Automotive Solutions - MSM Solutions

Still Using Windows Mobile? The Time to Switch to Android is Now

Many companies have delayed a move from Windows mobile to Android because they’ve been busy trying to keep up with day-to-day operations, and/or worried about the cost, time and effort needed to move to a new mobile operating system. For most, the clock is running out when it comes to using Windows OS. There are simply too many significant risks, costs, and potentially negative business impacts for companies to keep using Windows mobile. Here’s why:

By Lee Ann CapogrossiApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Blog Posts, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, Omnichannel, Zebra Mobile ComputersAndroid, Apps, barcode, warehouse, Zebra

Surviving the Supply Chain Crisis

Over the years, the global supply chain industry has made great strides in providing a reliable service that delivers products on time and in good condition. It was so effective that it was mostly an afterthought for those businesses that depended on it for survival. The only thing that caused it to slow down or deviate from everyday operations was the occasional act of Mother Nature. However, the global pandemic changed all that. Massive cargo ships that once crisscrossed the...

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

22NovNovember 22, 2022

How Downtime Impacts Manufacturing

Accurate and real-time management of your critical manufacturing components is vital to your business. Without it, you could experience one of the worst things to happen to your operations - unplanned downtime. When production unexpectedly stops, your lost revenue is 15x more than a scheduled downtime. And considering that asset maintenance can run as high as $3 million per incident, your unplanned downtime could decimate your profit margin depending on your industry. For example, the average automotive manufacturer loses $22K every...

By Brett WilkersonAutomotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing

How RFID Helps You Create a Digital DNA for Unique Object Identity

Identity is a hot topic these days. Did you know that objects need an identity? Establishing individual object identities is an essential tool to streamline your daily operations. It’s more than just assigning an Electronic Product Code (EPC). It’s creating Digital DNA that enables you to identify, track, count and manage items in your inventory in real-time. Creating Object Identity through Digital DNA While barcodes and QR codes are great for identifying entire shipments of products, individual object identity is better...

By Brett WilkersonApparel Solutions, Automotive Solutions, Blog Posts, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, Omnichannel, PortalTrack

5 Key Areas for How to Use RFID Tracking for WIP Manufacturing

The true purpose of any manufacturer is to create quality products cost-efficiently so the return on investment is as high as possible. By using RFID software to track your work-in-progress (WIP) manufacturing, you can ensure your WIP processes are streamlined and transparent. What is a WIP in Manufacturing? In the manufacturing industry, a work in progress (WIP) is a product that has not been completed for public distribution or sale. It’s a partially finished product that still requires labor and time...

By Brett WilkersonAutomotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing, PortalTrack

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

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

Facing the Top Challenges in Manufacturing with MSM Solutions

Like most industries, manufacturing in the U.S. experienced an unprecedented downturn in 2020. Years of sluggish growth hit the pandemic head-on resulting in a perfect storm that dropped the industry’s market size to $5.3T - its lowest in more than a decade. However, despite the letdown, U.S. manufacturing has shown its resilience, bouncing back with an expected market growth rate of 10.8% in 2021. To ensure this expectation becomes reality, organizations in the manufacturing industry need to address the most...

By Brett WilkersonAutomotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing

How I-T-C-M Spells ‘Security’ for Inventory Management

Inventory management can be a tricky operation especially since there are two types of security you need to consider. First, there’s the peace-of-mind knowing that your inventory is where it should be and being moved on time and in accurate quantities. Between the factory, warehouse, distribution center and retail/customer premise, its easy to lose track of what you have. Second, there’s the knowledge that your assets are protected from criminals. Without the proper safeguards in place, bad actors can easily take...

By Brett WilkersonAutomotive Solutions, Distribution and Logistics, Healthcare Solutions, Manufacturing, 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...