Note: I had an allergy attack following my California trip that wiped me out for a few days last week. Now trying to catch up with a number of thoughts.
’Tis the season of surveys and reports.
Actually, that season has become about as year-around as Christmas and Halloween. Once the province of pharmaceuticals, companies commission surveys and report on the ones that support their place in the market.
Not to be entirely cynical—technology supporting the front-line worker has been burgeoning over the past few years. Perhaps this was accelerated by Covid pandemic increasing remote workers? I don’t know.
The other interesting tidbit concerns Zebra Technologies, sponsor of this survey (companies call it research, but given my grad school courses, I balk at that description), has grown through some acquisitions from the company I knew (and sold a couple products) in the 90s.
Oh, and they had to throw AI into the mix. It’s up to you to figure out what they mean by that.
Zebra Technologies Corp. announced new research in collaboration with Oxford Economics. The study showcases how improving frontline workflows with modern technologies like AI, automation, and data improves profitability and enhances the customer experience.
Retailers reported a 21% improvement in customer satisfaction, manufacturers cited a 19% increase in employee productivity, and T&L leaders reported a 21% increase in productivity with better workflows. In addition, the study indicates AI investments help organizations achieve real-time visibility, generate actionable insights and improve efficiency.
Companies surveyed said they were using (unspecified) AI to address loss prevention, risk detection, inventory optimization, inventory management, demand forecasting, and predictive analytics—all typical machine learning technologies that have been around for a while.
They also noted using tools that have been around for years, although greatly improved since I sold and installed them in the 90s—RFID and machine vision.
The news release touts Zebra’s new brand narrative, “Better Every Day” affirming the company’s commitment to empower organizations with automation and AI to create new ways of working that make everyday life better.
