Businesses which have been tempted to deploy consumer-grade tablets, and disappointed or frustrated by the results, will be thrilled by the new line of ET40 & ET45 tablets from Zebra Technologies Corporation. The ET40/45 family fills a gap between not-good-enough consumer tablets and more robust tablets such as Zebra’s ET80/ET85 line.

The Zebra ET40 tablet (wi-fi only) and ET45 tablet (wi-fi or cellular) are ready for demanding environments, with rugged features unavailable in consumer products, such as swappable batteries. Powerful Zebra barcode scanner technology and unified communications capabilities create dramatic productivity benefits for your team. Importantly, when you are adopting for a mobile computing rollout, you will appreciate Zebra’s 3-year hardware lifecycle and 6 years of service and support – a product runway dramatically longer than that attained with consumer-grade products.

Why Consumer Grade Tablets Fail In The Workplace

Businesses which don’t require completely rugged tablet solutions for mobile workers, may be tempted by initially less expensive consumer-grade products, but the complete cost of ownership should be considered, as the costs ultimately outweigh the upfront benefits:

• Continual device failure after drops, bumps, and mishaps
• Need for expensive rugged cases and scanning sleds undermines the perceived ‘cost-savings’
• Short consumer lifecycles inevitably results in a workplace cluttered with many different device models, increasing the difficulty of management and training
• Service and support is limited
• Batteries are not replaceable – when battery dies, you must discard the device
• Lack of enterprise features and connectivity options slows down and frustrates your workers

The ET4X Series of Zebra Tablets is Feature-Packed

Instead, choosing the enterprise grade ET4X series provides your team with a professional grade product with features which will save employees time and aggravation, and enterprise software tools which your IT staff will appreciate.

• Tough design, yet thin and light styling. Corning Gorilla Glass protects your screen.
• Large 8″ or 10″ screen superior to smaller mobile computer screen sizes
• Fast wireless – 5G and Wi-Fi 6
• Battery power for multiple shifts
• Zebra’s industry-best barcode scanner performance and barcode software
• Complete family of accessories is available
• Multi-year lifecycle
• Voice solutions such as Workforce Connect are available to improve team communication
• Zebra’s mobility DNA packs in value-add features which contribute to device management and ease of use

Applications for the ET40/ET45 Rugged Tablet

There are many use cases for the Zebra ET40 / ET45 Tablet family:

• Transportation and Logistics – use for routing or dispatch, proof of delivery, invoicing, inventory management, staff communication.
• Field Service and Utilities – routing/dispatch, inventory management, personnel tracking, mobile work order management, safety inspection, meter reading.
• Warehousing – inventory management, picking, put-away, receiving, staff communications.
• Manufacturing – plant management, mobile HMI, maintenance repair, quality assurance, communications.
• Retail and Hospitality – great for assisted selling, price checks, line busting, point of sale, inventory management.

Learn More About the Zebra ET40/ET45

To learn more about the ET40 & ET45 tablet, please contact CSSI Technologies. Our team of Zebra product experts can review your needs and help you select the optimal product for your business.

Your warehouse faces multiple pressures to meet customer expectations. Surpass them all with an all-in-one mobility solution – designed with Zebra Technologies.

Same-day shipping. Real-time order tracking. 100% order accuracy. Flexible return policies.

Your warehouse teams must navigate through a myriad of challenges while battling high turnover rates and shortages at the same time. Empower them to conquer challenges with streamlined efficiency delivered through…

Learn More From CSSI

Contact CSSI to learn more about how you can consolidate the mobile devices in use in your facilities — adopting instead a multi-functional enterprise Android rugged handheld from Zebra Technologies.

Zebra Workforce Connect Unifies Your Teams

In a world of inevitable change, team communication in and out of the four walls is vital for business continuity. That’s why businesses are encouraged to unify teams with intelligent, push-to-talk systems like Zebra’s Workforce Connect. Your team’s rugged handhelds aren’t just for scanning and accessing key applications — they also function as extremely useful communication devices!

2-Way Radios Enable Real-Time Communication

• Group calls
• Automatic emergency alerts
• Seamless task assignment
• Secured text messaging

No need to burden your team with multiple devices — they can take advantage of the Zebra mobile computers and scanners they are already carrying! Zebra’s Workforce Connect is a 2-way radio function which lets you reach your team, and your team members to reach one another regardless of where they are.

Contact CSSI To Utilize 2-Way Radios For Your Team

To learn more about using Zebra Workforce Connect, please contact CSSI.

Walmart Requires More Suppliers to Utilize RFID Tags

The retail world is buzzing, as once again, Walmart has imposed an RFID tagging mandate on a broad swath of suppliers. In order to better control and maintain visibility of inventory, Walmart is requiring many of its customers to ship products which are RFID-tagged. (https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/feb/12/walmart-expands-rfid-tag-system/).

Why the mandate? Walmart is eyeing the 25% improvement in inventory accuracy and 10-15% reduction in labor hours required for counting items (per McKinsey). In this age of labor shortages and rising wages, those reductions will surely benefit Walmart’s operation.

Impact for Manufacturers Sold Through Retail Chains

Obviously, affected Walmart suppliers who have not already begun their RFID journey, will need to climb on board. And some who have a toe in the water may have to accelerate their pace. CSSI can help you with RFID consulting and guidance.

It’s also worth noting that Walmart may be early in requiring RFID, but it is unlikely to be the end of the story. We can expect that other retailers will use this as an opportunity to also introduce their own RFID requirements. (Has a retailer told you that you must add RFID tags to your goods before they’ll stock them?).

In short – it’s time to get real about RFID.

How RFID Tagging Can Be a Win-Win For Manufacturers

Here’s the best news: as an affected Walmart supplier or manufacturer, you should not look at this RFID mandate as a new expense or burden. Instead, you should see it as an opportunity to improve the efficiency of your own operations, and reduce your costs.

Some of the RFID benefits for the supplier or manufacturer include:

• Improved visibility on the movement and location of inventory — near-real-time data can help you to reduce or eliminate costly stock outages.
• Tagging product at the source provides you with valuable data for the product’s entire lifecycle, and when suitable, can provide track-and-trace data.
• Eliminate or dramatically reduce expensive manual inventory counts, freeing resources for more productive pursuits.

CSSI Can Help with Your RFID Implementation

CSSI can support you with the complete solution you’ll need to meet these requirements:

• RFID tags
• Printers capable of encoding RFID data on printed tags
• Software solutions to help track and maintain records
• RFID scanners and antennas for your facility
• RFID middleware to simplify your consumption of valuable RFID data

Contact us today to accelerate your adoption of RFID!

Warehouses Face Challenges… We Can Help

From the surge of ecommerce to the new wave of safety compliance codes, today’s warehouses and distribution centers are facing pressures from all sides to adopt flexible modernization solutions that maximize productivity.

Increasing Warehouse Challenges

And yet, over 60% of businesses see IT and technology implementation as the top operational challenge in the digital age. Without an adaptable strategy, operations may suffer under challenges such as:

• the ever persisting labor shortage
• an increasing occurrence of cyber attacks
• and material shortages disrupting every industry in the globalized world.

Seamless Warehouse Modernization

But what if you could overcome these challenges with a seamless modernization strategy tailored to grow with your operations? From accurate data capture to consolidated MDM services, join CSSI and Zebra Technologies in uncovering what seamless modernization will look like in your operations.

Undisrupted communication, real time inventory visibility, dependable data security see it all come together in your operations when you contact CSSI to learn more.

Contact CSSI For Help

To get started on your warehouse modernization acceleration path, please contact CSSI by completing the form at right.

Zebra Launches New Android Wearable With Vivid Color Screen

Every task worker without mobile access to relevant information is forced to take more steps and more time to complete tasks, eroding operational efficiency. Now, connecting your disconnected workers is Every task worker without mobile access to relevant information is forced to take more steps and more time to complete tasks, eroding operational efficiency. Now, connecting your disconnected warehouse associates is easy with the Zebra WS50 – the world’s smallest all-in-one Android enterprise-class wearable mobile computer.

The WS50 is an industrial barcode scanner and mobile computer with unparalleled functionality and flexibility, created by Zebra Technologies, a leader in supply chain solutions. The adaptable WS50 is lightweight and ergonomic, comfortable and hands-free. With no host device required, it’s the first of its kind, offering powerful data capture with all-in-one Android device simplicity. It’s rugged, weighing just a few ounces, but built to handle all-day everyday enterprise use – extreme heat and cold, bumps and drops. It’s a versatile computing core with a modular design that lets you choose the mount that’s right for the job: the WS50 can be worn ring-style on two fingers, on the back of the hand or on the wrist. The design is at home everywhere – from manufacturing and warehousing to retail and hospitality.

Zebra WS50 Android Wearable Computer Benefits

• All-in-one design reduces your costs – no need to purchase separate mobile computer and ring scanner
• Just-the-right screen size for task management, communications, and scan-intensive work
• Reduced management burden – fewer devices, fewer batteries, fewer service contracts
• Ideal for simplified task-based apps and communication
• Perfect for the warehouse, improving pick productivity, and e commerce fulfillment
• Can be used without a handheld computer – the WS50 is an all-in-one solution

The WS50 is small but mighty, packed with powerful business class voice and data features that drive productivity and accuracy into every task. Choose your data capture technology — Zebra’s enterprise-The Zebra WS50 is a small but mighty wearable computer, packed with powerful business class voice and data features that drive productivity and accuracy into every task. Choose your data capture technology – Zebra’s enterprise-class industrial barcode scanner SE4770 imager is integrated into the two-finger and back-of-hand mount for intense barcode scanning, and a high resolution 13 MP camera is integrated into the wrist mount to capture detailed photos to document proof of condition, as well as occasional barcodes. All models are push-to-talk ready, enabling workers to instantly collaborate with co-workers and managers for faster issue resolution. Support for task management applications enables better staff utilization and management. Voice features include an embedded speaker and microphone, plus the ability to connect a Bluetooth headset for cordless freedom and private communications.

The Zebra WS50 offers exceptional useability and viewability and is always powered up and ready to work. The AMOLED color display is extraordinarily bright with a wider range of viewing angles, delivering superior readability. The removable hot-swappable battery ensures devices are powered every minute of every shift. And programmable buttons allow you to give workers one-press simplicity for a wide variety of functions – from push-to-talk and scanning to photo capture and more.

Learn More – Arrange a Demo of the Zebra WS50 Wearable Computer

Contact CSSI to arrange a demo and see how the WS50 can transform your warehouse picking operations! Allow us to employ our warehouse expertise and operational efficiency know-how to benefit your operations and warehouse workflows. CSSI is a premier solutions partner for Zebra Technologies Corporation.

CSSI Promoted to Zebra Premier Solutions Partner

CSSI Technologies is pleased to announce that it has been promoted by Zebra Technologies to Premier Solutions Partner status!. This is an elite level of the partner program which recognizes the success and expertise which CSSI has built in the Zebra product line.

Zebra Technologies is a global leader in handheld computers, rugged tablet PC’s, thermal printers, and data capture technologies, as well as a broad ecosystem of software solutions and tools.

As a Zebra Premier Solutions Partner, CSSI is now even better positioned to apply our expertise in Zebra products to successful implementations in your business!

Let’s talk about your next warehouse, logistics, or operations technology upgrade!

Update your label printers and receive valuable cash rebates

Your business is moving faster every day. Don’t let aging printers slow your team down. CSSI is please to offer a 2022 program through which you can receive cash rebates when you update old thermal label printers. Best of all, you can trade up to industry-leading print solutions from Zebra. CSSI is an expert both in thermal printing, and in specifying and supplying thermal print media and label supplies.

Learn more about our 2022 program, and contact us today to get started.

Rugged Android Touch Computer for Warehouse Vehicles

It’s time to replace your aging large screen Windows vehicle mount mobile computers. You want the same large screen, the latest mobility platform for future-proofing and features that will make the transition to a completely different OS as painless as possible. The VC8300 10-Inch delivers it all. This purpose-built, cost-effective device is right-priced — with all the right features.

Cutting Edge Android Performance

You get Zebra’s cutting edge Android platform for superior future-proofing. You get blazing application performance with the state-of-the-art powerful Qualcomm SD660 octa-core 2.2 GHz processor. Easily accommodate all your applications with the large 10 inch display. Workers can use the same gestures they are already familiar with on their personal devices with a capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch support, practically eliminating the learning curve. Multiple mounting options enable easy installation anywhere in virtually any material handling vehicle. And it’s easy to keep the VC8300 10-Inch secure throughout the enterprise-class extended lifecycle with Zebra Mobility DNA’s LifeGuard™ for Android™, included at no cost with every Zebra OneCare contract.

Painless Migration of Terminal Emulation Apps to Android

The VC8300 10-Inch takes all the pain out of migrating Terminal Emulation apps to Android. Since Zebra Mobility DNA’s All-touch TE powered by Ivanti Velocity is pre-loaded and pre-licensed, existing TE apps run on the VC8300-10 Inch right out of the box — no application modification required. And when you’re ready, with the push of a button, this robust Zebra Mobility DNA tool transforms TE apps into interactive and intuitive modern Android screens that simplify and strip time out of everyday processes, boosting worker productivity.

Best-In-Class Network Connectivity

Mobile devices are only delivering value if they are connected to your network. And with best-in-class connectivity, you can count on a fast, constant connection. Wi-Fi coverage is in a class of its own, with Zebra-only features that deliver superior performance in moving vehicles to keep workers productive every minute of every shift. And Bluetooth 5.x Dual Mode support provides workers with a reliable, high-performance connection to the universe of Bluetooth peripherals — including headsets, handheld scanners and printers.

Rugged & Ready For Tough Environments – Including Freezer Warehouses

When it comes to rugged design, the VC8300 10-Inch is ready for your toughest environments. There’s no environment that’s too tough for this vehicle mount computer. With dust-and-water tight IP66 sealing, sealed connectors, a clean flat front that won’t catch dust or water, extreme temperature, shock and vibration testing and more, it thrives in virtually any challenging environment — from manufacturing plants and warehouses to outdoor yards and ports, even the freezer.

Need Support? CSSI Covers You With Device Lifecycle Management

Need help with deployment and future management of your fleet of warehouse computers? CSSI has you covered with Device Lifecycle Management, our unique program for managing and updating your mobile devices. Click to learn more.

Need help with Windows-to-Android migration? CSSI has you covered there too. Let us demonstrate how painless it can be.

Set Up Your Demo Today

The VC8300 10-Inch Vehicle Mount Mobile Device — the ultimate ultra-rugged all-touch Android device for the most demanding industrial applications. Contact CSSI to learn more about the VC8300, and see the detailed spec sheet below:

Highlights from Zebra’s Warehousing Vision Study

How does your warehouse performance and future planning stack up against your peers? Here are highlights from Zebra’s Warehousing Vision Study, which provides a data-driven path for investment and improvement.

Highlights:

• 61% see IT/technology utilization as the top operational challenge
• 80% believe tech implementation is key to competing in the fast on-demand economy (ask how CSSI can help with device deployment and management to speed your new tech adoption).
• 55% are planning to utilize RTLS (real-time locationing systems)
• 54% expect to be using a full-featured WMS (warehouse management system)
• 86% plan to increase training for supply chain workers
• 79% agree that tech transformation in the warehouse will increase the appeal of a warehouse career

Read on for more insights: