Anthony Locicero, Associate Editor05.27.19
Zebra Technologies is celebrating 50 years. Printed Electronics Now spoke with Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Schmitz about the milestone.
Jeff Schmitz/Courtesy Zebra
Schmitz: Earlier this month, we rang the closing bell at NASDAQ to mark our 50th anniversary. We have also had many employee events in our locations around the world to celebrate this special year. This milestone is also a great opportunity for us to give back to the communities that have shaped who we are as individuals as well as who we are as a company. In this spirit, we are challenging employees globally to work in teams to achieve 50 hours of volunteer work throughout the month of June.
Schmitz: We attribute our long-term success to our focus on customers. Through our “Customer First” approach, our leaders and employees throughout our global organization are focused on collaboration and quick problem solving as well as shared goals and mutual commitment. As digital technology transforms the edge of the enterprise, Zebra’s purpose-driven design builds in ease of use, security and ruggedness with front-line users, workplace and workflows in mind. Zebra enables our customers to create smart, data-powered environments to better reflect what is happening at the edge of their operations rather than relying on traditional systems of record. And connected, collaborative mobile workflows powered by Zebra innovations allow those on the front line to optimize in-motion operations while linking together teams, assets and systems to deliver best-action guidance for business-critical decisions in real time.
PEN: What has changed and what has stayed the same in this 5-decade period?
Jeff Schmitz/Courtesy Zebra
Printed Electronics Now: What is the company doing to celebrate/recognize the milestone?
Schmitz: Earlier this month, we rang the closing bell at NASDAQ to mark our 50th anniversary. We have also had many employee events in our locations around the world to celebrate this special year. This milestone is also a great opportunity for us to give back to the communities that have shaped who we are as individuals as well as who we are as a company. In this spirit, we are challenging employees globally to work in teams to achieve 50 hours of volunteer work throughout the month of June.
PEN: What do you attribute the long-term success to?
Schmitz: We attribute our long-term success to our focus on customers. Through our “Customer First” approach, our leaders and employees throughout our global organization are focused on collaboration and quick problem solving as well as shared goals and mutual commitment. As digital technology transforms the edge of the enterprise, Zebra’s purpose-driven design builds in ease of use, security and ruggedness with front-line users, workplace and workflows in mind. Zebra enables our customers to create smart, data-powered environments to better reflect what is happening at the edge of their operations rather than relying on traditional systems of record. And connected, collaborative mobile workflows powered by Zebra innovations allow those on the front line to optimize in-motion operations while linking together teams, assets and systems to deliver best-action guidance for business-critical decisions in real time.
PEN: What has changed and what has stayed the same in this 5-decade period?
Schmitz: Throughout Zebra’s 50-year history, our commitment to our company values has remained steadfast. Our employees demonstrate their focus on integrity, teamwork, agility, accountability and innovation every day. We have also consistently collaborated with a global ecosystem of partners who help us deliver technology that enables our customers to create smart environments. Our ability to deliver a performance edge to the front line of business is built on this strong foundation. Zebra’s evolution from a product company to a strategic software and solution provider is our biggest change. Our customers count on us to be a trusted advisor, providing the right technology to help them make smarter business decisions to determine the next best action. Through both organic and inorganic growth, we will continue to advance our solutions and software capabilities to make our Enterprise Asset Intelligence vision even more accessible.
PEN: What can you say about the stability in leadership with just 2 CEOs in company history?
Schmitz: Strategic leadership is key. Our founders, Gary Cless and Ed Kaplan as well as our current CEO, Anders Gustafsson, push the boundaries of what is possible and believe in Zebra’s potential by continually investing in innovation and staying committed to customer and partner needs. While Zebra has changed its stripes over the years, we are well-positioned to accelerate our strategy. With our network of specialized partners, we continue to deliver industry-tailored solutions at the enterprise edge where there is an amazing amount of new growth and opportunities.
PEN: What is Zebra doing to increase the adopted use of RFID by end users?
Schmitz: Zebra is helping end users understand how RFID technology can help streamline operations by automatically locating tagged objects at greater speed, accuracy and volume than traditional methods. From readers to antennas, printers to software, supplies to service, every component seamlessly talks to one another and to existing systems. Using RFID in retail, for example, store associates know what’s on the shelf and on the move because RFID signals won’t get lost or crossed. In healthcare, caring for patients requires instant location of medication, and flawless fulfillment in the warehouse environment depends on real-time inventory tracking. RFID offers the flexibility needed by every type of industry, and we continue to educate end users about this benefit to help drive further adoption of the technology.
PEN: What do you see for the next 50 years for Zebra?
Schmitz: Over the next 50 years, we will continue to stay focused on delivering innovation to our customers and partners and creating a workplace in which employees can enjoy an inclusive and innovative culture. We will also drive our vision of Enterprise Asset Intelligence until every asset and worker on the edge is visible, connected and optimally utilized.
