0:00 / 0:00
The costly impact of lost enterprise devices
Enterprise operations frequently experience misplaced or lost mobile computers, which disrupts daily workflows and slows down critical task execution. Root causes often stem from manual tracking systems or a lack of accountability during shift check-outs. When frontline workers lack the necessary mobile devices to assist consumers or manage inventory, the entire flow of work stops, leading to prolonged service delays and severe order fulfilment bottlenecks across the organisation.
The continuous loss of these assets leads to high capital expenditures for device replacement and increased operational friction. Furthermore, employees waste valuable working hours manually searching for lost equipment, which degrades labour productivity and increases operational costs. This ongoing asset shrinkage creates high costs, lost revenue, and persistent operational bottlenecks that prevent entire teams from meeting daily targets and maintaining high service quality.
The checkout and device recovery solution
To address these operational bottlenecks, Zebra provides a physical and digital ecosystem. This approach integrates Device Guardian, Device Guardian Access Management (DGAM), and Guardian Cabinets to track and secure misplaced Zebra mobile computers using ET401 enterprise tablets. By connecting secure physical storage with cloud-based tracking, organisations achieve enhanced fleet visibility and minimised capital losses, returning lost units to service and maintaining workflow continuity across shifts.
Potential benefits
Implementing these integrated Zebra solutions helps enterprise operations shift from inefficient manual search processes to highly visible, automated workflows. This physical and digital synchronisation drives tangible, quantifiable improvements across every shift.
Enhanced fleet visibility
provides entire teams with direct access to real-time device location and status to eliminate time-consuming manual searches
Minimised capital losses
are achieved by recovering missing devices even when they are powered down and reducing the need for costly hardware replacements
Automated checkout workflows
secure technology investments by verifying that only authorised personnel can access charged and tracked devices
How the solution works
Store and charge devices securely
Frontline workers initiate their shifts by retrieving their assigned hardware from Zebra Guardian Cabinets. These secure storage structures serve as the physical foundation of the tracking system, keeping units organised, fully powered, and ready for immediate deployment. By preventing unauthorised access and physical clutter, the cabinets protect enterprise hardware and maintain maximum device availability. This controlled storage environment streamlines checkout activities and reduces early-shift administrative delays, forming a secure starting point for daily tracking and accountability.
Control access and automate checkouts
To access a device, frontline workers authenticate their identities via Zebra Device Guardian Access Management (DGAM) software. This software automates the check-out process and associates each checked-out unit with a specific worker. By establishing clear physical accountability, the application prevents unauthorised use and tracks user-device relationships in real time. Building on the cabinet security, this software-driven identity verification creates an immutable digital audit trail, confirming that only authenticated employees access tracked hardware before entering the active work floor.
Utilise advanced locationing and proximity finders
When a Zebra mobile computer is misplaced during a shift, frontline workers utilise Zebra ET401 enterprise tablets running the Device Guardian application to locate and retrieve the lost hardware. Employees locate the physical mobile computer using a real-time proximity sliding scale bar and remote audio-ringing controls within the application. This technology allows teams to recover missing units even if they are powered down, preventing permanent asset loss. The robust construction and integrated recovery features of the ET401 tablets support continuous performance in demanding operational environments.
Monitor fleet location from a cloud dashboard
When a device goes missing, operations managers monitor devices at the corporate level using the cloud-based Zebra Device Guardian dashboard, identifying last-known locations via friendly Wi-Fi access point names. Additionally, local teams can monitor device status at the local level directly on the kiosk using Device Guardian Access Management (DGAM) software. This dual-level visibility allows managers and floor teams to coordinate swift recovery operations, returning missing equipment to service, maintaining shift schedules, and preventing unnecessary capital expenditures on hardware replacements.
Secure device fleets and maintain shift continuity
By combining secure hardware cabinets with real-time digital tracking, enterprise operations secure their valuable device fleets. This proactive management minimises unproductive search times, prevents high replacement costs, and supports continuous shift productivity.
Note:
Use case figures, savings estimates and images are illustrative only and may be derived from customer data, projections, or controlled testing. They do not represent guaranteed results, and actual outcomes will vary by application; customers should consult a Zebra sales representative to evaluate their specific environment.
