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By Rob Armstrong | Feb. 19, 2026
The Blueprint for Frontline AI: A Conversation on Driving Real-World Results
AI commands headlines and captures imaginations, promising a future of unparalleled efficiency. Yet for executives leading operations in retail, manufacturing, and transportation, the practical application of AI often feels distant from the hype.
How do we move from theoretical discussions to tangible results? How do we leverage these powerful tools to empower our teams and drive measurable growth today?
In our latest episode of Better Conversations, I sat down with Yogesh Kulkarni, Zebra’s Vice President of Product Solutions and Strategy, to discuss this very topic. We explored how our teams and partners design AI capabilities that make frontline operations better every day.
Yogesh possesses deep insights into how organizations can harness AI for incremental gains, and for creating smarter, more connected workflows that benefit employees and customers alike.
A Framework for Frontline Intelligence
Yogesh outlines a practical framework for deploying AI, which he calls the Frontline AI Suite, using a simple analogy. The first part contains "enablers," which function like ingredients in a kitchen. These foundational models for voice and vision give developers the raw materials they need to build custom solutions.
The next part provides "blueprints," which act as recipes. These best practice guides offer ready-to-configure workflows for specific tasks like material receiving or proof of delivery, helping organizations accelerate deployment across multiple industries.
This approach demystifies AI, making it an accessible and powerful tool for optimizing critical business processes.
AI in Action: From Warehouse to Your Doorstep
We also discuss real-world use cases. For example, a large post and parcel carrier uses a "picture proof of delivery" blueprint. When a driver delivers a package, the camera on their device automatically validates that the placement meets all guidelines, annotating the image in seconds.
This saves precious time at each stop, which multiplies across hundreds of deliveries a day. Our recent study with Oxford Economics reinforces this point, showing that transportation and logistics companies optimizing their delivery and field operations saw revenue growth increase by an average of 2.3 percentage points.
This single application provides a dual benefit: it boosts operational efficiency and enhances the customer experience by confirming a successful delivery.
Empowering Associates, Elevating Service
Our conversation also touches on the retail industry, where empowering associates directly impacts customer loyalty. Yogesh shares how we worked with Total Wine & More, a company renowned for its knowledgeable staff.
Using an AI-powered sales agent, new or seasonal associates gain instant access to deep product knowledge, allowing them to make expert recommendations with confidence. This support system ensures a consistent, high-quality customer experience. It also shows how intelligent operations help bridge skills gaps and elevate service.
Our research with Oxford Economics confirms the value of this focus, with retailers who improve their workflows reporting an average 21% increase in customer satisfaction and up to a 1.8 percentage-point lift in revenue growth.
The Bottom Line on Intelligent Operations
These examples demonstrate how a connected frontline with asset visibility and intelligent automation drives success. The benefits extend across industries. In manufacturing, for example, our study with Oxford Economics found that companies improving quality control and assurance workflows grew revenue up to 2.4 points faster than their peers.
Whether streamlining a supply chain, managing inventory, or assisting a customer, intelligent operations give teams real-time insights to optimize workflows and make better decisions. The work we pursue each day helps organizations, their employees, and the people they serve, and it’s more than providing devices or software; we deliver results.
During our conversation, Yogesh and I reflect on the human side of innovation. The goal extends beyond simple efficiency; it aims to make work better every day by giving frontline teams the tools they need to navigate complex tasks with confidence.
To hear more about these practical applications of AI, I invite you to watch the full episode of Better Conversations. You will find actionable insights that can help your organization invent the future of work.
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