Expanded research shows optimized workflows across industries boost frontline worker satisfaction

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:ZBRA), a global leader in digitizing and automating workflows to deliver intelligent operations, today announced the latest research findings from its collaboration with Oxford Economics. The updated global study, surveying leaders across retail, transportation and logistics (T&L), and manufacturing, demonstrates how organizations gain significant financial and operational benefits by modernizing frontline workflows.

The updated study shows how improving additional frontline workflows with advanced technologies like AI, automation, and data improves profitability and enhances the customer experience.

For example, 34% of T&L firms which reported improving their picking and packing operations noted an improvement in staff retention and satisfaction, and 54% say they increased operational speed. Similarly, 56% of manufacturers reported productivity gains from modernizing production lines.

Unlocking Frontline Potential

The expanded Zebra study with Oxford Economics, which analyzes several new critical workflows, reveals impressive financial gains. For example, manufacturers improving their supply chain and inventory management reported a potential profit increase of $6.6 million for a typical organization.

Modernizing maintenance workflows provided a $6.2 million profit uplift, while advancing production lines added $3.5 million. These figures underscore the value of achieving asset visibility and real-time insight across operations.

In the retail sector, modernizing the point of sale unlocks a potential $4 million in higher profits. In T&L, improving shipping and loading workflows delivers a potential $2.8 million profit increase. These gains connect directly to equipping the frontline with the right technology to optimize workflows.

AI Moves from Theory to Practice

The research indicates a clear acceleration in AI adoption across all sectors. Zebra is well-positioned to meet this growing customer demand as validated by the Wall Street Journal's recent recognition of Zebra as a Top 10 company for AI Readiness in its inaugural "Best Companies for the Future" report.

The study shows that while many organizations already leverage AI, even more identify it as a critical need for future progress. In manufacturing, 50% of surveyed leaders seeking to advance production lines see AI as their top priority. In T&L, interest in AI for shipping and loading workflows nearly tripled among organizations still aiming to improve.

"This updated research confirms that intelligent operations deliver a quantifiable human and financial impact, simplifying complexity, elevating frontline productivity, and improving engagement," said Tom Bianculli, Chief Technology Officer, Zebra Technologies. "As a leader in AI for the frontline, we see how embedding intelligence directly into daily workflows turns insights into measurable action, unlocking the next wave of productivity and value for our customers."

Leveraging deep industry expertise and a global partner ecosystem, Zebra’s advanced products and solutions empower organizations to make smarter, real-time decisions. By streamlining repetitive tasks and simplifying workflows, Zebra helps frontline workers eliminate manual errors, maximize productivity, and continuously drive AI-backed innovation at the point of work.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

New data from Zebra and Oxford Economics shows organizations in retail, T&L, and manufacturing may achieve multi-million-dollar profit gains and significant increases in worker productivity and satisfaction by optimizing frontline workflows.
The study reveals that technology investments in areas like production lines, supply chain management, and point of sale directly contribute to a more engaged workforce and improved financial performance.
These outcomes show how combining AI, data, and automation with human expertise can transform the way work gets done, enabling the frontline to work better every day.
The findings highlight a significant increase in AI adoption, reinforcing Zebra’s position as a leader in deploying AI on the frontline, as recognized by the Wall Street Journal.

METHODOLOGY

Zebra Technologies commissioned global research with Oxford Economics conducted through a combination of surveys and econometric analysis. The participants included 1,000 senior leaders across retail (400), manufacturing (400), and T&L sectors (200) from the U.S., Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Their focus areas included inventory management, quality control, delivery operations, material handling, loss prevention and additional frontline workflows. A regression analysis was applied to correlate workflow improvements with financial performance metrics.

WHO IS ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES?

Zebra (NASDAQ:ZBRA) provides the foundation for intelligent operations with an award-winning portfolio of connected frontline, asset visibility and automation solutions which empower our customers to deploy AI on the frontline. Organizations globally across retail, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, healthcare, and other industries rely on us to deliver outcomes today while driving innovation for what’s next. Together with our partners, we create new ways of working that improve productivity and empower organizations to be better every day. Learn more at www.zebra.com.

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Media Contact:

Matt Towson

Zebra Technologies

+1-773-454-5396

Matt.towson@zebra.com

Industry Analyst Contact:

Kasia Fahmy

Zebra Technologies

+1-224-306-8654

k.fahmy@zebra.com