such a big deal for you, Zebra’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Software Solutions, Suresh Menon, spills all the juicy insights about:

• why Zebra is suddenly so interested – and invested – in software. (And you should be too.)
• how our vision for the future is being influenced by your organization’s vision and wish lists.
• all the amazing things you’re going to be able to do from an operational perspective once you’re plugged into the antuit.ai solution – and it’s plugged into your other edge devices and outside data systems. (Who knew weather forecasts could be so important to workers inside the four walls of a warehouse?)
• how much money is going to talk in the coming months in the supply chain sector. (And how much AI predictive forecasting could help you save.)

So, if you want to be able to anticipate and prepare for what may be around the bend with more certainty than ever before, hear what Suresh has to say and then click here to learn more about what Zebra’s acquisition of antuit.ai could mean for your future.

Originally published here!

Let’s talk about self-checkout (SCO) registers.

There’s no denying they are an essential part of the customer experience and have saved many of us from waiting in absurdly long lines to buy just a couple products.

Participants in Zebra’s most recent Global Shopper Study also confirmed that SCO has its benefits. For example:

more than six-in-10 (63%) shoppers agree SCO solutions provide an improved customer experience.

86% of retail decision-makers and 71% of store associates agree SCO improves the customer experience.

That’s all well and good for the customer experience.  But retailers should calculate the total cost of their SCO. Is it improving the experience for loss prevention (LP) teams?

Probably not. To be honest, I often find retailers underestimating its vulnerabilities.

SCO, as we all know, has a hefty impact on shrink rates. In fact, according to a study by Professor Adrian Beck of the University of Leicester, “a store with 50% of transactions being processed through Fixed SCO…can expect its shrinkage losses to be 75% higher than the average rate found in Grocery retailing.”

Unfortunately, many attempts to mitigate SCO risk fall flat. The anonymity of this service, coupled with an erroneous, internet-spawned belief that retailers owe consumers something for ringing up their own products, makes for an uphill climb to minimize SCO shrink.

Luckily, there is technology that can help defend against one of the most common sources of SCO shrink: SKU switchouts.

WHAT DOES A SKU SWITCHOUT LOOK LIKE?

This classic scheme involves the customer entering the PLU code for something inexpensive (often bananas at 50¢/lb) and weighing up something pricier. It’s a favorite methodology of retail criminals. To deter this, most SCO registers are programmed to loudly announce “bananas!” whenever the customer enters the code, to alert the SCO attendant. But attendants can get busy, and when they do, this stopgap amounts to nothing.

It should be noted, however, that not all shrink at SCO is fraudulent. Yes, you have your fair share of people purposely ringing up a $22/lb beef roast at the price of bananas or passing a jug of olive oil over the scanner while discreetly covering the barcode. But there’s also non-malicious intent.

For example, imagine a customer trying to buy cherries at $5/lb. She cannot find the fruit in the SCO register’s produce lookup menu. Not wanting to make the people behind her wait any longer, she hastily hits the button for Russet potatoes. Just like that, she’s gotten her cherries for a mere $0.99/lb.

Not intentional, but still impacts the retailer – and must be dealt with as such.

So, now the question is, what technology can help mitigate the risk of this scheme happening?

PRESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

Many retailers are using prescriptive analytics to combat shrink at SCO. This software solution analyzes data and tells you:

• what is happening.
• why it happened.
• how much it is costing you.
• what to do about it.
• who should do it.

Numerous retailers have their prescriptive analytics solutions monitoring sales of their cheapest items sold by weight, especially bananas. The right solution will instantly flag when a store seems to have sold more bananas than it should have in stock and alert the right asset protection (AP) investigator to follow up with specific video footage, receipts and loyal/non-loyal information. If the excess quantities appear to have been purchased via the SCO line, this is further assurance that something is amiss. The exact selection of items to monitor can be configured by the retailer based on its own unique trends.

Prescriptive analytics also provides another means of identifying and eliminating this common source of shrink by analyzing weights.

The key to this type of analysis is identifying items with a weight inconsistent with the product the customer selected at the register. For example, consider a customer who scans a rib roast price sticker at SCO. The price added to the customer’s order is just $2.

Prescriptive analytics will identify that the store does not sell rib roasts in such small quantities and place the customer’s name on a list of potential fraudsters for later investigation. Chances are that when making this label, an employee or customer actually weighed a lightweight object, like a box of gloves, instead of the actual roast.

In a similar sense, imagine a customer enters the PLU code for bananas at SCO, but the item placed on the scale clocks in at eight pounds! Unless the customer owns a family of chimpanzees, it is highly unlikely the customer grabbed eight pounds of bananas in one go. More likely the customer is stealing something heavier, like a turkey or beef roast.

With prescriptive analytics monitoring SCO from the back end (i.e., through the data), you gain an extra, 24/7 pair of eyes to alert you to fraud.

INTELLIGENT BARCODE SCANNER

For added assurance, there is also the option of implementing an intelligent barcode scanner at the SCO lanes. The best models provide another layer of risk mitigation by leveraging high-resolution cameras to visually identify produce and other items by shape, color, weight and appearance, making it more difficult for customers to successfully switch out SKUs or barcodes.

This goes a long way in situations like the above, where the customer enters the wrong code or scans an alternate barcode. An intelligent barcode scanner compares the actual item to the expected characteristics of the item scanned or entered against thousands of similar pictures. When it detects an inconsistency, such as the customer scanning a lipstick while placing a leather jacket on the belt, it instantly alerts the customer or SCO attendant to make sure the scan was accurate. This alert gives the customer or SCO attendant a chance to correct the mistake before a loss is incurred.

Eighty-six percent (86%) of organizations say front-line workers need better technology-enabled insights to be able to make good decisions in the moment.

That’s a bit of a head scratcher.

There are dozens of ways to call someone today and even more ways to send a message. It’s a bit dizzying, to be honest. And I have actually found it harder to track down people the more digitally connected I’ve become, mostly because I don’t always know or remember the best way to reach each friend, family member or colleague. I have an entire screen on my personal mobile dedicated to communications apps.

What I need is simplicity, and that’s what front-line workers need too.

WANT MORE COLLABORATION? MAKE A MORE DIRECT CONNECTION

Though convenient when sitting at a desk, encouraging workers to message colleagues from their mobile computers while moving about is both inefficient and dangerous. They need to keep their heads up at all times, especially if in a store, hospital, factory, or warehouse where so many different people and pieces of machinery are moving at once. Field-based workers also need their eyes up and hands free to be able to safely drive their vehicles, carry equipment, and respond to calls. So, anything that requires them to do more than press a button to get an answer is too complicated.

That’s why two-way push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities are just as popular as they were 25 years ago when Nextel launched the first iDEN service. The walkie-talkie “call” is the simplest of all and perhaps the most familiar way for front-line workers to communicate and collaborate live – the recipe for “good decisions.”

I’m hard pressed to think of a task that is completed solo these days. Everyone needs someone’s input at some point, and front-line workers need others’ guidance and insight frequently. Retail fulfillment and logistics teams can’t do anything in a bubble. Neither can utility crews, construction crews, or public safety officers. And there’s a reason why patients are now assigned a “healthcare team” versus just one doctor. Teamwork makes the dream work.

But the team won’t be able to work well if they can’t communicate in real time. If one person makes the wrong call or doesn’t know what to do in a certain situation, the whole team suffers the consequences.

So, here I am. Advising you to give your front-line workers a “walkie-talkie.” Well, a modern version of it.

A SIMPLE WAY TO TURN YOUR MOBILE DEVICES INTO A TWO-WAY RADIO (AND HELP YOUR WORKERS START MAKING BETTER DECISIONS)

There are three things you should do right now if your workers are using mobile computers and tablets in any capacity:

1. Choose a collaboration software solution that was built specifically for front-line workers. Some may call it a unified communications solution, but the premise is the same: turn workers’ mobile devices into real-time collaboration tools. Once the software is loaded onto their devices, they will be able to instantly connect via PTT, real-time messaging and more.

2. Think about the user experience when setting up each worker’s profile. By this, I mean managing roles and profiles of users within the collaboration app. Your workers share devices, but they won’t all use them the same way. Communications tools included. So, it’s important to customize the experience to each person’s role and liking. If employees have unique identities set up via SSO or other login structures, you can highly personalize their collaboration experience by ensuring their contacts, settings and messages will automatically load once they login – even if they pick up a different device each day. If your business uses more generic usernames (i.e., “Store Assistant 2”), it is still possible to pre-load key contacts, turn on collaboration features specific to that role and ensure each user is connected to the people and information needed to be productive.

3. Make sure each worker knows how to use PTT and actually uses it. Shout it from the rooftops if you must, or simply repeat over and over again in team meetings, memos, and other communications. Your workers need to a way to speak with one another in real time if you want them to make better decisions and get things done faster individually and as a team.

Think about how many times you’ve said, “it’s just so much easier to pick up the phone and talk it through.” Well, your front-line workers probably say that a hundred times a day, if not more. So, make it possible for them to pick up the phone without having to actually pick up the phone – and make it easier for them to call for help without having to speak to someone.

How do you do that?

Look for a mobility solution (i.e., device + communications software) that enables them to:

– use their phone as a walkie-talkie, even when it’s docked on the dashboard, in a holster on their hip, or in their pocket. Solutions such as Zebra Workforce Connect can sync with wireless headsets to facilitate hands-free PTT calls. You can learn more about this in one of my previous posts. I also recommend you choose a collaboration application that enables workers to use voice commands. This will reduce the number of times they have to actually pick up the device and open the app – another efficiency and productivity boost.

–  discreetly sound an alarm with the push of a button. This is important for worker safety. There are different ways to set this up, but we’ve built the Workforce Connect PTT Pro solution to summons help if someone pushes a button on the back of their Zebra mobile computer. If they’ve fallen or there’s an emergency unfolding and they can’t talk in that moment, dispatch can be alerted and then call someone in to help.

– locate people. This certainly comes in handy in situations like the one I just described. But it also helps when someone hasn’t checked in for a while and can’t be reached. Maybe they silenced their notifications during a meeting but forgot to increase the volume when they went back into the field. Or perhaps a delivery driver was stuck in traffic in a noisy area and didn’t hear calls or messages coming in. Being able to detect both presence (via the app) and actual physical location (via GPS) will help your team know the person’s okay. (If they’re using a Zebra TC2x device, you’ll even be able to detect when a device is dropped – and a user has potentially fallen. Watch this.)

– announce their presence. Wouldn’t it be so helpful if you knew the person you were trying to reach was going to answer when you called? I know it would save me time chasing people. If workers can see that someone is online, offline or in do-not-disturb mode, they can more quickly connect with someone who is actually available to help them with a question or task in that moment.

–  have both private and group chats via secure messaging and PTT channels. Collaboration comes in all forms, and front-line workers need all options. Whether they want to have a 1:1 chat with someone or loop in several colleagues to coordinate actions, they should be able to reach everyone with a quick PTT call or text message (if they’re standing still and able to safely send and read text.) Make sure they can retrieve a pre-defined contact list or pull an ad hoc group call together when needed.

– retrieve and collaborate on assigned tasks in real time. Front-line workers should be able to operate as independently as possible. For that to happen, they must know what is expected of them each shift. Look for a collaboration tool that enables supervisors to create, prioritize, then assign tasks to individual associates or groups. Workers can then accept tasks and provide status updates in that same tool.

– override or barge in on calls. This isn’t considered rude or invasive when time is of the essence, which it often is when healthcare and public safety professionals are trying to get a grasp on emergency situations. This “interrupt” capability is just a way to ensure priority messages make it to workers who may be on a PTT call with other team members about a less urgent matter.

Once your workers have a single mobility solution (one device + one app on the home screen) that check all these boxes, they will be fully empowered to make better decisions. They may even be more energized to meet your efficiency and productivity goals as they won’t be spinning their wheels trying to chase down someone when they find themselves in need of assistance or a second opinion.

A SHOUT OUT FOR TWO-WAY RADIOS – AND A CALL TO ACTION (FROM YOUR FRONT-LINE WORKERS)

Humans are social animals. We always have been and always will be. We need to communicate and collaborate to progress and optimally perform. And the two-way radio is a well-recognized tool for communicating and collaborating.

However, with the billions of mobile devices now circulating the world in the hands of front-line workers, it’s your job (and ours) to take its core function – ‘push-to-talk’ – and evolve it to serve our modern needs. Fortunately, improvements in internet connectivity, mobile device performance and software capabilities have led to vast new possibilities, empowering us to consolidate the dozens of different communication mechanisms that exist today into one secure app that can be applied dozens of different ways to keep people connected long into the future.

PTT is an incredibly user-friendly way to communicate, but front-line workers are demanding more. They want to be fully empowered to know who is online/on shift, where a colleague is, how to complete a task or what to tell a customer – and they don’t want to have to dig to get that info. With today’s digital tools, all such information can be gathered in a single application, assuming it can support secure messaging, PTT, SSO, locationing, and more.

So, if you’re struggling to improve your workers decision-making skills or it’s hard to reach the right people in a timely manner, find a different way to connect using the devices at your disposal. Just make sure it’s the right way for each one of your workers. (This guide walks you through the various considerations for individuals working in healthcare, supply chain and field environments.)

Once you do, you and your front-line workers will be able to collaborate on a whole new level – one that’s reminiscent of a simpler time.

Originally published here!

In nature, nourished soil is responsible for helping a seed grow roots and ultimately develop into a strong, healthy plant. In society, a vibrant culture is instrumental in encouraging children to flourish and grow into well-rounded adults.

Hispanic Heritage Month provides a great opportunity to honor the people and organizations responsible for the vibrant culture of Spanish-speaking countries and regions. Observed each year from September 15 to October 15, it is a time to pay tribute to the histories, culture and contributions of those with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

We sat down with Tania Lobillo, a Human Resources (HR) representative here at Zebra, to discuss the importance of her own Hispanic heritage and how she and her colleagues continue to breathe life into the intricate fabric of Mexican culture.

Tania has been working with the Club de Niños y Niñas del Estado de México (Boys and Girls Club of Mexico), an organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for children and young people in Mexico. Its mission is to inspire and train youth, especially those in disadvantaged circumstances, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and committed citizens. The Club was founded in 2008 with support from the Boys and Girls Club of America and now operates across thirteen centers in Mexico, serving thousands of children daily with educational programs.

Read more about Tania and her work with the Club below:

Your Edge Blog Team: What inspired you to work with the Club de Niños y Niñas del Estado de México?

Tania: We’re always looking for new ways to engage our colleagues in philanthropy and volunteer activities. The missions of some organizations resonate better with employees than others, so we also like to offer a variety of opportunities. For Zebra’s second annual Global Week of Service in July, we were specifically challenged with finding an organization that could benefit from virtual or at-home volunteering due to the pandemic.

I came across the Club online and saw it was seeking volunteers to host activities for children via Zoom. As I met with leaders at the Club and poked around its website, the purpose and impact of this organization became even more clear. The children served by the Club live in Estado de Mexico, one of the most populated areas in the country. It is also relatively isolated from the resources associated with affluent neighborhoods. For example, some of the streets where the Club was built did not have names until recently. Public transportation is limited, and school dropout rates are high. We immediately realized the great opportunity we had to share our knowledge and resources to foster an environment where children can flourish.

Your Edge Blog Team: You mentioned you volunteered with the Club for Zebra’s second annual Global Week of Service. What was it like? What did you do?

Tania: After consulting with the Club organizers, we constructed a two-week program for Zebra volunteers in Mexico. During the first week, our 12 employee volunteers learned about the Club and challenged themselves to create an activity to offer via Zoom. Next, they presented to the organization leaders to gauge the viability of their activities and then fine-tuned them based on the resources and age group. The second week was focused on actually hosting the activities. We had an employee who shared insights on personal finances, another who led an art class, and someone scanned pages of a storybook and read aloud while children followed along on their own screens. I taught a basic Microsoft Excel class for around 20 children. In all, there were 10 activities offered. We were fortunate in that the employees who participated in the session were sensitive to children’s needs while making it fun and engaging.

Both the children who attended and my colleagues alike were appreciative of the opportunity. We realize one session won’t necessarily change their lives, but to hear it made their day or week is motivation enough to maintain the effort.

A few weeks after our volunteering, I met with the Club again to brainstorm what sorts of activities we’ll offer when our next session begins in October. This time, we hope to offer a longer, three-week session.

Your Edge Blog Team: It sounds like the program structure of the Club is quite broad. What are the benefits of such a diverse range of activities?

Tania: The Club offers programming under five pillars: tutoring, art, sports, human development and healthy lives, and this variety helps accomplish a number of things. For one, it wants to ensure every child is motivated to continue participating in the Club. One child might love mathematics but experience frustration in a dance class, or vice versa. By offering a little of everything and not focusing solely on academics or playtime, the Club hopes to keep the children engaged while also giving them exposure to interests they might not even know they have.

Another benefit of holistic programming is that it gives kids ample opportunity to learn, play and create in a safe space. In the State of Mexico, many children are without access to parks, libraries, or quiet rooms to study. We can never assume that any child, in Mexico or elsewhere, lives in a home with parents or guardians that provide basic necessities and learning. This space to develop is critical – you can’t ask children what they want to do in the future if they don’t even know their options.

Lastly, the Club offers this slate of programming because it has been proven to work. Whereas seven out of 10 children in Mexico do not attend university, 95% of the students who’ve enrolled in the Club become college graduates.

Your Edge Blog Team: How does the Club strengthen and promote Mexican culture?

Tania: What’s at the core of the Club – and the vast majority of Mexicans – is our shared goal of making an impact, both in our local communities and the world.

The Club is exceptionally great at recognizing and responding to the needs of children in  Mexico. It offers what it thinks the children could be lacking and strengthens what they have already. There’s a substantial amount of communication between the Club and the greater community it serves. Keeping a pulse on what the children may be experiencing at home or in their personal lives helps the Club fill any gaps.

The Club also meets parents and guardians where they are – no child is turned away because they can’t pay for it. It is well understood that many parents do not possess the level of education they want their children to achieve. In some cases, adults will have the opportunity to work at the Club on occasion so their child can attend for free. Everyone involved seeks to help children in Mexico reach their highest potential – even the kids who might not know what they’re capable of.

Your Edge Blog Team: What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the Mexican culture? What are some of the traditions, celebrations or values that resonate with you individually?

Tania: What I appreciate most about the Mexican culture is our resiliency. Of course, culture is what a society produces over time, but it’s also our environment and the way we interact with each other. I studied psychology at university, so I’m interested in the way humans develop and how much can be attributed to either nature or nurture.

Mexico’s history is laden with colonization by an influence of other nations, including Spain, France and the United States. I believe that because of this, Mexicans have grown to be more agile and adaptable. We are resilient in the face of adversity.

When I think about the traditions that resonate most with me, I think about the holidays when families come together. Some of my favorites are Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Christmas, both rooted in the Catholic religion my family and I practice. These holidays give us an opportunity to reflect on our past and our loved ones who have passed away. There’s also a celebratory aspect that feeds our inner child. What we feel during the holidays – nostalgia, love and respect – is what our community is built upon.

Originally published here!

A report from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) reveals more than 1.2 million unique job openings for computer-related occupations in the United States, as of September 6, 2021. This is a 15% growth from six months prior. The U.S. unemployment rate for individuals with computer-related skill sets is 1.5%, down from 3.0% at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. The H-1B demand for visas continues to rise across many categories, however, the need is felt more acutely for computer-related occupations.

Highlights of active job vacancy postings from August 7, 2021, to September 6, 2021 include:

• 435,639 for software developers and software quality assurance analysts and testers,
• 112,990 for network and computer system administrators,
• 110,134 for computer systems analysts,
• 76,126 for information security analysts and
• 47,181 for electrical engineers.

The significant shortage of skilled labor in the U.S. is not a new trend. And, in fact, 72% of individuals enrolled in a qualified computer and information sciences graduate program at U.S. universities are foreign nationals. One fundamental issue is the lack of available computer science programs at U.S. universities. In 2019, as an example, fewer than 72,000 computer science graduates were available to fill more than 389,000 job openings. Remember, this was before the global pandemic. The increased demand to move online due to the global pandemic results in some permanently increased demand, as many companies adopt hybrid work environments and great access online for meetings, products, and the work itself.

For H-1B petitions, only 85,000 per year are available. Of those, roughly two-thirds are submitted for computer occupations. There are approximately 20 times more jobs available for computer occupations than available H-1B and U.S. talent. In March 2021, employers filed 308,613 H-1B registrations for FY 2022. Due to immigration law, USCIS was limited to the approval of only 85,000 H-1B petitions. Therefore, over 72% of H-1B registrations for high-skilled foreign nationals were rejected. In fact, H-1B allocations have been fully used since 2004. The rollover of family-based visas to employment-based visas in FY2021 was unrealized, largely due to Covid and limited processing capabilities at global embassies and processing centers.

As such, U.S.-based companies are facing intense competition for talent. The resulting short supply impacts the growth of these companies as well as the U.S. economy. Layer on that the global competitor for computer occupation talent, and it’s clear dramatic wholistic changes are needed.

If you have an employment-based visa question or any other immigration-related issue, contact us at ILBSG. We work with you to ensure you get the right advice.

Originally published here!

We have been talking about digital transformation and branch transformation for the better part of the last decade. Until recently, both have been happening at most institutions, but at a much slower pace than many customers would like – especially digital. However, as COVID-19 locked the world down, digital banking solutions shifted into hyperdrive, fast forwarding projects and implementations by years in many cases. Now, as things slowly start to reopen, banks and credit unions are looking at their branch networks, scratching their heads unsure of what to do. 

BUILDING OR CLOSING? 

Year after year, we hear about banks and credit unions closing branches to minimize costs, optimize operations and focus on digital, which is where a majority of transactions are taking place. That said, since the pandemic first flared in March 2020, over 700 banks have opened more than 1,500 branches in 300 different markets. Yes, several thousand closed, but the net was a loss of less than 2% of total branches.

Why does it matter? 

Financial institutions, and more importantly customers, still see the importance of the branch. But for what? While digital adoption has increased and a majority of deposits are made via an ATM or digital channel, users still want access to branches. The type of transactions that take place at branches really depends on the individual location. The common factor, however, is the people who are staffing the branch. Regardless of how many branches each bank brand opens or closes, the single most important factor for each one is ensuring the right people are staffing them and that all associates are prepared to appropriately serve customers.

THE SHIFT FROM TRANSACTIONS TO ADVICE

Over two-thirds of Americans are financially unhealthy and millions face extreme financial hardships. For banks and credit unions, this should signal a great opportunity, especially those with physical locations. According to J.D Power research, 47% of the people are at least somewhat interested in receiving advice and guidance from their banks. So, I ask: is your branch staff equipped to provide that advice?

If they’re staffed as most branches historically have been, likely not. 

As your financial institution looks at its branch footprint and analyzes whether it should be opening, closing, or repurposing, the first thing to consider is how you are serving those customers. Look at the transactional data for each branch and identify gaps in training and coaching. Provide the necessary education so staff is best prepared to serve your customers in the way they now need and expect.

OPTIMIZING STAFF AT EACH LOCATION

The needs of customers are going to be different from region to region, city to city and many cases even neighborhood to neighborhood. Utilizing traditional staffing models and hiring bankers to work at single locations may be a thing of the past. As your bank or credit union looks at its branch footprint and analyzes transaction data, foot traffic, and more, it may be determined that bankers and tellers alike work multiple locations to optimize the makeup of the staff. One branch on the West side of town may see an increase in financial management traffic on Thursdays while the Northwest branch sees an increase on Mondays, and you may find only one or two people are properly trained to serve these customers. Understanding this level of granularity helps you coach more high-level tellers and bankers. It also justifies the use of digital features like multi-site scheduling that allow people to work at multiple locations to best serve customers.

THE TAKEAWAY

Most banks and credit unions have only touched the surface when it comes to branch transformation and digital transformation. The expectations of customers and the way they are served will continue to evolve. Regardless of their design, number, or technology utilization, the one constant for bank branches will always be the people who work in them. The financial institutions that best optimize and evolve their staffing models are the ones that will win the customer satisfaction battle and ultimately have the most long-term success with their branch networks. 

Originally published here!

It’s never too early to prepare for the holiday season, especially with so much uncertainty and disruption still looming over the retail industry. Based on what we know about last year’s holiday season, and based on future projections for omnichannel demand, retailers should expect another extremely busy and hectic season, as customers try to get everything they need while still staying safe from the Delta variant.

And it’s clear retailers need to prepare early this year. Nearly a quarter of consumers say they plan to shop earlier this year, with 25% expecting to do the majority of their shopping before Thanksgiving. Ten percent even expect to do most of their shopping before Halloween! While it’s certainly the case that more customers will be shopping in store this year, the majority of U.S. holiday shoppers say that they will shop online more this season than in previous years – a sentiment shared by consumers in other mature e-commerce markets around the world.

To help get ahead of the rush, several retailers are already announcing their hiring plans for the holiday season, with some planning to hire thousands to manage the massive influx of customers through the upcoming months. However, any staffing shifts intended to accommodate the increased traffic of the holiday season must occur without disrupting the customer experience.

FACING THE CHALLENGES OF A BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON

With the holiday season stretching back into September and October, and with people still using omnichannel services at high volumes, it’s becoming more difficult to adequately prepare for the holiday season. So, what happens to warehouses and distribution centers when retailers are unprepared?

1.  Inadequate Staffing

When retailers don’t have the ability to precisely forecast how much labor they need to execute key initiatives in their warehouses, mismatches between scheduled labor and warehouse workload are more likely to occur. Managers trying to staff their warehouses properly with manual scheduling processes simply aren’t able to do so with enough foresight and precision to make up for uncertain labor forecasts.

2. Inconsistent Execution

Without the right amount of warehouse employees on the clock at any given time, tasks are more likely to go incomplete. Overwhelmed employees may communicate less consistently with their managers about what tasks still need to be complete, and vice versa. In turn, customer orders may not get packed and out the door on time, frustrating customers who expect their orders to be ready when promised.

3.  Low Employee Morale and Engagement

When warehouse employees aren’t scheduled properly, it’s likely that many will begin to feel overworked and frustrated. This leads to lower employee morale and a decrease in employee engagement and productivity. Considering the high demand for warehouse employees, if they continue to experience frustration with their work, they may even begin to quit their jobs and look for employment elsewhere.

With all of this in mind, what can retailers do to ensure warehouses are staffed properly, that critical tasks are executed properly, and that warehouse employees are engaged with their work?

STREAMLINE WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS WITH INTELLIGENT RETAIL SOLUTIONS

There are three ways you can ensure your warehouses are ready for the holiday season:

1.  Create More Accurate Labor Forecasts and Schedules

Intelligent workforce management solutions tap into artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to help you create the most accurate budgets, forecasts, and schedules possible for your warehouses. These solutions account for the variables that matter most:  product demand, customer traffic, seasonality, employee preferences, and more. They automate the scheduling process, creating optimized schedules in a matter of minutes instead of burdening your managers with the hours-long process of manually drawing up (less effective) schedules.

In addition, creating more accurate labor schedules, these intelligent workforce management tools help you better match your staffing with warehouse workload, making it easier for your employees to get orders packed and out the door.

2.  Make Execution Easier for Your Employees

Real-time task management solutions provide a 360-degree, real-time view of all work to be accomplished in your warehouses. Installed on the mobile devices your employees have in their hands (or on their arms) all day long, these incredibly powerful tools automatically gather tasks coming in from corporate, onsite staff, other Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and third-party systems, and prioritizes them before intelligently funneling them to the right warehouse employee. This avoids overloading any one employee with tasks by optimizing the workflow used to distribute tasks, ensuring assignments are given evenly and equitably across warehouse staff.

These solutions also help drive effective real-time responses to any disruptive events that occur in the warehouse. With real-time alerts and notifications being sent based on pre-set conditions, employees can be notified when an unplanned issue arises and sent actionable steps to take to address it.

By ensuring that most impactful tasks are completed properly and on time, you can minimize the risk of fulfillment delays and frustrated customers.

3. Empower Employees to Collaborate in Real Time about Everything Work Related

Real-time communication solutions enable you to centralize all messaging flowing to and from your warehouse employees, making it simple for all parties to communicate about any pending tasks, new policies, or other critical information. Warehouse employees can easily contact one another if they need to follow up on anything, a benefit that increases task completion rates and decreases the time it takes to complete important tasks.

Employee self-service solutions on mobile devices also help solve this issue by giving workers a way to check their schedules, adjust availability, and request leave whenever they want – from wherever they want. They can instantly make adjustments to better align their schedules with any outside responsibilities. And with managers able to see and address requests in real time, warehouse employees don’t have to wait until they get to work the next day to manage their schedules.

If you’re interested in learning more about how intelligent retail technology solutions can ensure your warehouse and distribution center teams are ready for the holiday season, visit our website or contact our team. We’ll be happy to discuss your unique needs and what we can do to address your current challenges.

Originally published here!

As the founder and CEO of a growing woman-owned business in Turkey, Yildiz Kayabasi has a deep appreciation for the challenges her customers face on a daily basis. That’s why she has been focused on assembling a team of problem solvers and creative thinkers, rather than sellers, since starting Anadtek Bilişim Teknolojileri (aka Anadtek Information Technologies).

She wants to help other companies like hers figure out how to maximize automatic identification data capture (AIDC) technologies to improve their processes, better serve their customers, and grow their businesses. And she wants them to be able to maintain the momentum they gain once they get that first lift from digitalization efforts. She firmly believes that being a customer-centric company – and following a consultative approach rather than a transactional approach – is what makes Anandtek different from other companies.

“We aim to build long-term relationships with customers,” Yildiz said when we connected recently. “To achieve this, we ask questions, listen to our customers, provide solutions based on their needs, and leave the decision to our customers.”

Keep reading to learn more about the challenges she faced since starting her business seven years ago, the reason she decided to partner with Zebra, and the advice she has for other entrepreneurs:

John: Tell us a little bit about your company. What inspired you to get into the technology industry?

Yildiz: I cannot say that my venture into the technology sector was conscious. It was a process that came to me during my first job search and shaped my next working life. After learning more about the industry, the idea of ​​women and technology getting together excited me. In 2014, I decided to become an entrepreneur, and Anadtek Information Technologies was established. We have specialized in AIDC solutions since our first day, and we have been very focused on the automotive industry, which benefits greatly from high automation technologies. However, we are not just a technology provider. Forty percent of our customers rely on us to provide long-term service and support, and we provide consultancy and technical services to several companies that actually operate in the same sector as us but do not have technical service capabilities.

John: In Turkey, women-owned businesses represent 40% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). And some credit women-owned businesses with supercharging the country’s startup scene. However, it’s been reported that women-owned businesses have 23% less access to technology than men-owned firms. Have you found this to be true in working with customers? And how has it impacted you as a women-owned technology company?

Yildiz: Unfortunately, when technology is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is men, which long kept women entrepreneurs away from this field. In recent years, the increase in government and private sector investor incentives has allowed us to see more women entrepreneurs, especially in the IT sector. Thanks to this promising development, I think women are as interested in technology as men and no longer have problems accessing it.

John: What advantages do you think you have as a woman-owned business in the technology space?

Yildiz: Women can produce practical solutions in complex situations, and their detailed and meticulous approach can be an advantage. In addition, the technology sector is available to work remotely, and stretching working hours is another advantage. Nevertheless, every business owner who has the required technological equipment and can make strategic plans will have an advantage.

John: Have you ever found it challenging to build your sales pipeline?

Yildiz: As a growing company, we need new business. Therefore, we run campaigns to generate leads, follow up with them quickly, and qualify them. In the early years of our business, we were not paying attention to qualifications. However, we saw its importance. We now build our pipeline with well-qualified opportunities, which increases our chance of turning them into a sale.

John: Without revealing all your secrets, what marketing and sales strategies have helped you the most to successfully connect with customers?

Yildiz: We establish relationships with customers. We visit them on site, examine the production, storage, and sales processes, identify the disruptions in their workflows, and offer new technologies and solutions. This leads us to build a relationship of trust for our customers.

John: How have you used the resources provided through Zebra’s PartnerConnect program to attract or assist customers?

Yildiz: We need to speak with vendors directly to be able to fully support our customers. Having a dedicated Zebra account manager who understands our needs has been a crucial resource and really helped us grow. We have regular business review meetings with our account manager to share ideas and set up strategies. We frequently discuss our opportunities, get the resources we need quickly, and introduce Zebra to the end-users when required.

In line with the support we get, Zebra has a handy and centralized platform, which helps us stay up to date with the latest products and updates. The PartnerConnect program provides us with the tools required to manage customer opportunities effectively. The smooth process and the support we get from Zebra has helped us achieve high growth. Therefore, Zebra is our first choice.

John: Have you found the PartnerConnect program to be helpful in differentiating your business in a crowded technology marketplace?

Yildiz: Thoughwe have provided services to our customers for many years, partnering with Zebra has allowed us to provide even more value  Adding hardware sales into our business model, along with the support we receive from the PartnerConnect program, has helped us differentiate, strengthen our relations with our customers, and accelerate our growth rate.

John: What motivated you to partner with Zebra?

Yildiz: I have been suggesting and servicing Zebra products to my customers since the first day I started in the sector. However, we didn’t officially partner with Zebra until 2019 after meeting with our current account manager. He really pioneered our collaborative efforts and has since treated us so professionally. He truly supports his partners and guides us to take the right steps. He is one of the main reasons why the relationship between Zebra and Anadtek remains so strong.

John: What lessons have you learned that you think could help other growing or women-owned businesses in the technology sector?

Yildiz: Whether you are a woman or a man, being an expert in your field is the most critical criterion. The technology sector is one of the sectors in which change is experienced the fastest. Everyone aiming for a career in this field should be open to development and innovation.

Originally published here!

When the Human Rights Campaign released a report highlighting that 46% of LGBTQ+ workers are closeted at work, it really reinforced the challenges that many people face on a day-to-day basis. 

Workplace conversations with colleagues such as talking about home or family life, upcoming plans on a weekend, or who you will be travelling with on vacation, can all be terrifying for members of the LGBTQ+ community. All these seemingly innocent conversations present the risk that someone’s sexual or gender identity may be revealed. 

Whilst I am now an openly ‘out’ and visible colleague at Zebra, this wasn’t always the case. I very much remember the feelings of low self-esteem, lack of enthusiasm for life and genuine exhaustion of being closeted at work, feeling the need to hide parts of my life from others. 

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are often asked about their coming out experience, and often we remind people this isn’t a one-time thing. Every one of those conversations about home life, weekend plans or vacations with someone new for the first time, they are all examples of where an LGBTQ+ colleague is coming out. It is something that happens every day for LGBTQ+ people, and we are always subconsciously risk-assessing whether we are in a safe space or with safe people to come out to.  

For me personally, and no doubt many others, the coming out journey is one of emotional ups and downs, self-discovery and self-acceptance. It can be both very traumatic and very liberating at the same time. What is clear is that it is a very brave and courageous thing to do, because despite all the progress that has been made with equality and inclusion, LGBTQ+ people still fear judgement, negative reactions or damage to their careers.

That is why today, on October 11, we celebrate National Coming Out Day in the U.S. and many other countries around the world. This day has only recently been recognised, with the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian & Gay Rights as the tipping point. Thirty-four years later, it is a day that is still very important to the LGBTQ+ community. National Coming Out Day is about celebrating the bravery that it takes to come out, to show your truth and to be your authentic self! 

Whilst National Coming Out Day recognises the ‘coming out’ experiences of the LGBTQ community, the desire to live authentically as your true self is something that everyone can relate to! 

At Zebra, we are promoting that safe, inclusive and supportive work environment for all our colleagues, such that everyone may be authentic about themselves in the workplace and empowered to reach their full potential. This culture of inclusion and belonging is embedded across our organisation and supported by the work of some of our amazing inclusion networks here at Zebra.  

Last month, our LGBTQ+ inclusion network, ZEAL (Zebra Equality Alliance), sponsored Reading Pride, a local Pride event in the UK, located close to our EMEA Headquarters in Bourne End. Reading Pride is a charity that works to promote freedom, acceptance, and equality for the community and their allies, where #LoveUnites. It was amazing to see so many of the Zebra herd come together, both from within the community and our allies, to celebrate diversity and equality! As an openly out Zebra employee, it felt wonderful to be supported and encouraged to show our pride and to be recognised as our true authentic selves.

Indeed, this National Coming Out Day, it is important that we all take the opportunity to support each other and to celebrate our true selves, whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or not! Join us in celebrating this day and recognising the importance of feeling safe to be your authentic self in the workplace. 

But please don’t stop there. Extend the compassion and acceptance elevated today to those you meet every day of the year. And if you ever want guidance on how to be a better ally, this is a great resource.

Originally published here!

Will the bond last forever? That’s the first question you should ask when making the all-important decision of which label to pair with a certain product, packaging material, container or piece of equipment.

Though we’re typically told to analyze relationships at a deeper level to determine if they will last, the only way to know if a label will stick around long term is to look at what’s happening on the surface. Much like traditional glue, not every label adhesive is compatible with metal, cardboard, wood, plastic, and other materials you commonly use. There is also a big difference between new and recycled cardboard, smooth and rough finishes, or straight and curved surface areas. So, you must find the perfect match for each item you’re trying to label and each finish you’re trying to bond with.

Plus, not every relationship is meant to last long term. Change can be necessary for us to thrive – or stay in good terms with health inspectors, Mother Nature, and the other influential figures in our lives. That’s why dissolvable labels and other easy-to-remove media are such a big deal right now. They make it easy to reuse containers and bins and reduce overall waste. 

But we know things can get heated (and frigid) in relationships from time to time, especially when it comes to labels and their assets. There could be blazing sun, heat lamps, triple-digit storage buildings or subzero storage units to contend with. And there’s always a chance it could rain on your parade (of goods moving from one city to the next). So, it’s important to take the temperature of each label’s potential life situation to understand what it’s going to take to maintain its bond.

That’s why we’re here.

Today on “That Supplies Show,” Kelly Breneisen and I will give you the best relationship advice we have to ensure your labels don’t lose touch with – and you don’t lose sight of – everything valuable to you. Tune in now!

Listen to the podcast here!

In the very near future, everyone working in a manufacturing, warehousing or retail environment is going to need secure, scalable mobile computers to be productive. More fundamentally, they’re going to need mobile computers that will always:

1. remain visible to IT, even when they seem misplaced or powered down.
2. stay connected to business-critical information systems to maintain a two-way information flow with colleagues, partners, customers, robots, and other machines.
3. be secure.

When that day comes, you can probably provide many of them with Zebra M3300ax Android™ mobile computers.

They’re just as versatile as the Zebra mobile computers your workers are using today but even more adaptable than any other Zebra MC-Series device in history for three reasons. The MC3300ax…

• is a Wi-Fi® 6 device. This is important because more devices will be coming online in the coming months and years, and they’ll all need to be able to connect to Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 6 allows for connected devices to share channels more efficiently, reducing latency and improving throughput in high density environments. As a result, your network will be able to handle more connected devices without impacting your workers’ productivity.
• battery has an integrated Bluetooth® Low Energy beacon. This enables you and your team to take advantage of Zebra’s Device Tracker tool, making it almost impossible to lose a device – or waste time trying to locate a missing one.
• comes with Enterprise Browser, so you can create intuitive apps that drive productivity. You’ll be able to take all available device features into account when building your web-based applications, including the barcode scanner, camera and RFID reader. This helps you provide workers with a more streamlined workflow experience. Even better, you can write an app once and then deploy it across multiple device form factors. So, if your MC3300ax users need the same app as their supervisors who may be working primarily from rugged tablets, there won’t be any discrepancy in access. They can all see the same thing – and do the same thing – at the same time.

Plus, the MC3300ax is upgradeable up to Android 14 and gives you full access to Zebra Mobility DNA. So, your team will be able to keep workers’ devices well-optimized for current business needs and well-secured against current threats, even as the definition of “current” evolves.

Now, I fully expect some of you to stop reading at this point. Maybe you just upgraded your mobile devices in the past couple of years – or past couple of months. Why would you need to start looking for another device right now? They should last for a while, right?

I can’t answer that question without knowing your exact situation (i.e., current devices, use cases, business objectives, workflow ambitions, operational throughput, etc.). However, the reality of today’s workforce mobility situation is this: rugged mobile computers such as the MC3300x have found their place in warehouses, factories, retail stories and other supply chain operations, largely because they were well-designed and equipped for the needs of workers driving those operations. But even the best mobile computers will need to be replaced in time, mostly because standards change.

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IS PUSHING MOST ORGANIZATIONS TO NEXT-GENERATION MOBILE DEVICES

Right now, we’re at a pivotal moment in wireless technology history (again). Outside the four walls, the migration from 4G to 5G is creating the most buzz in the media. Yet, inside the four walls, an equally significant transition to Wi-Fi 6 is occurring. Both cellular and Wi-Fi advancements will require some hard decisions about mobility strategies among small businesses and large enterprises alike. However, Wi-Fi 6 will likely demand more urgent action.

Voice and data applications are multiplying quickly within supply chain operations, becoming the anchor for several production, logistics and fulfillment operations. And Wi-Fi is the basis for those connected workflows.

Even basic push-to-talk capabilities – such as those offered via Zebra Push-to-Talk (PTT) Express or the more advanced PTT with Workforce Connect™ PTT Pro – require a reliable wireless signal to transmit voice and text-based messages. And being able to extract data from scratched, dirty, poorly printed or shrink-wrapped barcodes from as far as 70 ft./21.4 m away is only helpful if there’s a way to transmit that data to a back-end track and trace or inventory management system in real time.

So, as more devices come online and networks become more congested, the MC3300ax gives you a pathway to Wi-Fi 6, which offers reduced latency and more capacity. That might not be today or even this year. But sooner or later, we’re going to have to talk about how to get your team connected to Wi-Fi 6 networks.

When that time comes, know you have an option that won’t require you to compromise on any mobile computing or scanning capabilities. In fact, the MC3300ax is built upon the same Qualcomm SD660 platform as the MC3300x devices your workers may be using today and still offers you:

• three generations of Android security, flexibility and manageability. You’ll be able to build custom apps that incorporate the features of the MC3300ax using open standards and even share applications across different devices.
• several user-friendly features. There’s a four-inch capacitive touch display and three different keypad options. Workers also have a choice between the gun/pistol grip for the most scan intensive tasks and 0° straight shooter for everyday standard and long-range scanning. If they prefer the rotating turret or 45° angle, the MC3300x can be configured with these form factors.
• years of rugged reliability. The IP64-rated mobile computer can survive drops from 6 ft./1.8 m and up to 3,000 3.3 ft./1 m tumbles. The Corning® Gorilla® Glass on the touch panel and scan window help with that.
• “first time, every time” barcode scanning. The integrated Zebra SE4850 scan engine ensures workers can capture 1D/2D barcodes as close as 3 in./7.62 cm and on your uppermost warehouse racks up to 70 ft. away if that’s what they need to manage inventory, replenish supply lines, process returns, and expedite picking. Even if you opt for the standard range SE4770, workers will still enjoy the accuracy and simplicity of 1D/2D point-and-shoot scanning for backroom receiving, price checks, safety testing and more.
• around-the-clock access to dozens of Zebra DNA tools. You’ll be able todeploy, secure and manage your MC3300ax devices as easily as any other Zebra mobile computer thanks to LifeGuard for Android, StageNow, WorryFree Wi-Fi and the other Mobility DNA software solutions that are included.

The MC3300ax is even backward compatible with the accessories being used with the MC3300 and MC3300x today. In fact, it will work with select MC32xx accessories.  

All of this will enable you to upgrade devices, reconfigure them to support new workflows, and migrate to future operating system (OS) versions without incurring a huge expense every time – just like you always have with Zebra MC33xx devices. Except now, you’ll be able to do all of this via a Wi-Fi 6 network. Oh, and you’ll save money by reducing the number of lost devices that will have to be replaced over the lifecycle of your MC3300ax fleet. As long as you have the right battery connected, the Device Tracker will find an MC3300ax in almost any circumstance – even if its battery has been depleted.

HOW YOU’LL KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO UPGRADE

Zebra has been working with manufacturing, transportation and logistics and retail customers for years to navigate the succession of technology advancements needed to maximize operational efficiencies amid market volatilities and industry transformation. I know there are a lot of things that might compel you to retire your current devices (or sell them back to Zebra) and upgrade to a new Android mobile computer – and they may have nothing to do with wireless connectivity.

I actually recommend you check out this blog post from my colleague Darren Koffer when you get a minute. He offers a great litmus test to help you know if your workers have the right devices for right now (along with tips on what you should do if you realize they don’t). Of course, wireless connectivity is going to always be a top concern when it comes to workforce mobility. And much like operating systems, you can’t control the pace of change when it comes to Wi-Fi or cellular networks. All you can do is your best to keep up.

So, if you’re currently thinking about your game plan for the Wi-Fi 6 era, I recommend you add the MC3300ax to your “research” list. You can find more information about this new mobile computer on our website or set up a time for us to give you a demo.

If you think your workers will benefit from a different form factor, know there will be other Wi-Fi 6 device options coming out from Zebra over the next several months. So, be sure to think about the big picture. If you need a Wi-Fi 6 device, narrow the field down from there. Do workers need a mobile computer with a handle grip and/or extended range barcode scanner? Do you want your next devices to be Android 11? Is the Device Tracker capability valuable to you given your current device loss/replacement rate? Is security more important?

Once you define those criteria, we can help you determine if the MC3300ax is the right device or if we should point you toward another option. Either way, we’ll make sure you and your workers have the mobility solutions (and other technologies) you need to keep your business responsive and efficient as demands expand and evolve.

Originally published here!

Some say Digital Natives are an “impatient generation,” but I think we’ve all become intolerant of things that slow us down or delay us from getting what we want on our timeline. That’s why supply chain leaders are starting to really appreciate what industrial automation now offers. There is no time to waste when customer demand is high and two-day delivery is the standard.

Thanks to recent changes in design and functionality, machine vision and fixed industrial scanning systems are making it easy for factory and warehouse workers to move faster through tasks ─ especially in quality control workflows. They are also shaving a lot of time off new hire onboarding, systems training, production, fulfillment and shipping processes.

But we didn’t get here overnight.

For decades, legacy machine vision systems have been regarded as complicated, confusing and dependent on people with a technical background to make them work. Some were even discarded as workers refused to use them due to their complexity.    

Instead of requiring a doctorate degree to use the technology tools found in today’s manufacturing and warehousing environments (particularly given high employee turnover rates), we can address the design and functionality of automation systems to make them more intuitive and easier to use. We can also change the skillsets required to operate, understand, and benefit from machine vision and fixed industrial scanning.   

HOW NEW TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS ARE BOTH CHANGING OUR MINDS AND MAKING US MORE DECISIVE

The human eye isn’t trained to see details at the same level as vision technologies, and the human brain simply can’t process data at the same rate as machines. (The latest studies show our processing capacity caps out around 60 bits per second.) That doesn’t make workers any less valuable in manufacturing or warehousing settings. Rather, it demonstrates the value technology can bring to making better decisions in the moment.

In fact, recognizing our limitations is the best way to expand our capabilities as humans. It makes it easier for technology designers and solution engineers quickly to solve for X:

Challenge #1: Raw materials, finished goods and packaged orders are moving quickly from one point to the next, forcing us to process information even faster. We are also being asked to make on-the-fly decisions that no one should have to make – at least not on their own. But we can’t slow down the assembly line or warehouse conveyance belt. And we can’t always assign more people to help with quality control inspections.

Solution: We can speed up our image processing capacity, improve our judgement, and maximize our available human capital by automating many of the visual inspection and decision–making processes. This will allow us to re-task and redeploy human assets to other critical business functions so all processes can move smoothly and efficiently in unison. For example, cameras and sensors can check for production and packing compliance against our set design schemas to keep those that pass inspection moving on to packing and shipping teams. And the quality control team can focus exclusively on investigating and resolving the root cause of failed inspections.

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Challenge #2: Workers won’t always have compliance mandates, customer and partner standards, or original design schema memorized (or even within reach) when assembling, inspecting, shipping or reshelving items. Their limited insight into design schematics for parts or finished goods limits their ability to judge quality.

Solution: Enable workers to collaborate better with technology to make more confident pass/fail decisions and take more decisive actions when something is amiss.

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Challenge #3: Our clarity of vision, or lack thereof, might block us from recognizing a poor-quality barcode label, a mis-threaded screw, or an underfilled water bottle. Plus, color confusion is very common, and not something that can be solved by experts. Anyone with a color vision deficiency may think the marking on a pill is blue when in fact it’s purple, and that can have consequences given how tightly regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing has become. (The debate over whether this dress is black and blue or white and gold practically broke the internet a few years back.)

Solution: We can program smart cameras and barcode scanners to see all kinds of things with a certain exactitude, including color, the smallest product defects, and the slightest misplacement of a label.

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Challenge #4: We can only see so much, even when we focus really hard on the task at hand. We can’t keep track of everything happening right in front of us, much less across the supply chain.

Solution: If we want to give everyone in the supply chain a better view of the quality, output and status of each function (customers included), we should take the reporting burden off people. They’re busy, they’ll forget, or maybe make a mistake when inputting data.

In fact, this kind of problem solving is precisely what’s been happening at Zebra for the past several months.

HOW ENGINEERS HAVE REINVENTED (I.E., SIMPLIFIED) THE WHEEL

Whether you’re looking forward to Industry 5.0 or just trying to get orders out the door without issue, workers need to be better equipped to do their jobs, at least from an information standpoint. That’s why industrial automation is worth the investment right now. It will help workers take more decisive action and reduce the number of decisions they must make on their own by:

– automatically confirming if a product or package is good to go,

– keeping track of each item’s whereabouts, and

– telling workers when something specific needs to be done to improve a process or the quality of a product.

But industrial automation only “solves” your problems if the technology is so simple to use that all workers are equally qualified to operate and manage the technology. So, several very smart engineers around the world have been adapting the design and functionality of notoriously complex legacy machine vision and scanning systems to help solve today’s lingering challenges and ensure better support for tomorrow’s workforce.

For example, they’ve applied smart algorithms to automatically analyze the images captured by a camera or scanner, and they’ve trained machine vision/industrial scanning systems to render a pass/fail decision. That way it doesn’t fall onto workers to make the right call. If the system identifies a flaw or discrepancy, it can relay that information to the right person for immediate corrective action. They’ll know if a label needs to be replaced, process adjusted, or investigation started to understand why there’s a repetitive defect in goods coming off the line.

Either way, distractions and biases will no longer cloud workers’ judgement, cause oversights or lead to lengthy debates when people see things differently.

Our engineers have also made it easier to automate the track-and-trace process by simplifying hardware programming for both machine vision and barcode scanning applications. For example, the software now powering smart cameras and scanners can simultaneously confirm a product or package’s location. That, in turn, allows a worker to see that everything looks good from a fulfillment or compliance perspective. This provides peace of mind and increases accountability among stakeholders.

The other benefit of these decision changes?

Moving forward, anyone who wants to take advantage of industrial automation only has to install one set of hardware components and manage one software platform. And workers only have to learn one super-simple system – one time. Even if you add new applications into the mix or decide to repurpose the cameras and scanners elsewhere in your operation, the user interface and buttons are all the same. There’s no learning curve.

This is a huge win for front-line workers, operations supervisors, supply chain partners, IT teams and even consumers who just want to trust that everything is perfect and be able to fix things fast when it’s not.

COMMIT, TEST, REFINE, REPEAT

Whether you are in manufacturing, warehousing or logistics, you have two options right now:

1. Train workers to be more discerning, organized or aware in their daily tasks, understanding there are functional limits and lifelong training requirements.  

2. Help them better tap into industrial automation vision systems. This will allow them to make the right decision at the right time.

Considering the high labor turnover rate and even higher level of customer orders coming in, the second option is best. But it will only prove fruitful if you can reduce the training requirement and eliminate the technical skills requirement for using these systems.

At Zebra, we are committed to simplifying machine vision so the next generation of workers will feel comfortable and confident using your systems, and so you can fully realize the promise of industrial automation: increased operational visibility, speed, efficiency, and accuracy.

But if you want to keep top-quality goods moving out the door quickly, you need to make the same commitment. The tools are there. Today’s industrial automation solutions can be applied to multiple workflows – and different workflows over time. They can enable performance among the current generation of workers. Inspire possibilities among the next. And change everyone’s minds about the value and potential of industrial automation. For the first time ever, machine vision and fixed industrial scanning systems are one in the same and able to solve a myriad of problems at once.

So, I encourage you to give them a chance (even if you’ve done so before).

I know new challenges will crop up tomorrow, and a new generation of workers will soon follow. But I want you to know that Zebra will keep a close eye on what’s happening. We’ll work with you to apply these technologies in new ways, conduct onsite testing, validate solutions alongside your workers, and refine system designs based on your feedback. And we’ll do this as many times as needed. After all, what good is a “reinvented” wheel if it doesn’t help you get where you need to go?

Originally published here!

Today’s workers waste a lot of time trying to find misplaced devices, fix printer issues, and deal with draining batteries. And IT teams spend a lot of time stressing about security updates and device utilization.

How much, exactly?

Zebra’s customers lose roughly 10% of their devices, and worker productivity significantly suffers when devices aren’t working and need attention.

That’s why I’m back to remind you about the Zebra VisibilityIQ™ software suite. As I have said before, and I’ll say again at the (free) DevCon 2021 virtual event coming up Nov. 3-5, 2021, VisibilityIQ application programming interfaces (API) are probably the best way for you to understand the health, availability and utilization of your Zebra mobile devices and printers. They really are a (device) lifesaver.

Though you have a lot of people working for you, and they may seem to have superhuman powers, no one can keep tabs on the health and utilization of every device in your fleet every moment of the day. They can’t predict which devices are going to have issues from day to day either. That would require them to extract and process hundreds of data points from each device. And you have, what, a few thousand devices floating around in the universe right now? Even if it’s only a few dozen, let’s just give machine learning credit where credit is due.

That takes me to the reason for this post today…

Zebra developers have been working nonstop for months to build all the APIs you need (as developers, operations managers, or IT) to know:

1. what assets your organization has in its possession right now.

2. where each of those assets are.

3. how healthy, utilized and/or available each asset has been lately.

When I last checked in with you, there were more than 20 VisibilityIQ APIs at your disposal. Since then, we’ve added seven more to the lineup. And (shhh!) don’t tell anyone, but we’ll be releasing three more by the end of October!

I can’t tell you what they are, though, unless you attend my DevCon session first.

Or can I?

Well, I won’t tell my boss I’m letting the cat out of the bag if you won’t. But you have to promise me you’ll spread this juicy news around the watercooler…and on social media…and by any means necessary to ensure it makes its way to your boss! And your customers.

See, the benefit of VisibilityIQ lies in its name: greater operational visibility – specific to the health of your Zebra mobile computers, printers and batteries powering workers’ days.

Without the detailed insights it provides on customizable dashboards, it’s hard to prevent device downtime. That’s because VisibilityIQ APIs do more than just show you what’s happening. They help you understand why they’re happening and what to do about it, and then they integrate those insights and actions into your business applications. And with one of the new APIs coming out in the October release, you’ll actually be able to predict what might occur in the future if you don’t do something today to address a device health issue.

That’s right, we have built a Predictive Insights API that will help you prevent many of the issues you’re dealing with right now!

(Have you registered for DevCon 2021 yet? I can’t give this info away for free.)

What else is in store for your future?

– Power. Well, more battery power to be precise. With the Battery Level API, you’ll be able to watch and manage mobile computer and printer battery levels across sites. Better yet, you’ll be able to confirm if inappropriate charging behaviors are contributing to battery drops or if there is an issue with the charger/cradle. You can even drill down by device model and individual devices during selected time frames if you need to investigate productivity declines.

In fact, we’ve doubled down on batteries by giving you a second tool to identify battery depletion.The Battery Discharge API will alert you to mobile computers and printers that may have an abnormally high discharge rate so you can figure out what’s going on before the issue gets bigger. It could be an application problem or just time to replace the battery. Either way, the goal is to get your attention so you can fix it before the battery and device go down completely.

–  Perfection. Well, something close to it. I know many of you (or your customers) struggle with rightsizing your device fleet and overall utilization. So, we created a Utilization Rightsizing API to helpyou see which devices might be overstocked or understocked, among other things. Click on the link I just shared to see what other info will be available. It will help you make the right decisions when trying to increase the return on investment (ROI) for your Zebra mobile devices and/or printers.

– Printer alerts. I can’t spin the benefits any better way. I know how important printer performance and availability are to every business today, and so do you. With the Printer Alerts API, you’ll have the scoop on all the things that could have workers’ heads spinning. For example, you’ll know when the cutter is jammed, head is too hot or cold, or paper has run out. Though, I feel like the person standing over the printer is going to figure that out sooner or later. Nevertheless, it’s good for you to have that insight too. Maybe it’s a recurring issue that requires a friendly reminder to workers to check the paper stack on occasion.

–  A way to gauge your average and maximum memory levels. At the mobile computer or site levels, not personally. You’ll need to see a different kind of doctor for that. But these kinds of memory checks are still important, too, considering apps and devices start to crash when the memory bank is full. So, check out the Storage Memory Utilization API.

– The ability to identify sites and mobile computers with high levels of RAM usage, courtesy of the Physical Memory Utilization API. The Physical Memory Utilization API will help you see when a device’s memory is being used more than 90% in an hour’s time. 

For now, I highly recommend you check out these three APIs that were released in the last few months:

–  LifeGuard Analytics – My buddy Adam Arruda did a deep dive on this in his last blog post. Please go check it out…now. (The link will open in a new window, so we won’t lose a connection here. I promise.)

– Scan Metrics – This one is pretty straightforward. Every time VisibilityIQ scans a Zebra mobile computer in your fleet to check on its status, a record is created. This API will keep track of how many were successful and how many raised a red flag over a certain period of time. This is good to know when you’re troubleshooting issues reported by users or want to see which users should have reported device issues but didn’t.

– Total Devices– Though every API is mission critical – at least in my experience working with customers these last 10+ years – this one is absolutely fundamental. You must know how many Zebra mobile computers and Zebra DNA printers are in your possession at all times – and how many should be but aren’t. This is the closest thing to a device tracker without actually having Zebra Device Tracker (which you might actually have too, by the way.) You’ll see which devices are:

o   presumed to be at their designated site.

o   inbound to certain facilities.

o   in operation.

o   in repair.

o   hanging out in the spare pool ready to be put to work.

This is a great API to use in tandem with the Utilization Rightsizing API I just mentioned.

WONDERING HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON THESE NEW APIS?

Ifyou’re a Zebra customer or developer (or plan to become one soon), the VisibilityIQ APIs are available in a bundle, which can also be added to your VisibilityIQ Foresight service level agreement. Talk to your Zebra representative about which route is best for you.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll join me at DevCon (in living color) to learn more about how you can put the APIs into action, no matter what your role is in boosting device and worker utilization. (In other words, DevCon is not just for developers, so don’t leave me hanging.)

Originally published here!