Apparel Solutions Archives

What to Expect in 2022 – The State of the Global Supply Chain

It’s no secret that the current supply chain is broken, and we already know what’s to blame. The COVID-19 pandemic created disruptions in the global supply chain beginning in early 2021 that continue to linger despite multiple vaccines and fewer daily cases. To understand where we are and what we can do to cope with this enormous problem, we need to understand how we got here and the challenges we continue to face. Manufacturing Delays In the world’s biggest manufacturing hubs like...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, IoT, Manufacturing, PortalTrack

Three Challenges Plaguing Today’s Retail Industry

The U.S. retail industry has seen unprecedented growth in the last two years, fueled by a pandemic that forced consumers to embrace online shopping and then return to brick-and-mortar stores once a vaccine was available. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 2020 saw a huge increase in sales versus the previous two years: 2018 - $3.635 trillion in total sales ($520 billion in eCommerce)2019 - $3.780 trillion in total sales ($598 billion in eCommerce)2020 - $4.040 trillion in total sales...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Blog Posts, PortalTrack, Retail, RFID

Choosing the Right Label for Your Barcode Application

Many organizations are trying to keep production moving with fewer employees working per shift and order volumes rising by the day. Selecting the right label solution has never been more important to the success of your business.

By Justin JohnsonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Barcode, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, Printing Technology, Service Bureau, Thermal Printingbarcode, label, workflow, Zebra

Get Control of Your Retail Inventory Management with EPC

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year and a half, it’s that e-commerce has become an integral part of every day life. Despite the introduction of multiple vaccines and the opening of businesses across the country, online sales in the U.S. have continued to surge. In fact, e-commerce sales in Q1 of 2021 topped $199 billion, a 39% increase from the year before. For the average consumer, this means they’ve adopted the convenience of online shopping. However,...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Omnichannel, PortalTrack, Retail, RFID

A Zebra Study: Mobile Solutions in Manufacturing

A well-functioning supply chain is essential for any manufacturing business, and that requires a well-connected warehouse operation that offers visibility into materials, supplies, and products at all times. The integration of mobile computers and rugged tablets are one of the best ways to transform warehouse operations to help manufacturers keep pace with the challenges of today’s on-demand economy. We’re not the only ones advocating for mobile devices as a way to transform manufacturing operations. Zebra recently released a study of...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Barcode, Manufacturing, Mobile Printing, Zebra Mobile Computers, Zebra Mobile Printersbarcode, Inventory Management, mobile computers, mobile workforce, rugged tablets, Zebra

Using Mobile Devices to Improve Inventory Management

Whether you’re tracking parts as they make their way to the assembly line, managing the flow of products through a retail back room, or monitoring the usage of essential supplies in a hospital, your operation’s efficiency is determined largely by your ability to ensure that everything your workflows need is in the right place at the right time. In fact, effective inventory management is essential for any business that moves materials through a supply chain or distributes and tracks...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Barcode, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, Lab Samples, Manufacturing, Mobile Printing, Omnichannel, Retail, Zebra Mobile Computers, Zebra Mobile Printersbarcode, Inventory Management, mobile computers, Zebra

Is Your Barcode Printer Vulnerable?

When you consider enterprise IoT, information security, and the potential for data breaches in warehouse operations, your first concerns are most likely your network, computers, and mobile devices. Those are indeed well-known targets for hackers, but there are other security risks hiding in plain sight throughout virtually every warehouse: Your printers. We tend to think of printers as simple one-way appliances, but we’ve been relying on them as fully networked multi-function technology hubs for decades, and today they are just...

By Justin JohnsonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, IoT, Manufacturing, Omnichannel, Print and Apply, Printing Technology, Retail, Service Bureau, Thermal Printing, Zebra Mobile Printers, Zebra Non-RFID Printers, Zebra Print Enginescomputers, cyberthreats, IoT, mobile, network, security, warehouse

Finding the Right RFID Solution – Technology, Software, Service

Did you know that one of the first RFID systems was used in World War II? Known as Identify Friend of Foe (IFF), the system was used to help British radar operators distinguish between friendly and enemy fighter planes and bombers. Today, RFID is used by a variety of industries such as pharma, retail, logistics, travel and agriculture. But to get the best use of the technology for your particular requirements, you need to find the RFID solution that fits your business needs. The first thing you should...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, IoT, Manufacturing, Omnichannel, PortalTrack, Retail, RFID

How RFID Boosts Your Inventory Management

In today’s business world, understanding your customers’ needs greatly impacts your business and affects how you manage your inventory. Keeping an accurate and real-time view of your inventory is one of the best ways to keep your customers satisfied and your operations competitive. In fact, 57% of companies state that their inventory management is one of the key components that gives them an edge over the competition. While most manufacturers, as well as warehouses and distribution centers rely on barcode technology, RFID inventory management has the ability to...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, Retail, RFID

How Does RFID Help Increase Inventory Accuracy?

RFID technology has many advantages. Among key benefits is the enabling of more accurate and more frequent inventory cycles while utilizing less labor. Traditionally, inventory counts have been performed in one of two ways: by manual counts with pen and paper or by barcode, scanning individual items. The traditional methods of inventory are labor intensive, inaccurate, and limit regular inventory cycles of more than once or twice per year. The first step to implement RFID inventory is to add a RFID label to each item. With...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, PortalTrack, RFID