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What does reliable customer support look like now?

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For the past twenty years, Avalon Integration has always prided itself in being able to offer in-person development and maintenance support, yet with the coronavirus spread, on-site services are no longer recommended. However, this has not changed our commitment to providing quality service. That’s why our experts have taken the time to round up all the resources you need to facilitate remote technical assistance. From specialist advice to hands-on virtual assistance, we are here to make sure you receive reliable and knowledgeable technical support no matter the crisis.

Jump to a Specific Resource:

How to Build Your Mobile Workstation

Dan Mccabe Shows You How to Build Your Mobile Workstation with the Newcastle PowerCart

Dan Mccabe Shows You How to Build Your Mobile Workstation with the Newcastle PowerCart

Now more than ever, mobility is crucial to keep operations running smoothly, which is why Avalon continues in its partnership with Newcastle and Zebra Technologies to provide you with mobile workstations that streamline data entry with:

  • One long-range Zebra handheld scanner
  • One industrial yet movable Zebra printer
  • Newcastle’s mobile cart and display screen. 

See how it comes together in our video:

What Specialized Types or Media Should You Integrate Into Your Operations

Integrate into Your Operations

Integrate Zebra Certified Consumables into Your Operations

Print and apply labels dominate most applications, yet at Avalon, we are always striving to take efficiency up a step, which is why we equip your operations with Zebra’s family of certified consumables, designed to accelerate processes with your choice of:

  • Continuous labels – Eliminating paper waste, continuous labels allow you to choose label length to fit your applications.
  • Peel-and-present labels – These consumables accelerate labeling by removing the liner as labels are printed. They are ideal for low to medium volume operations.
  • Linerless labels – Get more prints per roll with a label that has no liner at all. This is ideal for mobile printers since it eliminates hanging liner paper, which could cause an accident on the warehouse floor.  
  • Custom labels – Choose from over 300 pretested materials to assemble a label tailored to your operations’ needs. Plus, count on fast replenishments since Zebra labels are sourced from your nearest label converting facility.
  • Dissolvable labels – Remove the stress of time-consuming label removal with the 8000D label which dissolves readily in water.

Explore Zebra’s full range of certified consumables here.

How to Properly Clean Your Zebra Printhead

How to Properly Clean Your Zebra Printhead with Raymond Scipioni

Raymond Scipioni Explains how to Keep Your Zebra Printhead Clean

In time, even the best printheads can become worn down. While Zebra Certified Consumables are designed to minimize adhesive buildup and printhead scraping, we still recommend cleaning your printhead to avoid surprise downtime. Discover a quick and fast way to clean your Zebra printhead in our video below:

Further eliminate premature printhead failure when you enroll in the Zebra Printhead Protection Program and make Zebra Consumables your media of choice, so you get:

  • Free printhead replacements
  • Consistent print quality devoid of scannability and reprinting issues
  • Convenience of a one-source supplier

Download our flyer to learn more. 

How to Properly Clean Your Mobile Devices

Cleaning Zebra Mobile Devices

Cleaning Zebra Mobile Devices

Improper cleaning and harsh chemicals can damage your device, and with hundreds of bacteria inhabiting warm handheld devices, establishing proper sanitation practices is crucial to ensure workforce safety and device availability. As a Zebra Premier Solutions Partner, Avalon Integration helps you create proper disinfection strategies tailored to the device type. 

Further, protect your operations by referring to your device’s user guide for proper cleaning methods.

How to Run Diagnostics Independently on Your Zebra Device

Run Diagnostics Independently with Zebra Devices

Run Independent Device Diagnostics with Zebra Mobile Computers

Your workforce needs their technology to keep operations running, so when devices are out for repairs, your overall workflow is impacted. As part of Zebra’s valued Mobility DNA family, Device Diagnostics increases device availability by empowering you to run simple diagnostics on-site without prolonged wait times or extensive repairs.

  • Certify issues are found and resolved through an easy-to-understand interface
  • Test scanner operability, audio, and touchscreen/button functionality at the palm of your hands
  • Troubleshoot connectivity issues no matter your networking preferences
  • Monitor battery performance and cradle functionality

With the press of a button, test your devices’ major systems to either eliminate common errors or accelerate the repair issue by targeting the problem before your device reaches the repair center.

How to Repair/Replace Your Zebra Device

Repair or Replace Your Zebra Device with Zebra OneCare

Repair or Replace Your Zebra Device with Zebra OneCare

When your device truly needs to be repaired, Avalon works hard to match your needs to qualified experts while providing quick replacement solutions to uphold productivity. Zebra’s OneCare service stands as an excellent example of timely support tailored to your business size. Choose from three tiers of coverage to get:

  • Trusted comprehensive coverage
  • 3-time repair turnaround time
  • Entree to restricted software
  • Cloud-based view for your mobile devices
  • Up to 24/7 live-agent support
  • Assisted Device commissioning and spare pool management (Available for Select and Premier tiers)

See how easy it is to integrate Zebra’s OneCare service into your support system when you download our flyer here.

Still Having Trouble?

If you need more in-depth assistance, ask our warehousing experts to find the answers to all your questions. To see how you can maximize uptime with Zebra hardware, contact us for a free demonstration of any device of your choice.

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Dial Dan: 4 Top Priorities to fit into Your Workspace

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I can’t believe it was only February 20th when my blog posting started with “Unemployment is at a 40 year low”.

While 2019 was all about maximizing labor productivity, 2020 is shaping up to be about how we can all get back to work as safely as possible.

Here are some of the ways that we are helping our clients implement current best practices:

Signage everywhere should be project #1.

Signage – Back in WW2, you couldn’t walk 10 feet at a government facility or factory making war materials without passing a sign that said “Loose lips sink ships” or something similar. It only takes one person to speak out of turn to give the enemy an advantage. Today’s enemy is the virus, and it only takes one or two folks to give it a foothold in a community. We need people wearing masks, maintaining distance, and disinfecting shared surfaces and devices to minimize exposure and spread. We’ve got a huge collection of signage of various sorts that our clients can post throughout their facilities to constantly remind people to stay safe.

Disinfection everywhere should be project #2.

Healthcare Worker wearing a mask and putting on gloves in a hospital room

Disinfection cycles for shared devices – While you can protect yourself from some diseases by wearing gloves, COVID-19 required more in-depth strategies than that. Rather than gloves, constant disinfection of shared devices and surfaces is the way to go. Hospitals and hair salons/barbershops have long used UV light for this purpose, and UV light can be a great way to constantly disinfect things like mobile computers, tools, printers, and keyboards on shared PCs. We’ve got a collection of UV light-based products, long used in hospital settings, available for our clients.

Employee and visitor screening should be project #3.

Zebra Android Scanner being used in a Hospital to track patients barcode

Employee and visitor screening – Keeping sick people out of your facility keeps your employees safe. The best way to do that is via thermal imaging cameras. We’ve got a selection of cameras that can passively monitor employees and visitors as they enter, alerting you to ones that may be running a fever (for future screening).  The cameras can also optionally check for mask usage.

Social distance monitoring and tracing should be project #4.

Real-time social distance monitoring and contact tracing – For our clients lucky enough to have deployed Zebra Android devices in the past few years, we have a solution that can enforce social distancing and also provide for historical contact tracing, via Bluetooth tags. When one user of a Zebra device gets too close to another, both of their devices beep, vibrate and remind them to separate. And, weeks later, when one of them is diagnosed, you can see exactly who they were in contact with and for how long. In the near term future, we expect these technologies to become available on non Zebra devices as well, including employees’ phones (You’ll still need a Zebra Bluetooth tag per employee though for best results).

We hope that it won’t be long before we can get back to figuring out how to maximize employee productivity. In the interim though, please look to us to help you get back to work!

For more information on how to implement these projects into your workforce, dial Dan McCabe for a free remote demonstration and assessment of your current workspace.

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Preparing Your Storefront for Opening Day

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As one of the most demanding and customer-centric sectors of business, retail often involves a great deal of direct-contact services, potentially exposing both customers and employees to harmful pathogens in high-density areas. Furthermore, because most shoppers still prefer to touch products before purchase, pathogens may also be spread via high-touch surfaces. Lastly, as businesses begin to regrow, device sharing may also become ever more common, further contributing to germ spread. While there may still be weeks before most retail stores officially welcome shoppers, it’s not too early to start planning and developing a reliably thorough infection control system. 

Generating over one trillion dollars in 2017, the retail sector has become a crucial contributor to the U.S. economy, yet after facing one of the biggest health challenges of our time, it’s only natural that customers will expect more from the retail business. Valuing both the employee and customer experience, Avalon Integration is already working with leading manufacturers and innovators in gathering the best resources to help you get ready for opening day.

Open for Business – Not Germs

Open for Business with Disinfection

Open for Business Not for Germs

When creating an infection control system that adapts into the customer-focused retail landscape, combine the power of human intelligence with automated reliability by:

  • Setting time aside for proper disinfection – Just like grocery stores have separated large amounts of time to clean and restock, retail stores can implement similar procedures. Moreover, cleaning procedures should be implemented within workflows as devices are shared between associates.
  • Dedicating labor efforts to oversight – With multiple touch-points spread throughout retail stores, close oversight may be necessary to prevent missed sanitation and cleaning cycles. Further secure sanitation cycles with automated disinfection technologies such as Proximity’s UV-Clean which kills bacteria and records sanitation cycles for future auditing.
  • Choosing committed flexibility – Adaptable to your workspace, UV-Clean’s different mounting options bring the power of ultraviolet disinfection to even the smallest space, eradicating 99.99% of bacteria in under 5 minutes, restoring devices into your workforce’s hands as quick as possible to maximize uptime.

See how UV light stands against germs when you download our infographic.

Not sure where to start? Contact Avalon Integration for a free assessment of your infection control technology and safeguard your employees and customers with solutions built for maximum productivity and safety. 

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3 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Infection Control System

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In response to rising health concerns across the world, companies have enforced crucial hand washing policies to curb germ spread. However, when it comes to completely protecting high-touch surfaces, handwashing is only the beginning to effective infection control. While highly effective on human hands, soap and water may not be suitable for your mobile devices, which when shared, can transmit up to 80% of pathogens within a single touch. As a matter of fact, high-touch surfaces -like keyboards, scanner handles, and touchscreens – can carry up to 10 times more bacteria than a public restroom, yet consistent sanitation schedules are still scarce in most operations.

It's time to Upgrade Your Infection Control System

It’s time to upgrade your Disinfection Solutions with Avalon Integration, Proximity and Zebra Technologies

To protect your operation’s most valuable assets -that is, your workforce- Avalon Integration works alongside leading automation developers such as Zebra Technologies and Proximity Systems to bring you three easy ways to enhance your infection control system while augmenting productivity and staff safety.

Proximity's UV-Clean delivers automated cleaning cycles

Proximity’s UV-Clean delivers automated cleaning cycles

  1. Automated Cleaning Cycles – Just as with many other pencil-to-paper systems, manual sanitation schedules leave room for error, which in this case, increases workforce exposure to harmful pathogens. To mitigate germ spread, disinfection technology, such as Proximity’s UV-Clean, provides a no-touch automated sanitation schedule, where cycles are automatically recorded for future auditing. Simply place your mobile device under its controlled ultraviolet beam to kill 99.99% germs in less than 5 minutes, and track cycles in your operation’s high-density areas. 
  2. Chemical-Resistant Hardware – To complement automated disinfection cycles, Avalon also recommends strengthening your infection control system by applying the correct cleaning procedures to all your Zebra devices. Built with the toughest materials available, Zebra hardware is virtually waterproof and chemical resistant, ensuring continuous performance throughout your stringent disinfection strategies.
  3. Minimized Device Sharing – While we understand it may be difficult to equip every team member with their own device, Avalon works with Zebra to minimize needless device sharing through versatile technology that streamlines multiple functions through one device. Combine data capture, connectivity, and inventory tracking all through one of Zebra’s next-generation mobile computers, available through the GO Zebra Trade-In Program. Upgrade devices from any manufacturer to integrate durable and multi-purpose technology that boosts mobility while lowering device swapping.

Take a closer look at how to elevate your infection control system in our video.

Integrate all or one of these methods today to raise the standards of inefficient disinfection when you contact us for a free demonstration of these devices.

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How to React Proactively to the Coronavirus Outbreak

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In our commitment to our clients’ and partners’ safety, Avalon Integration is closely monitoring the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as it’s estimated to disrupt nearly 75% of supply chains nationwide. As the second-largest economic power in the world, aggregating over $14 trillion in GDP, China plays a central role in most order fulfillment and manufacturing processes, and with the viral outbreak, several business impacts may be expected such as:

  • Delayed Travel – Because symptoms can take up to two weeks to manifest, several travel bans have gone into effect, impacting common business destinations. 
  • Halted Production – With less people on the warehouse floor, it is only expected that productivity will slow or stop completely until further notice. 
  • Social Distancing – To further prevent the spread, many organizations -both in and out of the warehouse- are closing on-site activities, further increasing delays. Quarantines also contribute to this as well.

What happens in Mid-March

Cleaning Zebra Devices

Keep your Zebra devices clean

While there is no way to concretely predict what will happen within the coming weeks, reports suggest that at least on the business end of this pandemic, companies should expect a spike in halted production by mid-March as the last round of produced goods should have arrived by late-February. For companies who will continue to operate during these times, we would like to share a few key takeaways from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention and our partner, Zebra Technologies.

  1. If you already have severe or chronic respiratory, consider delaying travels and taking extra precautions to avoid the disease.
  2. If you currently live in a community that has been affected by COVID-19, and your present symptoms, consider contacting your doctor as soon as possible and staying home. 
  3. For on-site team members, be sure to refer to the User Guide of your handheld devices to make sure proper cleaning and disinfection techniques are followed.  
  4. Whether or not you work directly in healthcare, consider revisiting your cleaning and disinfection strategies to reduce the spread of germs.

Alongside the CDC’s valuable COVID-19 mitigation strategies, Zebra Technologies has also shared prevention insight in their whitepaper, Cleaning and Disinfecting Mobile Devices.

To learn more about how you can best integrate healthy cleaning strategies in your operations, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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