The Food & Beverage Industry Must Automate if it Wants to Stay Ahead of Consumer Demand and Challenges

The food and beverage industry is one of the most unique and interesting to work in. It’s a space where history and brand consistency are sacred and often higher prioritized than transformation and reinvention. One of my favorite questions to ask when I visit food and beverage customers is the age of their facilities. I usually get back some count of decades, delivered with pride. There are few consumer goods providers that have a tighter connection with their customers than food and beverage companies. Entire cultures are defined by what they drink and eat. People find comfort in their favorite foods. And the lifelong bond we have with specific food and beverage brands simply cannot be broken. (Try telling a Texan that Strawberry Fanta is the same thing as Big Red, and you’ll see what I mean.)  It’s a connection so tight that companies tend to get strongly worded letters asking to return to their original recipes when the only change that was made was to the packaging. 

It’s a space where history, brand and consistency have proven time and time again to be keys to success. And, unfortunately, that has kept transformation and reinvention at bay, with producers resorting to (minor) changes only when necessary.

We are entering a new era for food and beverage though. One focused on providing consumers more details on what’s in each product and the process by which it was produced, packaged, distributed, and stored. It’s also an era that will be spent overcoming challenges such as tight margins and tightening labor markets.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”

That has never been truer for the food and beverage industry. There are many technologies aiding workers through the current tough times, including mobile computers, barcode scanners, and even new heads-up displays that can support augmented reality applications. However, there is one set of technologies that will play a major role in the food and beverage industry’s next era of transformation: the one that enables automation of both mechanical processes and historically manual workflows across each part of the supply chain.  

I realize automation is not new in this space. Food and beverage manufacturers have automated production processes for a long time. But if they want to keep up with future demand and ahead of challenges, they must start to extend operational information beyond traditional silos and allow both supply chain partners and customers to peer into the inner workings of their businesses. So, we will see incremental advances made in production automation to start giving decision makers more data to work with when trying to speed up or slow down operations or improve planning and execution further downstream.

However, the real return will come with automation in the finished goods storage, movement, and staging processes, which makes it easier to pivot to last minute changes in production and distribution, even when labor resources are limited. Automation is the key to doing more with less.

HOW AUTOMATION DRIVES PROGRESS

As with most technologies, automation solutions can come in many forms and be applied in many ways to steer operational improvements:

• Semi automation will resemble existing operations closely, just introducing minor automation components such as product movers and stackers to help the workforce be more efficient.
• On the flipside, full automation setups – sometimes referred to as dark warehouses – are seemingly self-sufficient. They are quite a sight to take in: an orchestra of elevators, conveyors and robotic arms working in tandem to move finished goods from the end of the production line to racks that rotate to the loading docks, all with minimal worker intervention.

Food and beverage manufacturers are ripe for full automation. They have minimal SKU counts to track and high inventory turnover rates. Plus, they usually rely on standard totes to carry products and storage footprints are minimal, so not as much infrastructure is needed to introduce automation. With many of the industry’s facilities approaching their final decades, full automation storage systems should be included when designing next generation facilities.

Now, food and beverage distributors are in a much different place. Though they often get lumped into the food and beverage industry category, they are essentially third-party logistic groups that tend to have higher SKU counts, dynamic SKU lists, and SKUs coming in various sizes than food and beverage producers. They also have larger warehouse/distribution center (DC) footprints and are more likely to move facilities as their markets and business needs change. Therefore, semi-automation solutions would be a better fit, as they’ll help workers immediately become more efficient in storage, picking and loading operations.

THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Whether you’re a food and beverage manufacturer or distributor, automation is going to play a key role in the industry’s next era of transformation. Even if you’re not at the implementation stage just yet, look at your operations and evaluate what your next move will be.

Food and beverage manufacturers should keep adding automation to production lines as needed and focus on full automation for storage and staging operations. Semi-automation can be utilized in special cases, but I would only recommend using in a short-term, band-aid manner. Save the resources for working toward a full automation storage system.

Distributors, on the other hand, should focus first on semi-automation components that eliminate the remedial tasks workers are currently doing, such as moving finished goods. Give them bandwidth to focus more on rotation, staging and loading, where applicable. Keep an eye on full automation, though. Semi-automation may be the more realistic solution right now given how difficult it would be to implement full automation in current distribution settings. But the time will come for distributors to transition to dark warehouse-type environments too – once greater supply chain stability is achieved.

IN OTHER WORDS

Figure out how you can incorporate automation now and later. It will be key to thriving in this new era in the food and beverage industry. Your current operations will be ready for tomorrow’s needs, ensuring your brand – your legacy – remains strong as your customer base grows and your product value increases.

Originally published here!

“What if?”

That’s the question small businesses should be asking over and over right now if reliant on – or responsible for – the smooth execution of the supply chain, according to Xavier Villarreal, who spends his days advising companies on how to make their businesses more resilient in the face of adversity.

The only thing that you can really count on these days is that things won’t go as expected. You must have a plan for anything and everything that could happen to ensure you can still meet customers’ expectations, regulatory mandates, and that magic number that keeps the lights on.  

Mark Wheeler, Director of Supply Chain Solutions at Zebra, agrees.

Like Xavier, Mark has spent the last several months helping customers negotiate the supply chain disruptions caused first by pandemic shutdowns then cumulative shortages: labor, materials, transportation, you name it. He knows how even the slightest imbalance between supply and demand can exacerbate every pain felt by manufacturers, warehouse operators, distributors, shippers, retailers and consumers.

Fortunately for you (and all of us, as consumers), both are well-practiced in relieving critical and compounding pain points in supply chains. So, we asked them to get real about the current situation:

• Do businesses have any control over the current supply chain situation?
• How hard will it be to recover from the latest disruptions?
• Is there anything that small businesses in particular can do right now to improve stock levels, shorten fulfillment lead times, or regain control of their operations more broadly?
• Is there a right way for companies to level set with customers about delivery delays or inventory shortages without driving them to competitors?
• Can we keep current issues from further escalating – or happening again in the future?

The good news is that it wasn’t all doom and gloom. In fact, Mark and Xavier made it very clear in our 15-minute conversation that small businesses might have some underrated advantages when it comes to agility, even if they don’t have the same resources as larger enterprises. You’ll want to hear what they have to say (regardless of the size of your business):

Small Businesses are Well Positioned to Overcome Supply Chain Challenges. Here’s Why.

Listen here!

Looking for more advice on how to improve your small business’ operations? There are lots of expert insights here.

You might also be interested in these supply chain-focused discussions:

• Ask the Expert: How Can Companies Better Diversify Their Supply Chains?
• New Wall Street Journal Article Reveals Why Some Retailers are Still Struggling to Improve Supply Chain and Store Operations
• Ask the Expert | What is RFID? And, More Specifically, What Is RAIN RFID?
• A Sign of the Times: Warehouses are Maturing Quickly, but Not All at the Same Pace (and Not Necessarily as Fast as They Could or Should)What is the Key to Perfect Supply Chain Orchestration? (Has Anyone Figured It Out?)
• Modernizing Your Supply Chain without Disrupting Its Flow Is a Balancing Act
• Let’s Dispel the Myth That Disruptive Technologies Will Actually Be Disruptive to Supply Chain Organizations
• The Food Industry is Facing More Than a Supply Chain Crisis. Its Facing a Safety Crisis. That’s Why Track and Trace Tech Investments are Urgently Needed.
• How to Boost Supply Chain Resilience Through Digital Transformation
• Expert: Greater Inclusion and Diversity Can Change Everything, Including Both Supplier and Supply Chain Resilience

Originally published here!

Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the history, art, food, music, and traditions of the culture. It is also a time for us to truly understand and appreciate the immense diversity of the Latinx community so we can be better allies all year long. That starts by sharing its collection of stories and truths.

I recently sat down with Stephanie Perez and David Añón to talk about what it means to be Latinx today, as well as their greatest personal ambitions and the toughest challenges faced by those of Hispanic origins. As co-leaders of Zebra’s UNIDOZ inclusion network, Stephanie and David work to elevate Latinx voices and build awareness of key issues facing the community. They also aim to showcase the unique talents, skills and perspectives brought forth by Latinx individuals like themselves and inspire an even more beautiful and accepting global culture.  

One of the ways they’ve chosen to affect change is by sharing their own personal stories and goals in the hope it will give others strength and solace in knowing they’re not alone. Below is an excerpt from our very candid conversation:

Monica: Let’s start by talking about the UNIDOZ inclusion network? What is its purpose and mission?

Stephanie: The mission of UNIDOZ is to be a positive force in the Hispanic and Latinx community. We do that through networking, supporting, and advocating for the employment, development, and retainment of Hispanics and Latinx employees and allies within our workforce. The word “unidos” actually means “united” in both Spanish and Portuguese. We wanted something that would work in both languages, not just in Spanish, to be inclusive. We changed the “s” to a “z” at the end to represent all Zebras in the Latinx community.

Monica: Why did you and others within Zebra decide to establish this particular inclusion network?

Stephanie: We were compelled to start a Hispanic inclusion network as soon as we realized how Zebra’s other inclusion networks were working like a knowledge hub. While attending events for other inclusion networks, we quickly realized we wanted to learn more. We reached out to our inclusion and diversity senior advisor at the time to ask if there was anything in the works for a Hispanic or Latinx inclusion network and they suggested we take a shot and build one out. We thought to ourselves, “imagine how many Zebras’ lives could be impacted by the stories we would tell.” So, UNIDOZ was born. The “familia” – as we like to call it – has grown tremendously, and they’re always willing to lend a hand.

Monica: As founding members of UNIDOZ, you’ve both had the opportunity to engage with Zebra’s Latinx community in many ways. Can you tell us about some of the challenges and triumphs they’re experiencing in their lives?

David: Absolutely. The Latinx community is very diverse, and each individual has their own story. We’re categorized as a certain group, but in actuality we’re very diverse in terms of our struggles, opportunities, socio-economic status, physical appearances and views. Despite all of these, there are some fantastic commonalities and values we share. For me, what comes to mind is the power and responsibility of being “first.” First in the family to leave your country, either voluntarily or involuntarily. First to complete higher education. First to speak a foreign language. First to own a home. There are many firsts. At Zebra, the Latinx community thrives. We are embedded in just about every aspect of the business. I feel we are given an equal opportunity to demonstrate our worth and excel. Though we all may have different pasts, Zebra gives us a path to grow professionally.

Stephanie: David’s right. I think the best part about UNIDOZ is really knowing there are so many different backgrounds within the Zebra Latinx community – and the global Hispanic community. There’s so much diversity and richness across all these different cultures. For a lot of people, when they think about Hispanics or Latinxs, they just think about Mexico as the country of origin. It’s really the first thing that comes to mind. So, you often see these stereotypes with sombreros and margaritas. And yes, I am Mexican and can confirm we do like tacos and margaritas occasionally. But there is a lot that people get wrong about what really makes us who we are. Plus, there are so many other countries out there with very different traditions that I had never heard of. So, one awesome thing we’re doing for Hispanic Heritage Month is asking volunteers to help us showcase the breadth and depth of the Latinx culture by showcasing the histories, foods, arts, and traditions of different countries so people can become more aware of how unique and diverse we really are as a community.

Monica: If you are comfortable to do so, can you talk about some of the other biases you’ve seen against members of the Latinx community or experienced personally?

David: Yes, this is a common occurrence. Unfortunately, this even occurs within the Latinx community itself: stereotyping one country, ancestry, accent, physical appearance and more. When I was younger, I had lighter hair and I guess I looked more “Anglo.” As newlyweds and having saved up for a down payment, we moved into our first home in a new development. I spent many hours every weekend mowing, landscaping or in my garage working on projects. Everyone was new to the community, and if I’d see a neighbor I would wave, say hello – the usual greetings. One day, the neighbor – non-Hispanic – who lived directly across from us, and who we frequently exchanged greetings, heard me speaking Spanish to another neighbor. That was the last day he ever spoke or acknowledged me again. It really caught me off guard, but I came to the conclusion that ultimately it was his own issue, not mine. Like this example, there have been more – some minor and laughable and others significant. Professionally, I have experienced biases in the past as well, but I feel it is really up to each individual to take a stand and call it out immediately. Biases, discrimination and sense of entitlement have no place in the workforce. All our constructive and diverse opinions matter. I embrace “Be Here Now.” I can’t change the past but do have the responsibility to foster around me a “now” that is fair, equal and tolerant.

Monica: Stephanie, is this something you can relate to?

Stephanie: I spent many years of my life hiding away who I really was. When I was younger, I would always get embarrassed if my parents spoke Spanish in public or if I had to correct their English if they pronounced something wrong. And this was mainly fueled by speech therapy classes I attended when I was younger. I wanted to strip away my accent, childhood bullies and everything that comes along with growing up. But as I started to grow older, I realized I couldn’t take away who I was. So, now I take pride in the fact that I am Mexican, and I am bilingual, and I can think in two languages at the same time. I really urge others to not make the same mistake I did.

Monica: With the Hispanic culture rooted very differently from country to country, even region to region, have you seen geographic disparities in the challenges faced by Latinx community members?

David: Regional disparities do exist, and I’d dare to say this applies to other groups as well, not just Hispanics/Latinx. Migration (voluntary or involuntary) typically brings certain elements each individual must face. Some will be positive and some not so pleasant. It’s difficult to compare because it’s not so cut and dry. Of course, there are socio-economic and political factors that are vastly different between regions, even within countries in the same region. I believe education and opportunity are key elements that contribute to the variances between regions and countries. Though Latinx graduation rates and higher education percentages are increasing in the U.S., we are still behind. We are the largest minority in the U.S., yet our representation in the workforce is lower – it actually gets even lower at executive-level roles. UNIDOZ wants to be a catalyst of change and a resource for all Latinxs within Zebra. From a community perspective, we support the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE). It is through some of our actions that we hope to bridge the disparity gap.

Stephanie: We have also been focusing recently on COVID-19 management. Something I wasn’t aware of until recently is that a lot of people within South and Central American countries are flying to North America to get vaccines because there is such limited availability back home right now. So, we’re also going to have an event during Hispanic Heritage Month to discuss COVID-19 management, the economic instability within those countries, and how they’re handling those kinds of hardships currently.

Monica: Building upon something you said earlier about the role art plays in defining the Hispanic culture, are there certain Latinx authors or artists you have read or listened to that have struck a chord with you? Perhaps their books or music express the Latinx experience in a meaningful way.

David: That’s a great question around Hispanic heritage and how we as Latinxs really form the fabric of a society within the Zebra community. There are two books that for me are quite important. One is called “Take Me with You.” The author’s name is Carlos Frias, and it’s about some emotional struggles around a political prisoner who must flee a country and the son who must go back to do a report. But there is this stigma about not being able to go back to a communist nation – it’s very compelling when you break it down. The novel shows that life is like a gift shop, and I think it’s this type of representation within the book that really shows the passion and the emotion many Hispanic immigrants are facing. The other book is one I read recently by Leila Cobo, the executive vice president of Latin Billboard Music. It’s called “Decoding Despacito” about the song “Despacito,” and it’s an oral history of Latin music. It really speaks to how Latinxs within the music industry have paved the way for the recognition of us as a minority. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for us to reflect, to admire those who have pioneered the way and to celebrate the uniqueness that we have, together with our allies.

Stephanie: I’m reading the novel by Erika Sánchez called “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” about a character who is a Chicago high school student navigating the tribulations of following her dreams of becoming a writer while dealing with the death of her sister. However, she comes to realize her sister may not have been as “perfect” as she seemed. I think it’s so awesome to see a story that follows young Hispanic women who are trying to find the truth about people and the world around them, and they end up finding themselves. And with my own background, as I mentioned previously, this kind of novel really resonates and strikes a chord with me.

Monica: Is there something you would say to members of the Latinx community to help give them the strength and courage to continue to forge a path forward, whether they’re pursuing a better education or trying to advance their careers?

David: I’d say pursue your passion and show your worth. Never allow yourself to be your worst enemy. If you have a seat at the table, it is because you belong there. You have a voice, an opinion and experience. Never allow your own insecurities to hold you back. For example, having an accent is a funny thing. Some may see it as something negative, but to me it should be a badge that is displayed with pride. Being able to convey a message in a language other than one’s native language is an amazing accomplishment. Always keep a positive outlook.

Stephanie: I am a first-generation college student – my parents’ first-born daughter. Something that really stuck with me was, “if I’m pursuing a better education and trying to advance my career, how is that helping me?” But also, “how is that going to help pave the way for others?” So, the way I started to look at it was: “if I go to college to get my education, work at Zebra, and continue my career, could that help my sister later be able to pave the same path?” And I think that’s something that really brings me the strength and courage to continue doing the things I do. Family is a big part of our culture in the Latinx and Hispanic community. So, something that brings me the strength and courage to continue is knowing my family will always be there to support me and will always be proud of the things I do.

Monica: How can we, as allies, become more aware and respectful of individual’s experiences, traditions, and beliefs and help foster a culture of belonging in the workplace, social settings and within our neighborhoods or homes?

Stephanie: I believe the best way is to become educated. But understand that what you learn is up to you, so do the research. Ask your coworkers, ask your friends, and really listen. There’s a difference between active and passive listening, and if you do happen to make a mistake, know how to react. Listen to the response, learn from it, and apologize – even if it wasn’t your intent to hurt them.

David:  I’d say start at “curious.” A few years ago, I went through the Leaders in Action program and still carry my Mood Elevator card with me. On the back I wrote, “I will be a source of positive energy and influence for Zebra.” Being an ally is powerful and to me shows that positive commitment we all should make to embrace and celebrate differences. An ally looks beyond what is familiar, comforting and perhaps even safe to truly show empathy and acceptance.

Monica: Well, we’re grateful you are both a part of Zebra Nation. You’re making quite an impact beyond your day-to-day professional roles, and we appreciate all you’re doing as champions of inclusion and diversity to help celebrate the Latinx community and address the challenges it faces. Zebra will continue to amplify Latinx voices and learn of their incredible influence on global culture while striving to be better allies each day. I encourage our readers to join Zebra in its efforts to create a culture of belonging in the workplace and the world as a whole.

Originally published here!

There is much discussion about how COVID-19 has reshaped the retail industry. Yet, it’s important to consider the unique pressures and challenges convenience stores (c-stores) have experienced – and continue to deal with today:

• Pandemic-related stress and uncertainty:  C-stores typically remained open during the pandemic given they were providing essential goods and services. However, customer demand dropped as commuting levels plummeted and fewer people traveled. Now that foot traffic is growing once again, c-stores having been struggling to staff accordingly. Yet, many of the same issues that troubled c-stores a year ago remain today, with COVID-19 spiking in some regions and decreasing in others. Associates still need to manage how the pandemic impacts their health and private lives, including providing care for loved ones. For example, if a child has to quarantine because of a positive case at school, the employee may need to take unscheduled time off.
• C-store demand spikes: Through the summer, the public has been releasing pent-up demand for travel and activities and workers have been resuming their pre-pandemic commutes. This in turn has boosted demand for fuel, coffee, and other drinks, as well as quick meals. This puts more demand on existing employee resources, who must help customers, keep shelves stocked, and more.
• Smaller associate pool: Although customer demand has grown, hiring for retailers in general has been difficult. Many associates who left the workforce during the pandemic have yet to return. Some are rethinking their careers; others will wait until salary and other demands are met. As a result, there are fewer associates covering more shifts and taking on more tasks. Now, with the holidays approaching, the demand for the most reliable and skilled associates is only going to grow – with major chains seeking to fill thousands of open positions. With competition for labor rising, c-stores are having to join other retailers in offering more benefits, greater work-life flexibility, and raises to recruit and retain qualified associates.
• Increased complexity and responsibilities for associates: Associates have adopted new roles such as having to enforce social distancing and mask policies in-store, fulfilling curbside pickup orders, frequent store sanitization, and more. This has required associates to learn new skills and accept new responsibilities, all while providing an excellent customer experience. 

These are unprecedented challenges, and it’s not clear how they will play out in the long run. But many retailers are finding that increasing pay isn’t enough to attract and keep workers. Employees want to feel cared for, empowered, safe, and useful. They want retailers who will invest in them.  So, given these various obstacles and drivers, new strategies are needed to succeed in this uncertain and competitive environment.

FACING THE C-STORE LABOR CHALLENGE

There are several ways to give your front-line c-store employees with the support they need. For example, intelligent workforce management solutions and employee self-service tools are proven to boost morale and retention by improving efficiency and productivity for all tasks, scheduling included. Just keep a few things in mind when evaluating solutions:

1. Managers should be able to create accurate and equitable schedules. An intelligent workforce management application can assess historical staffing and store performance data, create a labor budget, and then generate an optimized schedule that is shared as far in advance as possible with the associates. Just be sure the solution you choose can balance available employees with customer demands so scheduled associates aren’t overwhelmed with too much work.
2. Workers’ preferences need to be accommodated. The system should be able to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to factor in both historic traffic patterns, such as seasonal demand or weather, as well as each associate’s personal work preferences. This boosts morale and engagement by showing associates they’re valued as people.
3. The goal is to avoid staffing shortages. Given the unpredictability of associates’ new responsibilities at home, they may need to call-in suddenly. Using an employee self-service solution, they can use their smartphones to access and modify schedules, put in for vacation, swap out a shift, or pick one up (within corporate guidelines). This flexibility helps to improve employee engagement, morale, and retention without putting the burden on management to cover when an employee can’t come in.

Workers need to be fully utilized. A robust workforce management solution can actually schedule associates to work at multiple locations within a given region or network to better accommodate demand – much like fitness instructors rotate between area gyms. This allows you to maximize your current workforce, especially when staffing would otherwise be lean at certain stores. And associates can pick up extra shifts where and when they want (as a potential reward).

A FINAL THOUGHT

There’s no doubt this labor shortage is straining existing resources, making it difficult for store associates to complete critical tasks and provide a fantastic customer experience. Plus, if workers start to burnout, turnover rates will likely increase – the opposite of what you need right now.

It may seem as though workforce management and employee self-service platforms are most beneficial to store managers. But associates will value them just as much when they feel they have more control over their schedules and the ability to prioritize personal needs without repercussion as the pandemic lingers. Plus, they won’t have to do the jobs of multiple people once schedules are adjusted to reflect customer and operational demands. You’ll just know to schedule more people during those peak periods.

If you’re interested in learning more about how intelligent workforce management can optimize labor at your c-stores, visit our website or contact our team. We’ll be happy to discuss the unique challenges that your stores are facing and what we can do to help you succeed.

Originally published here!

If you’re a startup or small business trying to build credibility in your industry, it’s a good idea to team up with vendors that customers already know and trust and meet their business needs. That’s true whether you want to resell their products to your customers or you’re trying to get more customers to buy your own products. If you become a dealer for a certain vendor’s windows, generators or mobile computers, for example, then customers may be apt to call you for both the product and the service you offer.

But attracting and retaining customers is not always as simple as attaching your brand to another company’s brand. Customers need to know they can trust you too. That’s something that must happen organically, says Jeff Barteld, a 2021 CRN Channel Chief.

If you have the right vendor partner, though, it can happen fast.

As Senior Director of Channel Strategy & Programs at Zebra, Jeff and his team help thousands of small businesses in the Zebra PartnerConnect program demonstrate their unique value to our customers. Many of these small businesses have, in turn, increased their gross revenue year over year. We asked him to share some of his expert insights and personal experiences with you so that you can make sure you’re getting the most out of every partner relationship you form with both vendors and other businesses you may choose to team with to grow your own business:

Your Edge Blog Team: In one sentence, how would you describe the importance of a partnership in terms of small business growth potential?

Jeff: Depending on your business model, it can either open new doors within the market or open new revenue streams, especially if you’re partnering with an established, well-known company.

Your Edge Blog Team: And the value of the partnership is going to vary depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, right?

Jeff: Yes. If you want to open a sandwich restaurant, you could try to build your own brand or you could become a franchisee for Jersey Mike’s or Subway or Firehouse Subs and have customers waiting outside the door on day one. If you’re a service provider – say a plumber or electrician – and you have customers asking you to install generators, maybe you decide to register as a Generac dealer to become a one-stop shop and increase sales. And, if you’re a technology reseller, it’s going to benefit you to offer hardware, software and accessories from a trusted manufacturer.

Your Edge Blog Team: I would imagine in some cases there’s also a benefit to partnering with more than one vendor.

Jeff: There is. If you’re a small business that’s trying to build credibility as a trusted expert, you might actually degrade that trust if you only sell and recommend a single vendor’s products. That’s not always the case. We have partners that only sell Zebra solutions. However, it doesn’t hurt vendors or the reseller when it can say “we can offer you options from three different printer brands, but we recommend you go with Zebra.”

That recommendation can then be backed by a list of reasons why Zebra is the better option for this particular customer. Maybe it has a unique labeling application that only Zebra printers have been specially designed to support without any workaround requirements. Or maybe Zebra printers have proven to last longer or be easier to secure based on the partner’s experience selling and supporting all three brands of printers for the past decade.  

Your Edge Blog Team: What if you’re a technology solution provider, and your solution requires integration with another company’s solution. Or maybe it would deliver better results if deployed in tandem with a specific type of hardware or software platform sold by another vendor. Is there value in partnering with different vendors in that case?

Jeff: One hundred percent. Having collaborative innovation and/or implementation partnerships with other companies benefits everyone: you as a small business, the other vendor and the customer. Everyone is working toward the same goal: solve the customer’s problem. And the customer might end up calling both of you anyway. So, setting up a more formal partnership with that vendor – and any other vendor with which you might eventually need to team – can make things so much smoother for everyone in the long run. And it makes your company more attractive to a customer because  your company is providing a solution rather than just a point product. Customers will always associate greater value with vendors who can deliver solutions.

Your Edge Blog Team: Along those lines, I read the other day only 40% of startups ultimately become profitable. I would imagine that tapping into the resources and relationships of vendor partners could help with both lead and revenue generation.

Jeff: Absolutely. If you’re in their rolodex or listed on their website as a dealer/reseller, distributor or other type of partner, you’re going to naturally get leads in the form of introductions, referrals or automatic sales. That can all translate into revenue.

Now, if you’re partnering with a vendor that is a marketing powerhouse – it’s producing brochures, setting up booths at events, executing advertising, running always-on digital campaigns, actively talking to media or establishing its brand as an authority in its industry – then you’re going to get several benefits. The vendor’s direct marketing efforts will generate leads that could be passed along to you. They’ll also help build brand recognition. When you go out into the market to talk to prospective customers, they’re going to say “oh yeah, I’ve heard of that company/brand.” There may be a baseline level of trust already established. Even if customers don’t know much about its offerings, they’ll probably be open to learning more.

Another bonus is that many larger vendors will let their partners co-brand their sales and marketing tools, so small businesses don’t have to spend too much time or money trying to come up with their own. They can just update the tools with their logo, contact info and differentiated value proposition.

Your Edge Blog Team: Like what Zebra does!

Jeff: That’s right. Our PartnerConnect members get the benefit of Zebra’s brand recognition in addition to co-marketing assets they can use to reach further into the market and amplify our efforts in a way that benefits them.

Your Edge Blog Team: Are there any potential pitfalls to aligning your brand with someone else’s?

Jeff: Whenever you partner with another company, its reputation can impact yours. If it’s known for great customer service and high-performance products, customers will probably expect you to deliver great service and products too because you’re an extension of that vendor’s brand. On the flipside, if the company is in the news for a recall or word on the street is that technicians for “XX security brand” consistently don’t show up for install appointments, prospective customers may worry that’s how “XX security brand” does business and avoid anyone associated with it.

If a company is not financially stable, that could also hurt you as a small business/partner, especially if your business success is closely tied. If it can’t fulfill orders and you, as the dealer, can’t get what you need to get customers what they want, that’s a problem. And if it goes out of business, who will handle warranty and service down the line? So, it’s important you do your research and understand everything you can before committing to any partnership.

Your Edge Blog Team: If a small business wants to formally join a formal partner program, such as Zebra PartnerConnect, or become a franchisee or reseller, what kinds of questions should they ask first?

Jeff: Confirm what you will get from the vendor. What’s the benefit of becoming its partner? Will it give you co-marketing assets or conduct public relations outreach on your behalf so you don’t have to hire your own agency or beef up your in-house marketing team? If so, is there a cost-share model, meaning the vendor partner creates the materials but you have to pay to print them or run the digital ads?

Also ask about discounts and promotions. If the vendor is allowing you to buy its products at a reduced rate or extend its discounts to your customers, that helps your margins. And it’s important to understand the warranty and service structure. If something breaks, does the customer call you or the vendor? Is the repair covered through the manufacturer warranty? And will the vendor offer you 24/7 priority support if you’re trying to troubleshoot the issue and get stuck?

This is important. Understand how much support you’ll get in general. Will the vendor be there on an as-needed basis or will you be meeting weekly to talk strategy, tactics and execution? Will it send you to meet with customers alone or will it be a collaborative, united approach? Make sure you aren’t just getting permission to use the vendor’s brand. You should become an extension of its team, and its team should become an extension of yours.

Your Edge Blog Team: They should also confirm the vendor’s expectations of partners, right?

Jeff. Definitely. Make sure you understand if there are certain sales or marketing goals you must meet to stay in good standing with the vendor. And be sure you can comply with all the vendor’s requirements, whether that’s from a brand usage, order fulfillment, communications, or service perspective. Read the fine print and ask questions. It may also help to talk to other small businesses that have worked with the vendor to see what their experiences have been.

Of course, expectations for a technology distributor may vary a bit than those defined for an integrated software vendor. But that’s even more reason to have a conversation with the vendor up front to ensure everyone is on the same page and all terms are acceptable.

Your Edge Blog Team: What’s the best single piece of advice you can give to small businesses that want to partner with other companies but are hesitant to put themselves out there?

Jeff: Very rarely can you go it alone in business. You’re going to need to team with another company in some capacity to ensure you can deliver what customers need and want. The sooner you can form those relationships, the better. Otherwise, you could find yourself spinning your wheels trying to break through a very cluttered and competitive market for months. When you finally call the vendor or other solution provider to talk about a partnership, you could be working from a financial or reputational deficit.

So, identify vendors and other potential partners that have the reputation, resources and relationships you need to get your small business on solid footing – and take advantage of everything they offer! I can’t stress this enough. If they give you the opportunity to co-present in a webinar, print up new coupons every week, extend trade-in discounts to your customers, participate in media interviews, contribute to their blog…do it! These are all tools that will help your business, and there’s very little work required on your end when you consider the payoff: visibility, credibility, leads.

Plus, if you focus on building strong relationships with the right partners from the start, you’ll be able to ramp faster through each growth stage of your business because you already have momentum with both the vendor/partner and in the market with customers and prospects.

Originally published here!

If I’ve experienced a more chaotic summer for retailers, I can’t remember it.

There’s a huge variance in the type of products people need – and where they’re needed most from day to day.

Here in Massachusetts, school is starting in early September, as usual, and everyone is still on summer vacation.

In the South, on the other hand, the school season has already started! Some states like Florida are a mixed bag, with some school systems starting the year in August and others starting in September.

That creates a huge difference in demand for certain products from one week to the next. And with the Delta strain on the rise, some schools may decide to start virtually.

This all translates into a huge amount of uncertainty for retailers. Where should you offer the most school supplies? Where should you continue to push summer goods? In which areas should you skip the enormous back-to-school sales because the demand will not be high enough? And how do you avoid the dreaded “dead” inventory (i.e., backpacks and lunch boxes that aren’t needed if kids are staying home)?

The name of the game is agility. You need to have enough flexibility in your supply chain and visibility into your inventory movements to identify which areas need which products – and when. More importantly, you need the ability to pivot when trends unexpectedly change. (And let’s be honest – they will!)

Retailers with both prescriptive analytics and workforce management solutions will be best poised to navigate the uncertainty of this year’s shopping seasons. By having these two powerhouses in your toolbelt, you will be able to:

balance and transfer inventory to meet demand shifts almost anywhere.

stock and manage that inventory with the right amount of staff.

PRESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

As I’ve written in past blog posts, prescriptive analytics is an analytics solution that tells you:

• What is happening
• Why it happened
• How much it is costing you
• What to do about it
• Who should do it

This is an ideal suite of capabilities for inventory-related matters, especially when it comes to sporadic seasonal demand. Managing inventory in such conditions starts by deciding how to allocate what product is available. Prescriptive analytics uses a variety of historical and real-time data to identify the ideal inventory levels across different stores. It dispenses simple prescriptive actions to your merchandising team members, advising them of the most appropriate allocation.

But this is only half the battle, of course. No one can predict when or where an outbreak of COVID-19 will delay school openings – something that could suppress demand for school supplies and potentially lead to overstocks. A huge piece of successfully managing inventory amid unpredictable demand is being able to adjust your plan in the moment.

Many of our customers have configured their prescriptive analytics solutions to monitor product movements across various stores for unexpected fluctuations. If their solutions detect that demand for seasonal items like school supplies is increasing, they will dispense an alert to the appropriate individual, with clear instructions on how to respond to this demand shift.

Example scenarios include:

• To merchandiser: Demand for pencil boxes, #2 pencils and 3-ring binders overwhelming supply at stores in District #12. Order expedited shipment from Alliance School Supplies to warehouse.
• To store manager, location #33: Increasing sales of school supplies detected at store #34. Execute store transfer of four cases of composition notebooks, one case of erasers and two cases of safety scissors.
• To general merchandise manager, store #18: Local school system postponing start date. Remove in-store back-to-school display from sales floor and return product to warehouse.
• To logistics manager: COVID-19 surge detected in Sedona, AZ; will likely delay first day of school. Re-route all Sedona-bound shipments of school supplies to Tucson.

This meticulous analysis of sales trends and associated fluctuations also unlocks flexibility in pricing and promotional strategies, as well as verifying compliance. What if school supplies are selling poorly in an area with no COVID-19 outbreaks and a fast-approaching first day of school? More tellingly, what if school supplies are selling just fine in other areas with similar market conditions? Prescriptive analytics easily identifies this combination of behaviors and alerts the right individual to take action with a variety of fixes as appropriate.

Example scenarios include:

• To merchandiser: Lackluster sales of school supplies in district #49; sales normal in similar districts. Authorize markdowns and associated credit.
• To store manager, store #21: Crayola markers and crayons selling slowly (aisle 17, endcap B). Check display for compliance with planogram.

With prescriptive analytics in-house, you can better monitor product shipments and more quickly re-balance inventory across locations as needed. This ensures maximum sell-through and minimal waste.

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

Uncertainty in this year’s upcoming peak shopping seasons also makes it more difficult to both schedule your staff and ensure your staff is engaged and productive during their shifts. Whether due to COVID-19 outbreaks or changes in consumer buying patterns, disruption affects customer traffic and sales, both key variables used to align your labor scheduling with in-store workload.

Inefficient labor scheduling can cascade into a number of other major issues. A misalignment between labor scheduling and in-store workload means that stores may be understaffed, making it difficult to keep shelves stocked, execute back-to-school promotions or turnover displays and seasonal departments quickly. That, in turn, frustrates front-line employees who can’t seem to keep up with the continuous flow of work, depressing morale and decreasing engagement.

Today’s customers already expect a fast and convenient experience in stores. If promotional signage isn’t posted, if shelves aren’t stocked with high-value products, and if employees appear frustrated or disengaged, it’s difficult to persuade customers to come back to that store for repeat visits.

However, with intelligent workforce management, you can account for all the variables that matter most at your stores, such as customer traffic, in-store workload, new product promotions, and disruptions such as COVID-19 spikes and peak sales periods. These solutions automate the labor scheduling process, automatically factoring in these variables, creating fully optimized schedules in a matter of minutes instead of hours. In doing so, they ensure labor schedules are accurate and your staff is utilized in an efficient manner.

And this flexibility and precision isn’t the only benefit of these solutions. With the added benefit of cross-store functionality, you can utilize employees across multiple stores in a specific geographic region, giving them the opportunity to work at a different store if their skills are needed there. All of this greatly improves employee morale and engagement, giving them the boost they need to complete their tasks in an effective manner, which also happens to boost retention. Ultimately, your customers end up happier when employees are engaged, shelves are stocked, and key initiatives are consistently completed.

Originally published here!

Year after year, new technology opens avenues for greater convenience, ease and possibility. This is especially so in healthcare environments, where a higher level of digitalization, distancing and efficiency is being demanded every day. Each patient is expecting to receive the utmost quality of care, yet doctors and nurses are struggling more than ever to deliver, as they’re constantly pressured to balance their time and attention between a multitude of patients who may be scattered all over a hospital campus or city. As a result, those charged with optimizing acute care models are looking at just how far remote patient monitoring can go in closing the gap.

So, we have turned once again to Zebra’s top two healthcare experts – Chris Sullivan, Zebra’s global healthcare lead, and Rikki Jennings, Zebra’s Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO) – to better understand how remote patient monitoring is being used today both in patient homes and hospitals. Learn more about the ways it may reshape the healthcare world as we know it moving forward…

Your Edge Blog Team: We’ve been talking a lot about telehealth lately, and we know through conversations with others that remote patient monitoring may be viewed as a component of telehealth. So, to kick things off, can you paint a better picture of what remote patient monitoring actually is and clarify its relationship with telehealth?  

Chris: Most clinicians define remote patient monitoring – sometimes abbreviated to RPM – as the ability to monitor the status of patients located across any distance, whether that be inside or outside a healthcare facility.

During the pandemic, more patients have been given wellness trackingtools like pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, and blood glucose monitors to use at home so they could report vitals back to their care teams without having to go into the clinic as frequently for these types of checkups. Some of the devices can trigger alerts when someone’s blood pressure is too high or their medication is no longer keeping cholesterol levels under control, prompting a nurse to check in or a physician to request a video consult with the patient. And there’s a new echo stethoscope that some practitioners are issuing, including one that can intermittently capture heart sounds and get an EKG.

However, many at-home devices aren’t plugged into healthcare information systems, meaning care team members can’t always monitor them in real time. But that’s okay, because patients are now empowered to monitor their own vitals and report into their care teams when something is concerning. They don’t have to wait until their next scheduled appointment or go into the clinic just to have their vitals checked. They can be more proactive in managing their personal health day to day.

Your Edge Blog Team: So, it sounds like RPM tools are giving patients more autonomy, but providers are still relying on the patient to convey health information back to them?

Chris: Exactly. Some care team members may be able to login to a dashboard or app tied to the device to see reported data for the last 30 days, much like you can with your Nest thermostat or Dyson air purifier. And it’s possible the wearable trackers or at-home monitoring devices will one day be able to automatically trigger an intervention if someone is struggling to manage their health or having an acute medical crisis at home. But we’re not quite there yet, at least not on a mass scale. In the meantime, the patient or an at-home caretaker can proactively track device readings and then work closely with doctors and nurses to decipher what they mean in the context of the patient. This is still so beneficial when you consider the alternative. Information is power, and RPM tools are providing far more information about our personal health than we had even a few years ago.  

Your Edge Blog Team: It seems like the possibilities of RPM technology are very promising, then, right?

Chris: We still need to iron out accessibility-related concerns specific to at-home patient monitoring practices. The healthcare community must work cooperatively with governments, non-profits and even private sector partners to ensure patients have the proper at-home technology and medical device hardware. They must also ensure patients have stable internet connections so data can be transmitted and they can tap into virtual care as needed. And as information sharing starts to happen automatically, we must be sure patient privacy, security and safety are not compromised. There are a lot of benefits to at-home patient monitoring, though. So, healthcare leaders need to sit down with the various stakeholders to have worthwhile conversations about where this goes long term.

That being said, we are already seeing RPM become part of the new standard of care in hospital settings. That’s where investments are increasing the most right now and the impact of these technologies is looking to be the greatest long term.

Rikki: Chris is right. Much like telehealth, remote patient monitoring has the potential to increase the quality of care for hospital patients, especially given the disparity between the number of patients needing care and the number of doctors and nurses available to provide it. Remote patient monitoring can help healthcare facilities overcome staff shortages, the spread of infectious diseases, and quality of care being impacted by distance between clinicians and patients.

The mobility, visibility and connectivity that comes with the integration of remote patient monitoring solutions help optimize the performance of healthcare workers – regardless of the inflow of patients scattered across a single hospital facility. And acute care nurses and doctors can feel better supported during their hectic schedules knowing they can check in on all their patients from anywhere at any time.

Your Edge Blog Team: COVID-19 has presumably strengthened the case for remote patient monitoring, then?

Rikki: No doubt. But even before the pandemic, healthcare leaders understood that the more inpatient care teams can enlist the help of offsite providers, the more likely they are to provide the right type of intervention at the right time. The nursing workforce has been understaffed for several years, and clinicians can only be in so many places at once. It is impossible for one person to keep an eye on every patient at once. Of course, this issue has been compounded by the influx of COVID-19 patients over the past 18 months. Even if there are enough beds to handle surges, there isn’t enough staff – at least not on site. So, teams of healthcare change agents have been coming up with new ways to expand their workforces. Many are setting up remote monitoring centers where doctors, nurses, EMTs and others who aren’t comfortable or able to be in a hospital setting all day can sit at a desk and watch over patients from a distance. Nemour’s Children’s Hospital is a great example of how remote patient monitoring is taking patient care to a whole new level.

Others are just trying to make it easier for offsite physicians to consult on patient cases remotely, often via telehealth systems, by providing them with real-time information dispatched by a host of smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected in patient rooms.

Of course, every possible precaution must be taken to minimize physical staff interactions with infectious patients, especially in hospitals where there are many immunocompromised and vulnerable patients. This is true whether patients have COVID-19 or other highly transmissible and dangerous diseases. In fact, minimizing staff exposures to contagious patients and slowing the spread to others has been one of hospitals’ long-standing challenges. Now, remote patient monitoring technologies, when combined with telehealth solutions, can allow staff to administer some forms of care and/or guidance to patients without physically entering the patient’s space.

Your Edge Blog Team: Are they just hooking up vital monitoring devices in patient rooms and transmitting real-time information to the nurses’ station? Or does it go beyond that?

Chris: There are two fundamental things that hospitals must do to set up and benefit from remote patient monitoring. First, doctors, nurses and even some non-clinical support staff such as pharmacists, lab technicians, porters and facilities managers should be equipped with mobile devices that enable them to stay in touch with one another. This enables them to coordinate patient care actions in real time while on the move. However, these should be healthcare purpose-designed clinical devices that can be disinfected and connect to healthcare information systems and telehealth systems.

Many hospitals that have supported “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies in the past are now changing course. Both hospital administrators and clinicians are concerned about the spread of infectious diseases right now, as they made clear in Zebra’s recent Hospital Vision Study, and workers’ personal devices may not be able to be sanitized to healthcare standards. Plus, they may struggle to safely connect with some of the IoT smart medical devices that are required in order for remote patient monitoring applications to be successful.

Plus, BYOD policies can put undue burden on IT, as they must make sure every device is properly configured and locked down. In clinical environments, mobile devices are being used to access private patient data in electronic health records (EHR). And, if used for telehealth consults with doctors across campus or even across the country, sensitive patient matters will be discussed. Hospital administrators and IT must ensure those mobile devices don’t become points of vulnerability for cybercriminals. Issuing staff hospital-owned devices purpose built for healthcare applications, synced with the right information systems, and loaded with the right features for each user’s role and unique workflows is the best way to do that.

Once staff have the right mobility solutions in hand, then patient rooms can be equipped with IoT devices that allow doctors and nurses outside the room to see what’s happening inside at all times. This might include a blood pressure machine, IV pump and oximeter as well as video monitors that allow someone to visually assess the patient from afar.

From there, you can decide whether you want to take it a step further and employ artificial intelligence (AI) to help monitoring and interventions or simply employ more clinicians in a central monitoring center like Nemours Children’s Health System did.

Your Edge Blog Team: What are the key benefits of hiring nurses, physicians and paramedics to work in a command center?

Chris: The quality of patient care can be improved tremendously because clinicians are watching patients in real time. They can call in the right people to consult on cases, which brings about faster and more accurate clinical resolution. The technology also allows specialists to be leveraged more effectively, as they can see patients without having to actually be on site. A cross-functional group of experts can leverage their collective knowledge and real-time data to solve problems. It’s teamwork at its finest. Plus, it’s much cost-friendlier than “feet on the street” specialist approaches and gives patients access to the best specialists for them.

As a side benefit, it also opens doors for new job opportunities and responsibilities for healthcare professionals who are high risk, nearing retirement, recovering from injury or experiencing burnout. Remote patient monitoring assignments could enable these clinicians to take on virtual preceptor or virtual mentorship roles for a given amount of time. This broadens the scope of healthcare provider involvement and engagement in a multitude of circumstances. For example, they could provide support for EMTs in the field as well as hospital ICU or bedside nursing teams.

Rikki: Command center staff can also manage the flow of patients and clinicians in a way not possible if they were on the ground. They’re kind of like air traffic controllers, but better, as they help hospital staff see how best to care for hundreds or thousands of critical patients in settings only designed to support a few dozen.

Your Edge Blog Team: Would you say that’s the top benefit of remote patient monitoring, in general?

Rikki: I think the biggest advantage of remote patient monitoring is that care teams can see and do more from a distance. This is especially true when you also combine RPM toolsets with telehealth. There are fewer missed alarms, we can better screen those alarms to see if they warrant immediate action, and we don’t have to wait for the assigned nurse or doctor to get to the bedside to help the patient. We can intervene more quickly than if we didn’t have the additional oversight or support resources. Those sitting in the central monitoring center or perhaps even a clinic across campus can take action as soon as they’re alerted to an issue. That may entail dispatching an EMT to check on the patient while the nurse is occupied or notifying the on-call doctor that the patient’s status is changing and requesting a new medication order or lab test. The physician may not need to come in to do those things on every occasion. In fact, being able to consult from a distance makes doctors and specialists more accessible to more patients as Chris previously said.

In fact, many now say they wouldn’t be able to do their jobs effectively without this type of tech in place. It’s enabling them to connect to other clinicians during hectic shifts and see the real-time status of all their patients in the palm of their hands. It’s also allowing them to become more proactive than reactive. Nurses can get alerts when a patient needs another dose of medicine, for example, which helps to reduce mistakes or oversights as they’re bouncing from room to room.

Chris: Clinicians should also be able to spend more time with each patient upon the adoption of this technology, which is the most valuable aspect of care. As Rikki noted, we’ve already started to see the flexibility of clinicians to work from anywhere at any time. Burnout was becoming ubiquitous among healthcare workers even before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, chaos in the work environment is the number one cause of burnout among clinicians, followed by a lack of effective teamwork and being inundated with bureaucratic tasks. Integrating remote monitoring and telehealth tools into existing workflows has shown to reduce burnout in acute care environments by reducing the cognitive burden and enabling clinicians to care for all patients collaboratively versus working in a silo.

Your Edge Blog Team: Chris, you mentioned AI earlier. How exactly does that play into remote patient monitoring?

Chris: One of the surgeons on Zebra’s healthcare customer advisory board was telling us how the capstone project for her MBA program in 2018 was focused on AI in healthcare and, specifically, the ways in which it could be used for remote patient monitoring. At the time, there was doubt about the viability of such a solution as it was designed with the assumption that a primary physician is standing at a computer at all times waiting for data to come in, which just doesn’t happen. Even in command centers, there isn’t a one-to-one patient to provider ratio, and there isn’t just one data feed for each patient. So, recent innovation and engineering efforts in this space have been really focused on creating a solution that takes the massive amount of data being generated by edge systems, such as mobile devices and remote monitors, and puts it into a format that’s actually accessible and useful to a clinician from both an IT and workflow perspective. Such a technology platform is only beneficial if it allows for real-time alerting and action, and AI can help bridge those digital divides a bit by more prescriptively assigning that action to the best person in real time.

Rikki: Yes, she gave a great example of how, within her own institution and emergency room, they are now setting up alerting systems for sepsis and other things that employ aspects of AI. Although, it was interesting to hear her describe this particular application as being more like “big data crunching” than remote patient monitoring. The AI system essentially collects and analyzes data before sending it to teams that are remotely monitoring patient status on a screen outside the room. But that speaks to Chris’ point in that it can’t just be another data feed. It has to provide actionable intelligence to the person on the receiving end. If they have to stop and figure out what to do with the incoming information, that doesn’t really help them become more efficient or make better decisions.

Your Edge Blog Team: Would you say AI is the key to unlocking more benefits from today’s remote patient monitoring tools? Is that what’s needed for this to be widely adopted as part of the standard, everyday inpatient and outpatient care models?

Chris: AI will certainly have to mature a bit more and become more pervasive before we’ll see remote patient monitoring available and utilized at full scale for outpatient use cases as mentioned before and, perhaps to a certain extent, in hospitals as well. The key is to achieve an effective, operationalized program that allows AI to surveil an at-home or in-patient’s condition accurately and determine if and when physician intervention is needed. Simply put, the physician may not need to be involved in each phase of patient care or even be the one to take care of every patient’s needs. That’s why remote patient care is a great tool with the potential to reinvent typical care administration. It can provide more accessible, practical and beneficial wellness solutions for professionals and patients alike.

Rikki: Remote patient monitoring still has a long road ahead, but we have to start somewhere. And the benefits this technology can bring to acute care settings are going to become a pivotal aspect of caregiving well into the future.

For now, though, remote patient monitoring gives flexibility to the caregiving process, and that holds a lot of weight given the gravity of the pandemic and the level of exhaustion and defeat healthcare providers are feeling right now. Time and space hold no bounds with remote monitoring and telehealth technologies. Patients can have unconditional access to nurses, doctors or specialists, even if they can’t physically be in the room. More patients can be treated at once. Expert advice can be harnessed from wherever. And greater trust can be established between patients and healthcare providers knowing that the care will be safe and timely.

Originally published here!

It may seem counterintuitive to make a label dissolvable. In most cases, the goal is to get them to stick to an item or package for as long as possible. But if you’re in the business of serving food to others, or just make it a habit to reuse bins, a dissolvable label will become your best friend.

Whether you run a restaurant, catering business, events hall, convenience store (c-store) or grocery store, you have to rotate food daily. You know what a chore it can be to remove old labels – or hide them well enough with new ones to remain compliant with health department standards. It’s not fun. It’s also wasteful – of people’s time and your money.

So, Zebra worked with a customer in the quick service restaurant (QSR) space to come up with a dissolvable label that literally just washes away. No one has to exert any physical energy scrubbing, scratching or otherwise trying to remove the label. Just run it under some water and voila! The bin is as good as new.

What’s also good is the more eco-friendly nature of dissolvable labels. Just think about many traditional labels. If you can manage to get them off a food container or jar (and your fingers), you’re probably left with a ton of super sticky pieces. That debris can wreak havoc on plumbing and our planet. Though recyclable labels exist, they typically aren’t designed to withstand extreme heat or cold – a prerequisite for labels that will camp out on prep lines, buffet lines, or even freezer shelves for hours on end. So, the Zebra Supplies innovation and engineering team made sure the new Zebra 8000D Dissolvable High-Temp Label would just disperse into tiny fibers when exposed to running water but remain readable even after sitting under heat lamps up to 140°F.

It’s a bit ironic, if you think about it. Usually, Zebra supplies and solutions are designed to resist water. I mean, we literally hold things under water for minutes to ensure they’ll hold form and function after. But these direct thermal labels are intentionally designed to fall apart almost instantly when exposed to flowing water. How the world turns. (At least we’re doing our part to protect it as it turns, right?)

If you’re wondering how we got a label to stay put in high heat but melt away under water, I can’t reveal our secret sauce. What I can tell you is that the Zebra 8000D Dissolvable High-Temp label is a direct thermal label, so it doesn’t require a ribbon, and the recipe includes:

• a specialty acrylic adhesive that loses its structure, removing cleanly from the surface
• a facestock that disperses into tiny fibers when subjected to running water

You literally have a clean surface to start with every time you load a new batch of raw ingredients, cooked food or whatever else you might put in a crate or container – which some may see as a “nice to have”, but you probably know is a must. (The last thing you need is the health department to cite you for label residue on containers, considering how such residue can harbor bacteria.) You can put a fresh label on there with the prep date, use by date, and other information that helps reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses and consumer exposure to known allergens. Watch the video here!

Of course, food producers aren’t the only ones who could benefit from this cool new label. If you are a manufacturer or supplier that relies on reusable totes to ship parts or raw materials, you can just as easily jet wash a dissolvable label away if you frequently rotate what’s in the totes and don’t otherwise need an RFID tag.

If you’ve been looking for something like this, let us know. We’ll make sure it’s the right solution for your labeling application and, if it is, help you make the switch ASAP.

Originally published here!

Robots that can pitch in to help people in manufacturing, warehousing and logistics environments are finding a welcome audience. (“You mean I don’t have to push a heavy cart for 14 miles a day in a 100-degree warehouse anymore? And you mean I can close the labor shortage and increase productivity? When do the robots start?”)

That’s why robotics automation is one of the fastest moving markets today, according to Jim Lawton, Vice President and General Manager of Zebra’s Robotics Automation Business, and Melonee Wise, the former CEO of Fetch Robotics and now Vice President of Robotics Automation at Zebra.

Collaborative robots like Fetch autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are a win-win for workers and employers. Front-line teams are seeing the benefits of robot co-workers. They can delegate the heavy lifting – or pushing – to an AMR or other automation system versus having to physically exert themselves for hours on end. As a result, they can focus on the task at hand better, solve problems as they arise and ultimately get more work done.

So, Zebra decided to make a big move to help customers move more quickly on the path to operations automation. That’s where Fetch comes in.

Listen to this 15-minute interview with Jim and Melonee now to find out why Zebra chose to acquire Fetch versus another robotics company and where the two companies plan to go (together) from here:

Listen to the interview here!

Don’t have time now? Just download now and tune in later. You’ll want to hear:

• how Melonee – a mechanical engineer by trade – ended up at the helm of an industry-leading robotics firm.
• why Melonee subscribes to the philosophy of “extreme transparency.”
• why Zebra and Fetch aren’t as worried about what’s on the roadmap as much as what’s not on the roadmap yet.
• why every organization with material handling, warehousing and logistics workflows should be adopting robotics automation as a valuable solution to current problems – including smaller companies.

Originally published here!

In 2019, Zebra’s Global Shopper Study confirmed that even consumers who occasionally shop online still preferred to browse and buy in store. Being able to touch, see or smell items elicits a strong emotional connection. And talking to someone face to face is much easier sometimes than picking up the phone and calling customer service. So, we entered 2020 talking about how to take the in-store experience to a whole new level – even for digital native brands that were starting to pop up in the physical realm to make personal connections that were unattainable online.

As we sat down with retailers to develop a plan of action, the conversation always centered on two things:

1. What do customers want to be able to see and do in store? What entails a “frictionless” experience?
2. How can technology be used better, or in new ways, to deliver those desired experiences?

Of course, there are no cut and dry answers to these questions, as every retailer must figure out how to authentically infuse its brand into the experience without going over budget or burning out its team. Boutiques aren’t going to offer the same experience as big box retailers, for example. Nor should they. And the feelings shoppers experience at a fashion or furniture retailer will always be very different than those elicited at a food market. That doesn’t mean any less effort must be put into providing the “perfect” experience. It just means retailers may not use the exact same strategies, tactics, and technologies as one another to simplify their operations or achieve the desired service speed and personalization of their customer base.

So, to better understand each retailer’s current shopper and associate experience and make tailored recommendations on how they can evolve, teams from across Zebra Nation would often head to stores around the world to take hands-on tours. Once we spent a “day in the life” of shoppers or associates, it was easier to see what was working well – those things that contributed to their happiness and loyalty – and what was contributing to bottlenecks, abandoned baskets and more. We knew how to help customers.

Then the pandemic started, and virtual became the reality.  The definition of “experience” also changed for everyone. For months, it seemed like the best way for retailers to connect with consumers on an emotional level was to keep:

1. shelves stocked with the right inventory assortment.
2. shopping trips – and pickup/delivery experiences – short and sweet.
3. in touch with how things were going – what policies were in place, when items were running low or fully available, what new services were available to make their lives easier.

Yet none of this was easy. Even the most agile retailers found it hard to keep up with the months-long wave of disruptions. We know. We were (virtually) working with many of you day in and day out, trying to figure out how to make small changes across both your physical and digital stores that would make a big difference in the overall retail experience.

What we learned was that success wasn’t contingent on face-to-face interactions. But we did need to be able to see and experience what shoppers and associates experience as they move about stores.

That’s why Zebra built this new virtual retail store!

We wanted you to be able to experience the customer journey and retail operations in your own stores in a virtual setting without having to go a great distance or indeed anywhere further than your desk. We also wanted to give you a way to “try before you buy” Zebra’s retail technology solutions in the context of a store.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU “GO”

The store floorplan includes both front of store and back of store/e-commerce fulfillment environments. You can even bounce around from one department or function to the next to discover technologies and understand how you think they could give shoppers and associates the capabilities they want, whether that’s more self-service options or more visibility into what’s where. The retail environments covered are:

• Store Entrance
• Customer Returns
• Fashion
• Pharmacy
• Customer Service Deck
• Self-Checkout
• Staffed Checkout
• Picking and Packing
• Inventory Management
• Deli Counter
• Cold Storage
• Back of Store
• Associate Performance
• Curbside Pickup
• Goods In

Curious if kiosks could shorten the click and collect or custom order processes? Want to drill into cold chain operations? Interested in what technologies can specifically help with fashion lines? This is your chance to put different ideas to the test risk free.

So, I invite you to stop in anytime you want to just browse the aisles and explore how Zebra solutions can enhance your shopping journey. Our associates will be available to answer any questions you may have and help you find the perfect products so you can, in turn, offer the perfect retail experience to both online and in-store shoppers.

Originally published here!

Despite the vast differences in their purposes and operating models, charities and corporations can learn a lot from each other – how to structure an organization, reach key audiences or secure funds to support initiatives. Perhaps one of the most prominent commonalities among for-profit and non-profit entities is the influence networking can have on the success of one’s mission.

As Greg Buzek has learned, many of the skills and relationships that can propel your career forward are the same ones that enable you to rally widespread support for philanthropic initiatives.

Greg, who is the founder of retail analyst firm, IHL Group, and co-founder of non-profit organization Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI), spent years advocating for vulnerable orphans in his local community before deciding to leverage his industry connections and passion for volunteerism to create the non-profit organization. But it soon became clear that if he was going to achieve his mission of raising awareness about the 143 million orphans on this planet today and provide real solutions to help more than 400 million vulnerable children worldwide, he was going to need some help himself.

With more than 30 years of experience in retail market analysis and consulting with Fortune 500 companies, Greg has earned a great deal of respect in the retail industry. In fact, he was named one of RIS News’ “Influentials: Top Movers and Shakers in Retail” in 2020. So, when he reached out to his professional network to see if anyone had the interest or resources to drive forth this effort, it didn’t take much persuasion. The entire industry seemed to have his back – and back his mission.  

Every year since 2009, Greg has inspired retailers, their vendors and others within the sector to faithfully participate in RetailROI’s fundraising efforts, including SuperSaturday – which may be the best day of the year for Greg, the millions of children that can be impacted, and the retail community as a whole.

What makes SuperSaturday so super?

The joy it brings to all!

Each year, on the Saturday before the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show” RetailROI invites retailers and corporate sponsors to network and discuss the latest industry data and trends, all while raising awareness and funds for the countless children who benefit from the organization’s services.

To say Greg is pumped about the next SuperSaturday would be an understatement. January 15, 2022 will be the day his dream of giving orphaned and vulnerable children a better life comes true once again, thanks to the personal support of his professional network.  

Since inception, RetailROI and its supporters (Zebra included!) have helped fund over 220 projects in 27 countries, mobilizing more than $4.2 million to help over 250,000 children! If this isn’t proof that great things can happen when nonprofits and private sector companies work collaboratively, we don’t know what is.

So, when you have about 30 minutes (and want a huge pick me up), tune in to our exclusive Your Edge podcast interview with Greg:

Using Your Professional Experience and Network for Philanthropic Good

He talks about…

• what inspired him to start what is now one of the most influential global advisory firms specializing in technology for the retail industry.
• what new perspectives he has gained about the retail industry since becoming a consultant.
• that moment he became really encouraged to combine his retail expertise with his passion for volunteerism to help create RetailROI.
• the opportunities RetailROI is giving orphans around the world to live the lives they dream about.
• how exactly RetailROI SuperSaturday is helping the nonprofit execute its mission of supporting orphans across the globe.
• how more businesses and non-profit organizations can work together to make a greater philanthropic impact.
• how individuals can infuse their philanthropic spirit into their careers.
• the most memorable and cherished moments he has experienced through RetailROI.
• some of his favorite hobbies (like taking snapshots of his favorite football teams).
• how we can all do well by doing good!

As you will see when you listen to our conversation, Greg is such a ray of light in the retail sector and the world. And we feel privileged at Zebra to be able to shine the spotlight on the tireless effort he has put into both his professional and philanthropic initiatives to help make others’ lives better!

Originally published here!

As consumer demand increases and the needs of today’s businesses change, enterprises are finding their workers need more screens to get their jobs done accurately and efficiently – in part because they are on the move more than ever. Though handheld mobile computing devices have long been a staple for front-line workers, many companies now need to bring the value of a desktop computer out into the field to drive efficiency and enable better workforce communications among workers who need a bigger screen, more computing capacity, or “handwritten” data input capabilities to be productive.

When investing in new mobility solutions for these cases, it may be tempting to consider consumer-grade tablets, laptops or 2-in-1s because they are often right in front of us. In addition, both decision makers and end users are typically more familiar with these devices, seeming to promise a quicker and more intuitive onboarding process. However, today’s top enterprise-grade tablets either run the Android™ operating system (OS) or the same professional grade Windows 10 OS used on desktops and laptops, offering a similar user experience that can be just as simple – and even more rewarding in the long run – to introduce into the company’s workflows.

For example, bringing together the mobility of a smartphone with the larger screen and the advanced processing power of a desktop or laptop computer, tablets enable highly mobile workers to access the data, native apps and other enterprise systems they need just as easily as if they were sitting at a desk. They can also connect with their colleagues to collaborate in real time via push-to-talk voice apps and augmented reality tools that allow for remote assistance by specialists. To illustrate: in a study of field service industry leaders, 35% prioritize mobile devices to enable faster response times to unexpected events, such as system outages or emergency incidents, while 34% invest in mobility for improved communications.

Of course, the value of rugged enterprise-grade tablets will be unique to each business, as these devices tend to be configured for specific users and specialized use cases. However, there is a baseline value shared among all users and defined by the key attributes that universally separate purpose-built tablets from their consumer counterparts, including their:

1. rugged reliability,

2. unparalleled customization and management control,

3. ability to maintain peak performance levels all day long,

4. very long lifecycles, and

5. environmentally sustainable designs.

Let’s delve deeper into these five attributes to understand why forward-thinking companies are increasingly opting to equip field-based workers and others who spend long periods of time away from their desks with enterprise-grade tablets.

RUGGED RELIABILITY AND RESILIENT PERFORMANCE 

Those who are often on the go and working in remote, rural or otherwise unpredictable environments, such as field service and utility technicians, manufacturing teams, construction crews, merchandisers and public safety professionals, demand powerful, mission-critical devices. Consumer tablets frequently shut down when confronted with extreme temperatures, high humidity, and even salty air, whereas ruggedized enterprise devices are inherently built from the inside out to withstand challenging environments, including extreme heat and frigid cold. Their advantage lies in being able to keep workers efficient no matter the climate or task at hand.

Rugged tablets can also withstand the heavy use and potential damage that comes with using devices while high in the air in bucket trucks servicing power lines, in remote areas inspecting pipelines, assembling aircraft, or even setting up seasonal displays in retail stores. This includes accidental drops to concrete and repeated exposure to dust, dirt, vibration and water. Yet they are just as easy as a consumer device to use while walking and working. In fact, there are typically several accessories available that make it easy to carry enterprise-grade tablets around everywhere, including hand straps, shoulder straps and more.

Unlike consumer tablets, ruggedized enterprise devices also feature outdoor viewable, dimmable, glove touch capable displays that are reinforced against the bumps and drops, making them easy to use day or night, even when it’s raining, snowing, cloudy or sunny. And should they get dusty, dirty or otherwise contaminated throughout the day, they can easily be wiped down or even rinsed under running water without the screen getting ruined or interior components getting wet. (Many enterprise-grade rugged devices are IP65, IP67 or even IP68 rated!)

In a nutshell, their durable and thoughtful ergonomic designs provide unmatched reliability compared to the fragile components of the average consumer tablet.

UNPARALLELED CUSTOMIZATION AND CONTROL  

There’s a tablet for every kind of business. While front-line utility workers may need to prioritize drop-proof, high-visibility screens and GIS access, public safety and healthcare workers may need 2-in-1 functionality with a detachable keyboard or access to more secure data and information systems to run background checks or retrieve patient records. Retailers may look for devices that boast user-friendly interfaces and easy, ergonomic portability with point-of-sale payment processing capabilities. And merchandisers may need to be able to see detailed planograms in variable lighting and a way to get customer sign off on deliveries or setups.  Equipped with the right devices, employees can run any native apps to meet their unique operational requirements.

Finding the right device extends beyond the form factor, though. There is an extensive number of accessories and optional features available with rugged tablets that are rarely offered with consumer devices, such as integrated barcode scanners and RFID readers, dedicated GPS, specialized mounting and docking systems, and legacy input/output (I/O) such as RFJ45 or HDMI-in. Many consumer tablets don’t even come with a headphone jack anymore, and they are typically equipped with far fewer USB ports than the average worker needs these days.

In addition to control over configuration, enterprise devices are built with business operations in mind: software upgrades and other updates can be done when it is most convenient to the business, so they do not interfere with other applications or ongoing workflows. In addition, enhanced security and IT management tools such as multi-factor authentication, SmartCard/Common Access Card readers, application whitelisting, multi-user login, lock, wipe, and device monitoring help protect valuable and sensitive data and ensure fast and reliable connectivity.

PEAK PERFORMANCE THAT LASTS AN ENTIRE SHIFT

Tools for portability, including hot swappable or auxiliary batteries, allow enterprise tablets to last an entire shift without stopping or switching devices. At the same time, the memory, storage and desktop-comparable processing power of rugged enterprise tablets make it easy to run high-performance, workflow-specific applications that introduce greater efficiency into workers’ days.

Wireless connectivity typically isn’t a problem with enterprise devices, either, as engineers take extra care to integrate the right antennas in the right place to ensure a constant signal is maintained with cellular, Wi-Fi and/or private networks per device configuration, including dedicated public safety networks.

LONG-TERM LIFECYCLE 

When it comes to consumer-grade tablets, the long tail of inefficiency adds up. With a more reliable fleet of devices, businesses will not need to keep a large population of spares on hand or waste the time and fuel required to ship damaged devices to and from a service center.

Long-lasting and easily replaceable components like batteries extend the life cycle of enterprise tablets compared to consumer-grade devices where the battery is not field replaceable and must instead be shipped out for service. In addition, other components like chargers and adapters are upgraded only when needed, rather than with every new device iteration.

In fact, consumer mobile devices cost up to 50% more than rugged devices over five years.

MEETING CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

As consumer expectations for sustainable products increase and environmental regulations evolve, sustainability has in many ways become table stakes. That’s why many companies are giving more weight to rugged enterprise tablets, which can easily last up to 10 years with the right maintenance. The extended lifespan reduces the overall carbon footprint of businesses, especially when compared to consumer devices that may reach end of life in one or two years – or sooner with heavy use. By opting for devices that boast lower churn rates and can easily be refurbished or recycled when it comes time for replacement, companies minimize their contribution to landfills and hazardous waste disposal practices that are harmful to the planet.

Also noteworthy: rugged device manufacturers have secured certifications like the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) from the Global Electronics Council for materials transparency and third-party confirmation to prove they are developing and selling a truly green product. This can be a key differentiator in a competitive market for manufacturers as well as their customers. More young professionals seek employers that prioritize the environment and live up to their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments. As a result, more companies now value sustainable product design and appreciate the measures being taken by device manufacturers to reduce the use of plastic and overall packaging material in shipping processes.

THE FUTURE IN YOUR HANDS

New challenges and changing circumstances require businesses to embrace technology solutions that can support the unique needs of their front-line and field-based workers. Though it may seem easiest to give them “familiar” consumer-grade laptops, tablets or 2-in-1s, the familiarity is not lost on rugged enterprise-grade tablets. In fact, the user experience may be significantly improved, as workers gain the added benefit of customized feature sets, enterprise-grade security and communication tools, extreme versatility and proven device reliability. With the wide range of rugged tablets built today for specific workers and workflows, they are proving to be the only type of tablet relevant to nearly every work environment, from retail stores to police stations. 

Originally published here!

In late 2020, we learned from several Zebra healthcare customer advisory board (CAB) members that the trend toward telehealth wasn’t going to be short lived. Though COVID-19 may have accelerated the adoption of virtual care models in primary, specialized and emergent settings to support patients at home, it is the growing distance between clinicians driving the healthcare community to embrace telehealth solutions on a greater scale.

So, we recently reconnected with Chris Sullivan, Zebra’s global healthcare practice lead, and Rikki Jennings, Zebra’s Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO), to learn about the increasing investment healthcare providers are making in telehealth technologies – as well as the new virtual programs they’re piloting – to improve the quality of patient care both inside and outside the four walls.

Your Edge Blog Team: There have been a lot of realizations in the healthcare world over the past year or so, including the value of and potential for telehealth. In our last discussion, you both shared how the quick shift to virtual patient consults allowed providers to maintain continuity of care and even provide emergency interventions when it was the only option. But do you expect the use of telehealth to be sustained as hospitals and doctors’ offices return to normal operations?

Chris: We’ve already observed a partial decline in patients’ at-home use of telehealth, but not to pre-COVID-19 levels. There is still a great convenience factor in not having to go into a facility every time you need to talk to a practitioner. Many people were having to drive an hour or two to see their doctors and others were having to wait weeks or months to get appointments before the pandemic started. The unplanned acceleration of telehealth innovation, though chaotic and disjointed at first, has turned out to be quite beneficial to both the healthcare community and our global communities – often in unexpected ways.

Your Edge Blog Team: How so?

Chris: As telehealth technology systems are maturing and the rules of engagement are being better defined, hospitals, clinics, and private practices are successfully eliminating some of the barriers that would have deterred patients from getting timely care before, such as geographic distance and provider availability. In doing so, though, they are also eliminating some of the silos that have long existed between internal departments and others across the healthcare community.

Your Edge Blog Team: In other words, as technology systems mature and the availability of telehealth services becomes more widespread, it’s no longer about just connecting physically distanced doctors and nurses with their patients but connecting them to one another.

Chris: That’s right. Virtual appointments aren’t going away. The application of telehealth solutions is simply expanding as many realize the real opportunity to improve outcomes lies in virtual clinician collaboration.

Your Edge Blog Team: Rikki, as a nurse, have you seen the need to enable greater collaboration between clinicians who are dispersed across campus buildings or even global borders?

Rikki: Absolutely. Throughout the pandemic there has been a need for clinicians and even hospital administrators to collaborate in unprecedented ways as we work through best practices and aim to share learnings regarding COVID-19 patient care and treatment.

And as demand for quality care rises overall, not just specific to this virus, giving care team members access to telehealth tools could serve as a gateway for specialized assistance from well-seasoned health professionals across cities, countries, even continents. We’ve already started to see how much it can enhance connectivity between different healthcare workers who are caring for the same patient within hospitals across the U.S. and abroad. Those working a case, regardless of whether they are in the building or remote, can audibly and visually communicate with each other using clinical smartphones, healthcare-grade tablets, and other similar collaboration devices to support even more patients simultaneously.

In fact, that’s why many of our customers are focused right now on creating digital systems that link healthcare professionals to each other during every step of the patient care process, whether it be via voice, video, or data-based applications. The goal is to knock down a lot of information silos that have previously caused miscommunication, errors and frustrations within clinical settings.

They want to ensure the right information is being passed on to care teams during patient handoffs, whether the person is being transferred from ambulatory care to the emergency room (ER) or a telehealth consult referred the patient to the hospital. So, we’re doing all we can to break down any digital and physical boundaries that remain today across the healthcare community. If we give the right care team members a way to fully sync with one another at the right time, it could change a lot about the way we approach new healthcare situations.

Your Edge Blog Team: Understanding it’s continuing to mature, what is the current “state of telehealth” from a clinical perspective? How are technologies being used right now to facilitate virtual collaboration between care team members?

Chris: Primary care practitioners are the ones who most often utilize telehealth applications today, and this is for general or first level patient diagnosis. Specialty doctors such as dermatologists, surgeons, mental health providers and others are also increasingly leveraging telehealth. However, EMS is a good example of where we’re seeing more breakthrough innovation and unique applications, but this is a niche area.

Your Edge Blog Team: Can you elaborate a bit more on the EMS use case?

Chris: Historically, there have been digital disconnects between emergency medical technicians (EMT) in ambulances and the ER staff waiting for patients to arrive. Sometimes, they’re communicating through a dispatcher. But in many cases, the ER team has very little insight into the incident or a patient’s status until the EMTs debrief them during handoff, which can be very chaotic and even lead to treatment delays.

So, if you equip EMTs with rugged tablets that let them plug into hospital systems – or even just video chat with ER staff – they can provide real-time status updates from the field and start the handoff while the ambulance is in route to the hospital. EMTs can record and share the patient’s vitals, images of injuries and even early intervention updates in real time, so ER staff can somewhat triage ahead of arrival. If an operating room needs to be prepped or a specialist called in, the proper people can be alerted before the patient arrives. That way, the hospital team is better prepared to proceed with the right course of treatment the moment the patient is transferred to its care.

At the same time, EMTs can use their tablets to pull up patient histories to check for any known medical conditions, implants, allergies, contraindications, or other pertinent information before administering treatments to patients in the field or during transport. In fact, EMTs could consult with remote clinicians from the field if needed to help improve outcomes. Perhaps the emergency department team or even doctors and nurses assigned to helpline-type programs could be “called in” via telehealth tools to advise EMTs on how to triage or stabilize a patient experiencing symptoms or trauma beyond their expertise. And with the right software on the tablet, they can unlock medical vaults quickly to administer recommended medications and update patient records on the spot, notifying the ER team of drug administration to inform future treatment decisions. Again, just another opportunity to influence – and improve – ambulatory strategies for each case and hopefully improve outcomes for all patients.

Your Edge Blog Team: Are similar telehealth use cases emerging elsewhere in the healthcare community?

Chris: Actually, collaborative telehealth tools can make a big difference within emergency departments themselves. Not every hospital or emergency department is going to have the right specialists on hand around the clock – or ever. Telehealth tech gives the option to video chat or talk to remote specialists to pull in their insight when needed, even if they can’t be there in person. The ED team can ask the specialist to help walk them through how to treat a patient for their specific condition, and the patient does not have to experience long delays or fragmented communication to get the right care immediately.

Your Edge Blog Team: Very much like the EMT field triage and treatment example, then – just in a different setting.

Chris: Exactly.

Your Edge Blog Team: Rikki, have you come across any other unique telehealth applications either in your work as a nurse or in your consults with customers as Zebra’s CNIO?

Rikki: It’s really significant to see the kind of ongoing problems telehealth can solve, including the timeliest one which is the need to connect clinicians who are treating high-risk patients. If a medical crisis is occurring that involves a highly contagious disease, you want as few clinicians coming in contact with patients as possible. With the help of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, a tablet, clinical smartphone and/or workstation on wheels, you can leverage telehealth to minimize physical clinician exposure without sacrificing the quality of patient care. Two nurses can gear up to engage with the patient directly while getting assistance from doctors safely distanced outside the room.

More broadly, I’m seeing telehealth solutions being used to facilitate clinician-to-clinician collaboration across routine care actions. The average inpatient nurse may be assigned to monitor six different cases per shift, and they can’t be in all rooms at once. So, if an alarm goes off, someone else could respond and then loop in a doctor as needed. Both primary team members and specialists can be called in virtually as needed, and everyone can get up-to-speed on patient status and collaborate on procedural steps for case-by-case medical situations regardless of physical distance.

Your Edge Blog Team: So, by leveraging the mobile devices widely available today, healthcare systems can fill in those information gaps to smooth patient handoffs and ensure a more optimized caregiving experience for all persons involved.

Rikki: That’s right. The emerging telehealth use cases we’re seeing prove physical distance does not have to sacrifice the quality of care. In fact, this type of connectivity ultimately better serves patients because telehealth doesn’t require clinicians to be at a particular physical place at a certain time to provide effective care – and patient access isn’t restricted to physicians within a certain proximity of them.

Your Edge Blog Team: Given the clear-cut benefits of virtual collaboration tools, one would imagine the adoption rate to be quite significant. The healthcare community seems eager to embrace new technologies or systems that can improve the speed and quality of patient care, and anything that reduces the burden of higher patient volumes is appreciated. So, we’re curious if there’s any reason why a clinician would say, “No, I’m not using this” and what could slow telehealth uptake in hospitals?

Rikki: If you’re a tech-savvy individual, it’s easy to perceive the mobile devices and software used for telehealth as being straightforward and intuitive. However, not all clinicians may see it this way. If a clinician is more accustomed to an iOS user interface due to everyday personal use, having an Android™ clinical smartphone put in their hands could take an adjustment period. Equipping clinicians with the proper software applications upon being introduced to new mobility solutions is also essential to making this adjustment period as stress-free as possible, and it is something we’ve been more focused on lately at Zebra in collaboration with our customers. We want clinicians to feel confident knowing the technology will be aligned with their existing workflow and it’s here to solve many of the communication, coordination and collaboration challenges they have faced in the past.

It’s the job of us technologists and innovators to solicit end users’ feedback. If the tools aren’t easy to navigate at first, we need to know so we can either adjust the user experience or train them more thoroughly. Plus, it has become so important to have technology developers shadow clinicians to understand themselves exactly what functionality and connectivity these professionals need to execute their job properly. They need to see exactly how their processes can be improved before they get to work engineering or refining solutions. Getting that direct exposure is more meaningful than ever as we develop tools that are truly designed for clinicians’ duties. We want to ensure the work we’re doing will make a real difference in care optimization. Of course, then educating these professionals on how to use this technology effectively to harness its value is key to everyone’s success.

Chris: Rikki’s right.Though the COVID-19 pandemic forced technology adoption to skyrocket and paved new avenues for care administration, we still have a way to go before the telehealth experience will become completely frictionless. In addition to the concerns Rikki mentioned, we know we must streamline data access. Having to shift between five or six or more different information systems to piecemeal together different bits of information about the patient’s history is a frustrating experience for physicians. They will not be interested in using scaling telehealth applications – or offering virtual care services at all – unless they can access accurate and timely patient data in a matter of seconds. Telehealth can’t become a hindrance to current workflows or complicate day-to-day tasks. It must simplify them – especially if clinicians are expected to bounce back and forth between in-person patients and virtual patient consults. We need to ensure these tools are easy to use and accessible to everyone who may be connecting this way: EMT teams who need to coordinate with emergency department staff, inpatient nurses who need a doctor to weigh in on a case change identified during rounds, primary care managers (PCM) who will refer patients to specialists or admit patients to the hospital, and even the patients themselves.

Your Edge Blog Team: Beyond more collaborative care decisions, what other benefits can we expect from telehealth as it becomes more widely utilized in hospitals and other acute environments?

Chris: Some of our CAB members believe focused telehealth services will increase the quality of care for patients due to the time clinicians save in-between tasks. Plus, the technology can provide more accessible, practical and beneficial wellness solutions for professionals and patients alike, whether the patient is physically sitting at home or in a hospital.

Rikki: From the healthcare workers’ perspective, these virtual tools maximize their ability to prepare for patients properly, make the right decisions under pressure, and minimize the risk of miscommunication.

They also give clinicians the flexibility to complete their duties and stay updated from anywhere at any time which can really boost morale. Subsequently, telehealth contributes to an improved patient experience, ensuring clinicians can give them the timely, accurate, effective and safe care they deserve.

Originally published here!

The year 2051 may be tough to imagine in detail, but Chip Yager has a feeling people will still be calling the shots in factories, warehouses, retail stores, and restaurants – even as robots provide more support. He’s also confident that whatever happens in the next 30 years, Zebra will be there to help every asset and worker be visible, connected and fully optimized. Listen to our latest podcast episode now to find out why:

Chip Yager: “The Next 30 Years”

Listen to the interview here!

In this very fun 15-minute conversation, Chip also gave us the scoop on…

• what he was doing at the time of Zebra’s initial public offering 30 years ago. (It’s not what you might expect.)
• why he didn’t buy into Zebra’s Enterprise Asset Intelligence vision at first – and why he wholeheartedly believes now its key to our future, both as a company and as a society.
• just how much Zebra’s trajectory has changed in recent years and how it could affect the technologies you and I will see in our personal lives in the next 30 years.
• what he credits to Zebra’s 30-year success as a public company
• how investors view Zebra (and what has driven up our stock price)

If you’re overdue for a coffee break, grab that cup and hit play on this episode now.

Originally published here!