Posts

User-friendly technology prevents recalls. Here’s how:

When it comes to food and beverage and pharmaceutical safety, traceability is the baseline for future and sustainable success. Without it, vital products risk spoilage, impacting not only just the bottom line but also consumer safety. Ingestible and medicinal goods tend to be more prioritized since nearly 80% of consumers do not trust manufacturers to properly enforce safety measures around product quality. Moreover, drug recalls have increased steadily for the past two years, with 195 kinds of drugs pulled from shelves since 2017 – mostly due to poor quality control. Improper track and trace systems have often produced one or more of the following consequences:

  • Extensive fees and expenses stemming from downtime while production lines determine points of error. Recurrent issues may also lead businesses to sever ties with questionable companies, ultimately breaking down supply chains.
  • Damaged brand image still remains as one of the top deterrents of businesses since consumers are less likely to choose businesses known for even one safety issue.
  • Legal action may be taken on the part of affected consumers, resulting in broken consumer trust and even changes in laws and regulations.

It’s safe to assume food, beverages, and medicine will always be in demand for the years to come, which means effective traceability will also be highly sought to ensure perishable items are safe for consumers. As a result, automation continues to lead the modernization wave within manufacturing and distribution plants since it facilitates real-time track and trace for easier quality checks. However, complex training and long implementation times can stifle modernization’s benefits when it comes to effective traceability. That’s why simplicity and scalability have become foundational in accelerating deployment for faster efficiency. Whether it be through RFID scanning or mobile label printing, a user-friendly traceability system should be able to…

  1. Reduce illegible manual data entry – Pencil and paper reporting done in haste can result in illegible documentation, complicating future audits. Moreover, files may not be properly sorted and filed, taking time away from productive workflows as workers must spend time looking for vital information. On the other hand, automated data capture through purpose-built devices like Zebra’s DS3600 scanners connect data directly to your centralized database with nothing but a trigger pull, protecting data legibility while empowering workers to process products more quickly.
  2. Close communication gaps between manufacturers and distributors – As seen in recent news, supply chain changes can strike at any given moment, creating challenges for operations using just-in-time inventory management systems. Mobile computers integrating push-to-talk features and cellular connectivity and apps can bridge communication gaps by making sure teams and businesses are notified of any changes as soon as they happen.
  3. Incorporate touch-screen usability for younger workers – As younger workers ages 18-35 enter the workforce, legacy green screen apps may pose a higher learning curve even though they’re familiar to seasoned warehouse workers. That’s why applications like Zebra’s All-Touch Terminal Emulation have been developed to migrate TE screens onto a touchscreen interface for easier usability.
  4. Facilitate data sharing without compromising security – As data is shared digitally, it becomes a target for today’s cybercriminals. To combat threats, Zebra strengthens Android for Enterprise with mobility Extensions and LifeGuard, providing 90-day security patches, two-factor authentication, government-grade encryption, and many other tiered security parameters for uncorrupted data.

Learn how food and beverage businesses are enhancing operational visibility with Zebra in our vision study, available here.

As supply chains grow more complex, operational visibility will remain essential to ensure competitive product quality and consumer trust for every industry. Schedule a preliminary consultation with Avalon’s visibility experts to see how you can expand transparent tracking in your operations with simplistic and intuitive technologies.

/by
intelligent automation DD8701_Avalon-Blog-11-Image-6_15

How Zebra’s Mobility DNA expands the edge of hardware intelligence

,

We’ve been discussing the rising popularity of intelligent automation in today’s warehouses. However, while a vast majority of operations are enhancing teams with multi-functional hardware, many businesses still struggle to use new technologies since well over half of workforces are outsourced and/or cyclical. Outsourcing crucial workflows, such as picking and shipping, creates a challenge in user adoption since new hires must be constantly re-trained, halting productivity and order throughput.

While Android-based devices have been shown to decrease adoption rates through a familiar interface, workers may still face issues when it comes to other core applications such as inventory management, WMS updates, and communication channels. Studies show that almost half of warehouses experience IT breakdowns at least a few days a week, most stemming from:

  • Dropped connectivity
  • Inefficient scan engines
  • Missed software updates
  • Lack of standardization
  • Missed maintenance schedules

To prevent these issues from diminishing the impact of automation efforts, Zebra’s Mobility DNA applications offer an additional level of adaptable intelligence to modernized devices that’s easy to adopt by your changing labor force.

Competitive intelligence is built from the inside out

Designed with simplicity in mind, Zebra’s Mobility DNA apps tackle the pervasive problems of IT breakdowns by:

  1. Securing WiFi connectivity within the four walls – Connectivity is the backbone of unbroken uptime, which is why Zebra’s WorryFree WiFi delivers no-drop WiFi connectivity to protect productivity with near-instant response times.
  2. Integrating intelligent data capture – Digitization eliminates the failures of manual data entry, but applications like SimulScan and DataWedge go a step farther by enabling multiple barcode scanning and instant data transmission for minimized keystrokes and faster throughput.
  3. Automatic updates and security patches – With the high prevalence of cyberthreats in today’s digital world, companies can no longer compromise on security. Zebra’s LifeGuard works alongside Android’s automatic OS updates with recurring 90-day security patches, extending device lifecycle up to 10 years.
  4. Converting legacy apps without backend modifications – Although touchscreen apps are more conductive for faster adoption, legacy green-screen apps are more familiar to the older workforce and contain a clear workflow layout. That’s where apps like All-Touch Terminal Emulation come in handy in order to convert TE apps right out of the box for immediate use without app rewriting.
  5. Facilitated remote device management – As the workforce grows, so does the need for more devices, which makes device management indispensable. Apps like PowerPrecision held track battery lifespan, virtually eliminating downtime from battery failure.

These are just a few of the benefits Mobility DNA brings. Download the full guide to see more.

Intelligent modernization takes many forms. Create a system that best adapts to your workforce with Avalon. Contact our automation experts for a close evaluation of your current solution to see how you can get started.

/by

3 Zebra Products Designed for Augmented Visibility

,

It’s not news to anyone at this point that visibility has become an indispensable necessity in today’s complicated supply chains. Although new demands and changing guidelines seem to affect every industry across the globe, not every visibility solution is fit to address your needs. Moreover, as demands grow, businesses are faced with multiple factors to track, from delivery times to storage status, to worker safety. Therefore, to better serve our wide variety of customers, Avalon Integration has taken the time to unfold the unique benefits and features of three of Zebra’s most popular tracking solutions, crafted for dependable visibility in today’s unprecedented changes.

Start small with durable identification

Durable Identification with Zebra Labels

Zebra Certified Consumables as a cost-effective and simple way to ensure accurate identification

When increasing operational visibility, we’ve found that even the smallest changes can yield big results. With that in mind, we turn to your labeling and identification system. Recent surveys have found that over half of “lost orders” are misplaced due to faulty labels that carry vital delivery and storage information. To prevent your stock’s information from getting lost (and eventually jeopardizing your product), we recommend evaluating the following label criteria:

  • Adhesive strength
  • Surface coating
  • Resistance to temperatures, moisture, dust exposure
  • Reel orientation and perforations

Not only can cheap labels harm your printer, but they can peel off or fade away over time, resulting in misplaced and inaccurate orders that hinder the customer experience. To amplify labeling efficiency, Avalon has continuously recommended Zebra Certified Consumables as a cost-effective and simple way to ensure accurate identification no matter the size of your operations. 

Take it up a notch with intelligent applications

RFID Solutions with Intelligent Applications

While RFID solutions serve as a modernized option to track assets and inventory simultaneously

As your business grows, so does the need for flawless technology, which is why when even one device goes missing, your whole team may suffer. As a matter of fact, 80% of costs attributed to lost devices come from data breaches, meaning that one lost tablet could very well impact your whole operation depending on what sort of data it holds.

While RFID solutions serve as a modernized option to track assets and inventory simultaneously, there are other cost-effective tools you can use to track your devices. For example, all of Zebra’s Android-powered mobile computers provide you with access to Mobility DNA applications that expand insight into your devices’ performance.

  • Device Tracker – Ensure continuous uptime with an application that helps you locate your misplaced device anywhere in the workplace.
  • PowerPrecision – Manage battery lifecycles across your entire digital fleet and pinpoint when a mobile device is underperforming to prevent surprise downtime.
  • LifeGuard – Extend security measures with recurrent 90-day patches that keep your devices updated automatically and silently. 
  • Device Diagnostics – Test major systems and deploy simple diagnostics to keep devices running and available without overburdening your IT department.

Expand visibility across the supply chain with RFID-powered MotionWorks

RFID Powered MotionWorks Warehouse

Zebra MotionWorks provide the greatest ease of use, flexibility, and versatility

Last, but certainly not least, when tracking multiple assets, products, and workers throughout the supply chain, visibility solutions like Zebra MotionWorks provide the greatest ease of use, flexibility, and versatility. Customize and grow your system to incorporate new goals by tracking:

  • Crucial assets – Manage all your deployed tools to verify location, condition, performance, and need all in real-time.
  • Material flow – Track and automate the flow of material while updating your WMS and ERP systems with actionable data that can be used to adjust to changes in demand.
  • Yard systems – Increase gate transaction speed to make sure inventory is transported to the correct dock in a timely fashion.

Bring the dependability of accurate tracking to where it matters most with the new MotionWorks Proximity for seamless worker safety, deployed directly on your Zebra mobile device. Reduce touchpoints to prevent germ spread and count on a user-friendly interface that accelerates safe and efficient contact tracing. 

In response to the health-crisis,  Zebra and Avalon have leveraged MotionWorks for efficient Worker Safety. Tune in to our newest podcast to learn more:

Of course, the above three suggestions fail to encompass the multitude of ways you can efficiently grow operational visibility without increasing costs. To learn how you can integrate a modernized visibility solution in your business, contact our automation specialists for a comprehensive assessment of your workflows.

/by

4 Ways Zebra Labels Escape Danger

,

At the crux of enterprise, success is an efficient labeling system. Controlling inventory movement from door to dock, labels hold the potential to maximize accuracy and productivity, two indispensable factors for today’s operations. Studies estimate return costs may reach well over $550 billion in 2020 alone, with wrongly-picked orders comprising almost a fifth of returned orders.  In other words, the time to establish labeling efficiency is now. 

Zebra Labels Improve Overall Productivity

Zebra Labels Improve Overall Productivity

While they only account for 5% of your operations’ expense, labels can be enhanced to improve overall productivity. Testing innovative technology for over two decades, Avalon Integration partners with Zebra Technologies to safeguard operations from inefficiency with quality labels and printing supplies. Engineered to maximize productivity and visibility, Zebra’s RFID labels give you the leading edge on today’s market changes by facing the top four labeling dangers with unprecedented ease.

  1. Made survive any environment – Designed with pretested materials, all Zebra Certified Consumables endure rigorous testing and inspection to make sure they remain functional beyond the moment of application.  
  2. Customizable to fit the desired size – Because no two businesses are the same, Zebra’s RFID labels can be customized with your choice of material, size, antenna, and inlay. Plus, with ZipShip, labels are ready to ship within 24 hours, reducing sudden label shortages.
  3. Customizable to function on metal applications – Create a metal-friendly RFID application with Zebra’s ZT411 industrial printer to bring the benefits of RFID locationing into previously uncharted applications.  
  4. Compatible with secured enterprise-devices – In addition to rugged labels, an efficient labeling solution requires enterprise-grade technology that protects data. Fortified by Mobility Extensions (Mx), Zebra handhelds such as the MC9300, TC7X, and TC5X preserve data security with government-grade encryption and reliable security patches provided through LifeGuard.

Not Like the Rest

Zebra Labels Not Like the Rest

Zebra Labels are Not Like the Rest

  • Regulatory fines
  • Lost customer loyalty
  • Missed compliance standards
  • Product shrinkage
  • Wasted warehouse space
  • Increased product returns

Eliminate the dangers of faulty labels with Zebra Certified Consumables. Plus, get free printhead replacements when you make Zebra your exclusive consumables supplier through the Printhead Protection Program.

Discover how Zebra’s RFID technology can help protect your operations when you contact us for a free labeling assessment with our industry experts and implement efficiency down to the smallest details.

/by

Good-Bye Windows: Welcome Opportunities with Android

,

With the close of the decade comes the close of the Microsoft era. As of January 1st, Microsoft has ended its support for Windows’ mobile operating systems which have powered enterprise technology for decades. Although support for Windows 7 will continue until 2021, Avalon Integration is already exploring several ways in which Android empowers the workforce to thrive in the face of the industry’s most notorious demands. 

The MC9300 uses Android to scan in any Environment

The MC9300 uses Android to scan in any Environment

Zebra researchers have uncovered numerous challenges to be expected within the coming months. As technology continues to advance and social media platforms become ever more prolific, the rise of e-commerce will contribute directly to the 76% increase in ordered assets, which leads to more deployed devices and a greater need for efficient long-term labor. Paired with the rising labor costs across the nation, the labor shortage has also led to higher turnover rates. In the end, the 2020’s top challenges can be summarized in:

  • Rise in omnichannel retail
  • Inefficient labor retention
  • Compressed logistics operations

Fortunately, Android operating systems have been thoroughly enhanced by both Zebra Technologies and Google to fit into the enterprise landscape.

Android is Ready. Are You?

The MC9300 uses Android to versatile for anywhere and everywhere

The MC9300 uses Android for anywhere you need it

When done correctly, OS migration can be seamless and profitable. As a Zebra Premier Solutions Partner, Avalon Integration provides all the resources needed to help you catch up with change without impacting productivity. As Zebra’s OS of choice, Android integrates efficiency by:

  • Delivering much-needed security: Within the first six months of 2019 alone, there were over 3,000 publicly disclosed data breaches. As the risk of cyberthreats grows exponentially, Android is refined for enterprise with government-grade encryption and Zebra’s LifeGuard, which delivers 90-day security patches and automatic silent OS updates.  
  • Implementing familiarity: There were over 2 billion monthly active Android consumer devices worldwide in 2017 alone. As one of the top operating systems in the world, Android simplifies the user experience, lowering training times since the interface is already familiar to workers. 
  • Accommodating the next generation of productivity technology: From the latest ultra-rugged designs such as the MC9300 to native productivity applications like Mobility DNA, Android powers the latest technology designed for faster operations, accurate order fulfillment, and increased warehouse visibility from packing to shipping.

Despite the new year, it’s still not too late to migrate. Ease into a new operating system, designed for enterprise efficiency when you create your modernization strategy with Avalon Integration. Count on two decades of experience and in-depth assistance while securing productivity with solutions tailored to your needs. 

/by