Zebra Technologies Corporation - Experts & Thought Leaders

To keep an automotive manufacturing operation running 24 hours a day, auto manufacturers have utilised Kanban systems, lean manufacturing and just-in-time manufacturing (JIT) however these business processes require tracking of the inventory and materials within a manufacturing facility. Manufacturers that truly want to automate the replenishment process utilise automatic identification such as RFID to create real-time visibility into their manufacturing and inventory management process. One such automatic RFID replenishment system is from MSM Solutions called PortalTrack. This automated RFID and customisable software solution provides real-time visibility without disrupting workflow and can be seamlessly integrated into current manufacturing processes. Accurate inventory control The end result also provides for more accurate inventory control and will prevent lost revenue in mission-critical applications. MSM's PortalTrack system was successfully implemented in an automotive production site of a premium car manufacturer. MSM Solutions was able to work within the existing process flows without disrupting work in process and tailoring its PortalTrack Software to provide the required reporting and metrics that enabled real-time visibility for more informed decision making. As an automotive manufacturer, maintaining production without interruption is paramount As an automotive manufacturer, maintaining production without interruption is paramount. Having accurate real-time visibility allows the customer to know exactly what they have on hand, along with its precise location. PortalTrack enables visibility throughout the entire internal supply chain, thus enabling employees to make smarter decisions faster to insure production keeps running. Integrated RFID solution The goal of the premium car manufacturing project was to provide an automated real-time visibility solution utilising RFID to track and visually report work in process replenishment inventory to maximise uptime for a mission-critical 24x7 automotive manufacturing operation. The manual processes currently in place relied too much on human intervention resulting in production delays, inaccurate inventory counts and lost revenue. After an initial site assessment of a premium car manufacturer, MSM Solutions provided the customer with a completely integrated RFID solution. What drove this integration was finding a durable metal mount hard tag that provided reliable read ranges up to 20', develop a network strategy that entailed not directly interfacing the hardware and software components with the customer's network but utilising an IoT Network solution to manage the RFID read data, reduce deployment time, and provide a secure independent network. Cloud-based software MSM Solutions was able to overcome all of these challenges using their cloud-based software Also, it is important to note that the traditional ways of running hardware and software solutions directly on a customer's network are becoming increasingly more stringent due to security concerns, infrastructure costs, lack of IT resources and complexity of deployment. However, MSM Solutions was able to overcome all of these challenges using their cloud-based software and IoT network technology which takes the burden off of internal IT support, reduces costs, has zero maintenance for the end-user, along with providing security and allowing for rapid deployment. With a new car rolling off the line roughly every 80 seconds it is imperative that the right parts and the right counts be at each designated work station in the process. The parts replenishment process flow for the production facility works in a continuous cycle with parts flowing from the supply side of the facility to the manufacturing lines. Target inventory level Parts are placed on racks and assigned to a specific part number with a specific count per rack. The racks are equipped with durable metal mount RFID tags that identify the part number. Once the racks are loaded, multiple racks are then hooked to an automated tug which moves the parts from the supply side to the manufacturing lines. Each part number has a target inventory level that must always be on hand in the manufacturing facility As the tug travels, it passes 2 sets of RFID fixed readers and antennas; one set of RFID readers monitors inbound inventory to the manufacturing lines and another set of RFID readers monitors empty racks returning from manufacturing back to the supply side to be reloaded. Each part number has a target inventory level that must always be on hand in the manufacturing facility. As items enter the manufacturing side via the automated tug, the RFID tags are read and the inventory is automatically increased. Flat-panel monitors On the other hand, as empty racks exit the manufacturing side the RFID tags are read again, and the inventory is automatically deducted. The real-time inventory counts are displayed on large monitors throughout the facility and on a web-based dashboard for viewing on any device. Once a date was determined for the physical install of RFID, MSM Solutions installed all the readers, cabling, mounts, cellular devices and flat-panel monitors in a 2-day period. The PortalTrack customised software solution was live within 24 hours of the hardware installation. One key metric that was uncovered by MSM Solutions during this process was that once the system was in place, they were able to provide some travel and real-time analytics that drastically changed the customer's stated expectations. Real-time visibility The return on investment for the system was less than three months For example, the customer's perceived expectation for a particular parts cycle rate from supply-side to manufacturing was deemed to be on the replenishment cycle of ‘X’ when in reality the system showed the real cycle rate was ‘Y’. This was a key discovery in that MSM Solutions found parts that were not being replenished at the required cycle rate, parts that were not moving at all, and others that were traveling on paths that went against the workflow. The net gain of having real-time visibility into the production flows instantaneously allows management to react and institute the corrective measures so that production stays on schedule and replenishment efforts remain focused on the most critical parts at any given time. The return on investment for the system was less than three months and the project continues to expand to more applications within the facility. Internal security protocols A few key requirements for this installation were that the entire solution needed to operate independent of the customer's network based on internal security protocols, limited available IT support, infrastructure concerns and the need for rapid deployment. MSM Solutions bundled the company's new RFID module with its existing solutions MSM Solutions was able to customise a cloud-based Cradlepoint IOT Network coupled with the PortalTrack software that provided a solution that was secure, completely manageable outside the 4 walls, reduced the infrastructure costs, required no internal IT support and was easily deployable and expandable. By eliminating the manual data entry system, MSM Solutions bundled the company's new RFID module with its existing solutions. The result provided a fully automated system of goods receiving, automatic inventory updating, real-time visibility of production line consumption, and automated warehouse and vendor replenishment. Target inventory level The products and technologies suggested to the premium car manufacturing company included Zebra FX7500 readers, Times 7 5010 flat panel antennas, CradlePoint IoT devices, Xerafy Cargo Trak RFID hard tags, and 50" flat-panel commercial monitors. In many cases, customers have asked about dashboards that can easily display a real-time visual inventory report. The visual inventory report created by Portal Track is represented by 3 columns. Column A shows the actual real-time inventory count for a part on hand in manufacturing and provides a visual representation with a real-time count and a colour code of either green (target level met or exceeded) or red (inventory level low) when compared to the target inventory level. Column B displays the target count for an item to always be maintained in manufacturing, and column C displays the total count of all the racks available for an item. Improving inventory accuracy RFID adoption rates in the auto industry are steadily increasing and the applications are expanding RFID adoption rates in the auto industry are steadily increasing and the applications are expanding. Traditional barcode technologies rely too much on human interaction and are no longer sufficient in today's data-driven global economy. Having access to real-time information and analytics drives informed decision making that results in less downtime, increased sales, improved inventory accuracy and knowing an item's location instantly. RFID and PortalTrack enable connectivity that allows companies to identify, track, count and manage all of their assets from point of origin to point of sale. Due to the success of this initial project, MSM Solutions is piloting a new supplier-level project with the same automaker. For this project, MSM's PortalTrack software manages the printing and encoding, reading and analytics for an estimated 500,000 supplier totes that will be read at the receiving dock doors at the automotive manufacturer.

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company announced the availability of an embedded solution for mobile devices that delivers unmatched real-time visibility into roaming user experiences and application performance. Real-time visibility Developed with Zebra Technologies, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, the Aruba User Experience Insight (UXI) AI software agent embedded in Zebra mobile computers analyses real-time voice and data traffic and proactively flags issues that could affect the application, Wi-Fi connectivity, roaming, and voice performance. The early warning provided by Aruba UXI informs remedial actions so that business-critical applications and end-user experiences are not impacted. The result is higher uptime, increased productivity, and more expeditious problem remediation. Mobile-based technology solutions The announcement builds upon Aruba’s long-standing relationship with Zebra to bring to market innovative, mobile-based technology solutions that address critical operational issues spanning vertical markets. Aruba’s AI-based UXI agents’ work with Zebra’s Worry-Free Wi-Fi Edge Insights™ to expose insights into the network Aruba’s AI-based UXI agents’ network and application testing capabilities work in concert with Zebra’s Worry-Free Wi-Fi Edge Insights™ to expose a device-level view and pre-analysed insights of the network. Results are displayed on Aruba’s intuitive UXI dashboard. WorryFree Wi-Fi Edge Insights “Zebra developed WorryFree Wi-Fi Edge Insights to deliver superior device communications and management services,” said Julie Johnson, vice president of Global Product Management and Portfolio for Enterprise Mobile Computing at Zebra Technologies. “WorryFree Wi-Fi Edge Insights will provide businesses with an edge-to-cloud early warning system that can directly enhance productivity, efficiency, and profitability.” Edge-to-cloud early warning system The solution enables IT, teams, to automate the collection, analysis, and remediation of performance issues in real-time using data observed from the very devices that are being impacted, as simulated or historical data, simply cannot provide the same level of accuracy as live data. Precise solutions For example, connectivity and voice performance might vary considerably while standing at floor level, moving on a forklift, or while picking at the top of a storage rack. The combination of Aruba’s UXI agents and Zebra Worry-Free Wi-Fi Edge Insights will expose these differences, enabling IT staff – locally or remotely – to precisely target solutions. The real-time nature of data collection means that even transient events that might otherwise go unnoticed are captured and analysed. Mobile generated data “As enterprises leap to digitally transform, the amount of business-impacting data that has to be analysed for meaningful insights is growing exponentially,” said Brian Ray, vice president of Engineering at HarborTech Mobility, an Aruba Platinum partner and Zebra PartnerConnect Premier Solutions partner. “Data science has to be leveraged, but it is only as good as the sources from which it draws. Mobile device-generated data is the gold standard for performance and troubleshooting information because it’s coming directly from the source, from the very device that’s impacted by network, service, and application issues.” Using AI for monitoring Mobile device-generated data is the gold standard for performance and troubleshooting information" The vast amount of data generated by Zebra mobile computers and other IoT machines can be meaningfully collected, analysed, and acted upon by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). Aruba pioneered the application of AI to automated network and application performance monitoring. AI-powered incident detection Aruba UXI, a component of Aruba’s AIOps suite, is AI-powered, and it's Incident Detection feature baselines application performance over time and automatically identifies and alerts when it detects service-impacting changes in behaviour. The cloud-based service allows IT to proactively resolve issues before they impact operations, and minimise alert fatigue, often without ever stepping foot on the site being monitored. AIOps runs as a service within Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform), the industry’s first cloud-native platform designed to automate, unify, and secure the Edge. Tackling troubleshooting “COOs are laser-focused on improving operational efficiency, reducing downtime, and making the best use of skilled labor,” said Michael Tennefoss, vice president of IoT and Strategic Partnerships at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “Many of the most vexing problems are transient in nature and extremely challenging to troubleshoot. Capturing real-time information right at the point of impact gives the most insightful view of what’s happening, and best informs how to fix it. And that’s exactly what the combination of Zebra’s new Worry-Free Wi-Fi Edge Insights and Aruba’s UXI accomplishes.” The Aruba UXI Agent will be available in October of 2021. Target markets include healthcare, hospitality, logistics, and retail applications.

Leaping to the forefront of the rapidly growing fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and video analytics, Nortek Security & Control LLC (NSC), a global provider of smart connected devices and systems for residential, security, access control and digital health markets, announced the acquisition of San Jose, California-based IntelliVision Technologies Corp., a pioneer and leader in Artificial Intelligence, smart cameras and deep learning-based video analytics software. IntelliVision will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of NSC. IntelliVision will continue to support its customers and products. IntelliVision is a market leader in AI and deep learning-based video analytics software for smart cameras, providing video analytics solutions for several markets including Smart Home/IoT, Smart Security, Smart Retail, Smart City and Smart Auto/ADAS. IntelliVision AI and video analytics solutions provide actionable insights for security and monitoring in smart home, smart enterprise, and smart city applications Monitoring smart home, city applications "This acquisition is a great fit for us," NSC President Mike O'Neal said. "The IntelliVision team brings incredible strengths from which we will together build rich, future-ready solutions, with intelligence that will transform the NSC product line. This will extend our leadership position in security, automation and entertainment technology, with significant benefits for our partners and customers." IntelliVision AI and video analytics solutions provide actionable insights for security and monitoring in smart home, smart enterprise, and smart city applications; business intelligence for smart enterprise and smart retail; and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for automobiles. Implementation by major brands The company's software includes licenses for dozens of patents and has been deployed globally in over 4 million cameras from over 50 top tier brand customers and consumer electronics manufacturers. Customers include Comcast, ADT, Netgear, Ring, Ambarella, Schneider Electric/Pelco, Dallmeier, DLink, Disney, and Zebra. "We are thrilled to become part of Nortek Security & Control," commented IntelliVision CEO Vaidhi Nathan, who will stay on to lead video analytics and artificial intelligence development under the NSC umbrella. "We now have the support and resources of a major market-leader. Plus, integrating IntelliVision's AI and video analytics technologies into NSC's security, control and entertainment platforms will create clear leadership advantages in the markets we collectively serve." The video analytics and AI technology will empower us to offer incredibly personalised control and automation solutions, and will add significantly to our security platforms" Personalised control and automation solutions NSC Executive Vice President of Marketing and Innovation Joe Roberts said that IntelliVision technology will be embedded in key NSC products and systems. "The video analytics and AI technology will empower us to offer incredibly personalised control and automation solutions, and will add significantly to our security platforms," said Roberts. "This will create important new benefits for our dealers and exceptional experiences for the end-users of our products." Roberts cited IntelliVision's strengths in face detection, recognition and search, intelligent motion, object detection and tracking, intrusion/perimeter watch, object classification (people, vehicle, pet), license plate detection and recognition (LPR/ANPR), and audio recognition. Multi-factor authentication security system "For example, imagine a security or access control system that can recognise an approaching person," continued Roberts. "The system itself can provide a hands-free, multi-factor authentication that nearly eliminates false positives all while improving the user experience. And for automation, knowing who is in the room enables setting the lighting and climate scenes according to that person's preference. Now the connected home is not just smart, but intuitive." According to Roberts, the acquisition also strengthens the company's ongoing investments in voice and natural language technologies and significantly adds to the company's growing patent portfolio.

Since the introduction of smartphones with downloadable applications, vendors have been trying to replace the traditional plastic identification (ID) card with a mobile phone application. People might lose or misplace an ID card, but most people immediately recognise if they are without their mobile phone. Mobile ID badges for access control Bluetooth Low Energy iBeacon technology Technical challenges of mobile ID apps The logical extension is to replace or augment the traditional corporate ID and access control card with a smartphone ID application. There are numerous benefits associated with using a smartphone as an ID badge. Fundamentally, they are more secure because smartphones can be locked, data encrypted and access restricted. Secure ID access can also be remotely installed and activated or deactivated on a smartphone with little effort from the IT or security department. In addition, there is no need to physically visit the security office to get a replacement badge. Mobile ID badges and open systems The industry-wide adoption of mobile ID badges has been hindered by the evolution of existing and available technology and the vendor/partner ecosystems that have controlled the technology and markets. For a general application to achieve significant market adoption, it must have the required open systems and technology infrastructure in place and enabled to achieve scalable and secure deployments. Simply put, a mobile ID badge application needs support from the major phone manufacturers and interoperability with existing industry standard security models and protocols established in the market today. It was not until the promise of near field communication (NFC) that the idea of a mobile ID badge for access control started to take hold as a realistic possibility. After all, if you can replace your credit cards by waving your phone with a digital wallet over a point of sale (POS) device in a retail store, why can’t you replace your corporate ID card for physical access by waving it in front of a door reader? One major issue that hindered the broad adoption of NFC was the lack of support by major phone manufacturers – specifically Apple with the iPhone - which limited the growth of phone-based mobile IDs for door readers that control physical access. To create a practical smartphone-based mobile ID badge app, there are several technical challenges which must be addressed BLE beacons development Apple eventually announced a new Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) iBeacon technology and Google followed suit with its Android-based Eddystone BLE beacon in 2015. BLE beacons are small, low-cost hardware devices that transmit a unique identifier over Bluetooth low energy to nearby electronic devices such as mobile phones. The initial use of BLE beacons were centered around determining location for mobile marketing applications. For example, if a customer is passing a merchandise display, it could notify them of a coupon or sale while they are in the store. Because BLE is universally available on all smartphones, the use of BLE beacons has enabled new experiential smartphone apps based on physical location presence. In the corporate environment, vendors have quickly determined that there are many ways to leverage BLE to simplify workplace-related functions. These include asset tracking, logging into networks and cloud resources, access to print jobs, meeting room usage, attendance systems, and even employee location tracking. PACS two-way communication and universal access Physical Access Control System (PACS) vendors and security organisations find BLE technology attractive as an access control application because of the two-way communication capability and universal access in smartphones. This is important because the smartphone acts as a reader and can determine presence or location next to a BLE beacon or communicate to a door reader access control device. For this reason, they have quickly determined ways to leverage BLE to enable access control and ID badges for both existing and new PACS solutions. For example, smartphones can be installed with a mobile ID badge application that can communicate with BLE-enabled door readers. One behavioural challenge associated with this solution is that people today are accustomed to using RFID-enabled access control cards as part of their daily lifespans vendors leverage the technology limits of an access control card read distance (1-3 cm) to the door reader to administer physical access. For example, the location of the reader next to the door or the timing of the read and door access strike opening the door, can all be orchestrated behind the scenes to provide a seamless door entry experience. This is the current user expectation and ensures the proper level of security while reducing tailgating, enforcing badge reads and preventing backups or entry queues. All of this happens transparently to ensure the frictionless access control users enjoy today. The “door open” event needs to occur just as a person approaches a door to avoid potential security breaches Mobile ID badge app challenges BLE beacons by design broadcast a unique adjustable signal over a wide range of up to 150 feet. While this is ideal for creating mobile ID apps for shopping or presenting location-based notifications and alerts, there are some concerns about when it should be used to provide access control and open a door. The “door open” event needs to occur just as a person approaches a door to avoid potential security breaches. Other key considerations include how to account for multiple doors within close proximity, avoiding a door detection from someone walking behind or away from a door and tailgating events. To create a practical smartphone-based mobile ID badge app, these technical challenges must be addressed. Some concepts being tested and used today include having a door open acknowledgment response via a notification, or waving the phone or using another gesture to acknowledge that you are in front of a door to request accessible still has some challenges to overcome before becoming the de facto industry standard for mobile ID badge access. Once the challenges are addressed, it has the potential to drive the next wave of innovation in access control and enable the next generation of ubiquitous mobile ID badge applications that will provide the seamless and secure access control that we enjoy today with traditional ID cards.

Wi-Fi, real-time location tracking and security sensors are important elements of IoT solutions The tracking of people, processes and things continues to grow, and that’s good news for systems integrators, who can add these services to their arsenal of offerings and boost their levels of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). Real-time location tracking Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are great ways to not only add security, but operations management and logistical applications into the fold. GPS can both be used for internal efficiencies within security installing companies, and it can also easily be extended to new customers in a host of vertical markets. Zebra Technologies Corp., Lincolnshire, Ill., recently commissioned an independent study with Forrester Consulting, Cambridge, Mass.: “Internet-Of-Things Solution Deployment Gains Momentum Among Firms Globally – Improved Customer Experience and Supply Chain Optimization Are Leading Business Benefits of IoT Solutions.” The study surveyed IT and business decision-makers in nearly 600 global firms in the retail, consumer products, manufacturing, transportation, government, oil/gas, healthcare and hospitality industries. The thought leadership piece brings new light to the ways various markets can leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) – defined as smart, interconnected devices – to “get more visibility into the identification, location and condition of products, assets, transactions or people to drive more effective and timely business decisions or to improve customer interactions.” According to Mike Maris, senior director of Transportation and Logistics, Zebra Technologies, Lincolnshire, Ill., Wi-Fi, real-time location tracking and security sensors are important elements of IoT solutions. “Real-time location systems provide detailed information on assets, people, parts and pieces,” says Maris. “It provides info on where a driver is and what he needs for a job. There are even sensoring shocks that alert if a truck is being driven hard and may jar sensitive electronic equipment. Customers are asking about these types of technologies; coming to us with problems and asking how they can solve them.” RFID, GPS and Wi-Fi applications for contractors and their customers continue to mature and open new areas of specification RFID, GPS and Wi-Fi applications for contractors and their customers continue to mature and open new areas of specification. Mark Fischer, technical consultant with SmartTek Systems, Reno, Nevada, said the object is to increase the envelope of what can be offered to customers. Mobile security applications He adds that dealers need to expand their potential by coming up with new services to generate additional RMR. “We provide the app and the infrastructure, and the integrator provides the service,” he said. Fischer said SmartTek tracking not only includes GPS, but Wi-Fi connectivity in smart phones refines the location of a person or vehicle. “Accuracy has been increasing. Now, you can map locations with Wi-Fi, geo powers for triangulation by sector and even BlueTooth beacons.” SmartTek services integrate with professional central station monitoring services. The company offers three different platforms: SmartAlert, SmartGuard and SmartTrack. SmartAlert expands physical security from the home or office to remote locations with a GPS-based panic button. “It solves a very real problem,” Fischer continued. “There’s the inability of the 911 system to locate mobile phones accurately. Once the SmartAlert app is loaded onto the user’s iPhone or Android device, the service works just like a traditional in-home panic button—with two activation modes: a virtual button on the phone or a wearable personal communicator. There’s also a privacy function that tracks only on alarm.” SmartTrack is a tracking and mobile productivity application that allows companies to track deliveries in real time, without installing a GPS in a vehicle. SmartGuard monitors real-time location of minors, with tracking and arrival alerts for family members. The concept of accountability has become critical to security installing companies and their customers, and GPS and RFID provides yet another way to add revenue.