Zebra's Industry Solutions can give your business a competitive advantage by connecting people, assets and data to help you make better decisions.
Scale and energise your retail strategy with a digital backbone that unifies your team, informs priorities and drives results with Zebra's retail technology solutions.
Zebra's healthcare technology solutions provide patient identity management, mobile health devices, and business intelligence data to improve efficiency.
Zebra’s manufacturing technology solutions enable manufacturers to become more agile, optimise plant floor performance and embrace market changes.
Zebra's market-leading solutions and products improve customer satisfaction with a lower cost per interaction by keeping service representatives connected with colleagues, customers, management and the tools they use to satisfy customers across the supply chain.
In today's world, the demands on transportation and logistics companies are higher than ever. Dedicated Warehouse, Fleet and Delivery, and Yard and Terminal solutions enable visibility to every aspect of your business and keep operations running flawlessly around the clock.
Zebra's hospitality technology solutions equip your hotel and restaurant staff to deliver superior customer and guest service through inventory tracking and more.
Empower your field workers with purpose-driven mobile technology solutions to help them capture and share critical data in any environment.
Technology is a key enabler in helping the Public Sector provide their frontline and back office workers automate business process and assets with a digital voice.
Zebra’s mobile computing, scanning, and printing solutions connect each operational area in your warehouse to give you the agility to realize transformational gains.
Zebra's range of mobile computers equip your workforce with the devices they need from handhelds and tablets to wearables and vehicle-mounted computers.
Zebra's desktop, mobile, industrial, and portable printers for barcode labels, receipts, RFID tags and cards give you smarter ways to track and manage assets.
Zebra's 1D and 2D corded and cordless barcode scanners anticipate any scanning challenge in a variety of environments, whether retail, healthcare, T&L or manufacturing.
Zebra's extensive range of RAIN RFID readers, antennas, and printers give you consistent and accurate tracking.
Choose Zebra's reliable barcode, RFID and card supplies carefully selected to ensure high performance, print quality, durability and readability.
Zebra's location technologies provide real-time tracking for your organisation to better manage and optimise your critical assets and create more efficient workflows.
Zebra's rugged tablets and 2-in-1 laptops are thin and lightweight, yet rugged to work wherever you do on familiar and easy-to-use Windows or Android OS.
With Zebra's family of fixed industrial scanners and machine vision technologies, you can tailor your solutions to your environment and applications.
Zebra’s line of kiosks can meet any self-service or digital signage need, from checking prices and stock on an in-aisle store kiosk to fully-featured kiosks that can be deployed on the wall, counter, desktop or floor in a retail store, hotel, airport check-in gate, physician’s office, local government office and more.
Discover Zebra’s range of accessories from chargers, communication cables to cases to help you customise your mobile device for optimal efficiency.
Zebra's environmental sensors monitor temperature-sensitive products, offering data insights on environmental conditions across industry applications.
Keep labour costs low, your talent happy and your organisation compliant. Create an agile operation that can navigate unexpected schedule changes and customer demand to drive sales, satisfy customers and improve your bottom line.
Empower the front line with prioritised task notification and enhanced communication capabilities for easier collaboration and more efficient task execution.
Get full visibility of your inventory and automatically pinpoint leaks across all channels.
Reduce uncertainty when you anticipate market volatility. Predict, plan and stay agile to align inventory with shifting demand.
Drive down costs while driving up employee, security, and network performance with software designed to enhance Zebra's wireless infrastructure and mobile solutions.
Explore Zebra’s printer software to integrate, manage and monitor printers easily, maximizing IT resources and minimizing down time.
Make the most of every stage of your scanning journey from deployment to optimization. Zebra's barcode scanner software lets you keep devices current and adapt them to your business needs for a stronger ROI across the full lifecycle.
RFID development, demonstration and production software and utilities help you build and manage your RFID deployments more efficiently.
RFID development, demonstration and production software and utilities help you build and manage your RFID deployments more efficiently.
Zebra DNA is the industry’s broadest suite of enterprise software that delivers an ideal experience for all during the entire lifetime of every Zebra device.
Advance your digital transformation and execute your strategic plans with the help of the right location and tracking technology.
The Zebra Aurora suite of machine vision software enables users to solve their track-and-trace, vision inspection and industrial automation needs.
Zebra Aurora Focus brings a new level of simplicity to controlling enterprise-wide manufacturing and logistics automation solutions. With this powerful interface, it’s easy to set up, deploy and run Zebra’s Fixed Industrial Scanners and Machine Vision Smart Cameras, eliminating the need for different tools and reducing training and deployment time.
Aurora Imaging Library™, formerly Matrox Imaging Library, machine-vision software development kit (SDK) has a deep collection of tools for image capture, processing, analysis, annotation, display, and archiving. Code-level customization starts here.
Aurora Design Assistant™, formerly Matrox Design Assistant, integrated development environment (IDE) is a flowchart-based platform for building machine vision applications, with templates to speed up development and bring solutions online quicker.
Designed for experienced programmers proficient in vision applications, Aurora Vision Library provides the same sophisticated functionality as our Aurora Vision Studio software but presented in programming language.
Aurora Vision Studio, an image processing software for machine & computer vision engineers, allows quick creation, integration & monitoring of powerful OEM vision applications.
Adding innovative tech is critical to your success, but it can be complex and disruptive. Professional Services help you accelerate adoption, and maximise productivity without affecting your workflows, business processes and finances.
Zebra's Managed Service delivers worry-free device management to ensure ultimate uptime for your Zebra Mobile Computers and Printers via dedicated experts.
Find ways you can contact Zebra Technologies’ Support, including Email and Chat, ask a technical question or initiate a Repair Request.
Zebra's Circular Economy Program helps you manage today’s challenges and plan for tomorrow with smart solutions that are good for your budget and the environment.
There are tradeoffs when you fully manage distribution operations in-house versus outsourcing to a 3PL. There are also tradeoffs when handing over control to a 3PL. This is how to turn them all into opportunities vs. risks.
As a former Director of Operations, I've navigated the multifaceted world of distribution center (DC) operations, experiencing both the collaboration with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) and the challenges of establishing a company-owned DC. This journey has not only been about making strategic decisions but also about understanding and adapting to the evolving trends in the manufacturing, transportation and logistics (MT&L) industry. Here are my key learnings:
My venture with a 3PL partner was an educational odyssey, and I learned a lot through collaboration with them. The initial phase of aligning our vision with the 3PL's approach highlighted the importance of transparent communication and strategic alignment. As we started operating as one team, our effectiveness in exceeding service level agreements (SLAs) grew exponentially.
However, the journey wasn’t without its hurdles. Adapting to changing market demands meant our 3PlL partner had to not only be efficient but also adaptable and forward-thinking. This phase taught me the value of a partnership that goes beyond service provision and ventures into strategic collaboration, sparking innovation and growth.
We made a strategic decision in 2022 to start managing some U.S.-based DC operations in-house. That transition was a leap into a realm of new challenges since we had to assess, refine and, in some cases, redesign every aspect of our operation. This included systems, processes and even the physical layout. Since we no longer had a 3PL partner for support, we immediately focused on building a robust team capable of adapting to the unique demands of the U.S. market. We also began to integrate innovative technological solutions that could create new efficiencies and produce actionable insights. This phase wasn't solely about managing logistics; it also involved establishing a team culture centered around continuous learning and adaptability.
The in-house DC management model certainly offered greater control and flexibility in some areas. But it also showed the advantages we previously had with a 3PL in terms of innovation and workforce flexibility. This realization underscored the importance of strategic planning in balancing the benefits of internal control with the agility of external partnerships.
Reflecting on both experiences, I find it essential to share key takeaways with you:
If you’re on the 3PL side of things, understanding your customers’ preferences for control and customization is key. This knowledge could influence their decision to bring operations in-house versus working with you.
Conversely, if your company is considering in-house logistics management, you must strategically plan for innovation and scalability challenges typically handled by 3PLs.
No matter which side you’re on, know that both 3PL and in-house logistics management models require a balance of cost, control, and flexibility, with a keen eye on market trends and technological advancements.
The landscape of DC management is in constant flux, influenced by global trends, technological advancements, and market dynamics. Whether opting for in-house management or collaborating with a 3PL, your success hinges on agility, strategic foresight, and continuous adaptation.
In sharing my experiences with both models, I aim to guide and inspire MT&L professionals like yourself who may be grappling with this crucial decision. I hope my insights will help you navigate the complexities of modern logistics with confidence. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss the specific challenges and successes I’ve experienced while working with 3PLs and leading an in-house DC operations team.
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Deanna Self is a supply chain executive with Zebra Technologies, responsible for the oversight and management of Zebra’s largest order fulfillment distribution center. She is an industry veteran with over 25 years of in-depth knowledge and experience in sales, operations, and information technologies. Deanna’s passion and focus is to transform business with new and sustainable solutions that drive efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Prior to Zebra, Deanna spent over two decades in the food and beverage industry. She started out owning and operating her own distributorship to most recently as an IT executive for Nestle USA.
She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Queen’s University of Charlotte and was most recently named one of Supply and Demand Chain Executive 2021 Pros to Know. She is also a winner for Supply and Demand Chain Executive 2021 Women of Supply Chain award.
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