571: Discover the Future of Intelligent Supply Chains, with Zebra Technologies

Wes Coleman & Matthew Fehrenbach of Zebra Technologies on automation, frontline workers, supply chain innovation & the future of intelligent operations.

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.32] An overview of Zebra Technologies today: who they are, what they do, and the challenges they help their customers solve.

"We're working every day to make businesses as smart and connected as the world we live in… Our goal is to give organizations enterprise asset intelligence. In a world of supply chain and retail complexity, we're helping our customers bridge the gap between high level strategy and daily frontline execution."

[04.43] From new product launches to a pivotal acquisition, the key milestones that have shaped Zebra Technologies since its founding in 1969.

[06.38] The acquisition of Motorola Solutions' Enterprise business, what it brought to Zebra, and how it expanded the solutions they could offer customers.

"The acquisition instantly doubled our size, and transformed us into an end-to-end workflow solution provider."

[07.52] Zebra's technology in action, and how it fits into customers' day-to-day workflows.

[12.30] How Zebra's customers approach new technology and automation, balancing enthusiasm for innovation with the practicalities of turning it into tangible results.

"Many customers think of things as individual components, like asset tracking with RFID, automating processes with machine vision, or predicting bottlenecks with generative AI. We try to guide them to stop viewing them as separate hardware components and, instead, treat them as an ecosystem."

[15.09] From asset tracking and inventory visibility to reduced shrinkage and improved worker engagement, the key outcomes retailers look to achieve with Zebra's solutions.

"Often retailers know they have a problem, they know what the problem is, but they're ensure what the options are for a solution."

[17.16] What asset tracking means for Zebra and its customers, and the value it delivers to their operations.