Zebra's Your Edge Podcast

As the NFL gears up for its 106th season, fans and players alike are buzzing with anticipation. With the release of the 2025 NFL schedule, the upcoming season promises to be one of the most exciting yet with great matchups and a global reach. Zebra Technologies is proud to be a part of it by fueling the NFL's NextGen Stats, providing teams and fans with detailed insights into the game through our player tracking technology.

Do we need to shift to more “practical education” programs to ensure students are prepared for what they'll encounter, and need to do, in the real world? 

Hint: it has to do with “holes,” and not the cool kind. 

When you realize your heart is somewhere else, do you just keep pushing forward? Or do you immediately stop what you're doing and find a better fit? Former NFL Pro Julius Thomas found himself asking these questions at the age of 26. His answer might surprise you.

Automatic touch sensing and glove/water/stylus mode switching may not seem like a big deal to you. But it is for people who must constantly switch between these modes to do their jobs.   

I sat down with a DC operator and a Wi-Fi solution architect to understand why it often feels like such a struggle to get system settings just right (no matter how much technical investigation and adjustment occurs.) 

You need more than the “stakeholders” involved from day one because buy-in starts – but doesn't end – at the top of your healthcare organization. This is whose opinion and support matters most.

Warehouses, factories, and other supply chain facilities have become host to some intense competition and big prizes lately. Who would have thought? (Apparently, the people who understand how to modify behavior and started building gamification apps.) Tune in to hear how and why gamification works, especially on the frontline.

Is friction friend or foe in retail? Most would argue the latter. But after talking to Rack Room Shoes' CIO Brian Minnix recently, Zebra Retail Industry Principal Jim Musco believes friction isn't as bad as some might believe. Think about it: If you're a retailer, what motivates you to modernize your stores more than friction (or the cost of friction)? Not much, right? And what happens when you uncover dozens of friction points in your stores? You start committing a lot of resources to extinguish them.  The result?  Store operations run more smoothly because associates end up with the tools they need to better manage inventory, fulfill orders, assist customers, and more.  So, don't write off friction as the enemy too quickly. But do listen to how Brian worked fast (for the retail world) to rid his stores of friction in this 20-minute chat with Jim.  Then learn more about the Rack Room story (that you don't normally see in the media) here. 

Is enough being done to protect the health and safety of football players and other contact sport athletes at all levels of their game? Cognitive scientist (and former NFL tight end) Julius Thomas provided his professional opinion in a recent episode of Chalk Talk. See if you agree with his perspective and advice then check out this additional commentary about what pro football players experience on the field. (Constant car crash-type impacts?!) 

Kristen Ludwig is taking a different approach to customer experience design, advocating for technology customers and end-users of all abilities to have representation in business decisions and are fully supported in their work. See if this might also work for you, then learn more about Kristen and Laura (the host) here.

Are you a military service member or veteran? Don't let your current or past affiliations define who you are or who you want to be. And don't let your career history define your current self-worth, say these two U.S. Marines-turned-Zebras.  Hear why it's a mistake to make your military experience part of your identity.

According to one retail industry observer (and nearly every shopper), the answer is “yes!” Find out which conveniences matter most, though. It may not be the ones you think. 

Bob Bova, President and CEO of AccuspeechMobile, sits down with Andre Luecht, Global Strategy Lead for Transport, Logistics, and Warehouse at Zebra, to provide his honest take on why you may be struggling with your voice technology. Bob also shares some additional thoughts on the issue in this blog post.

According to two home health specialists and a nurse, AI may not be what home health providers really need right now. It all depends on what type of basic mobile technology capabilities they have – and most providers are lacking the basics. Find out why they are more concerned about the technology home health clinicians have (or don't have) as it relates to communications, safety, and patient record access. Tune into this episode of Clini-Chat now, then visit the blog for more opinions on this topic.       https://www.zebra.com/us/en/blog/posts/2024/do-home-health-providers-really-need-ai.html

What do you think about on-device AI? Is it all hype or will it prove helpful to frontline workers? Zebra CTO Tom Bianculli sat down with Art Miller from Qualcomm and Rouzbeh Aminpour from Google Cloud in this new podcast episode to break down the benefits of this new approach to AI so you can decide for yourself. You can learn more about on-device AI here.

You probably know a few women who “wow” you. But what makes these women so memorable and inspirational? Why are we in awe of them or interested in learning what makes them tick? Do they have something in common? Or is because they do uncommon things?   Julie Johnson, host of the Women Who Wow podcast, shares her thoughts on has spent several hours digging into the lives of tech industry movers and shakers. So, we sat down with her (on her own show) to find out what common threads she sees in the most impressive women. Let us know if you agree with her => https://www.zebra.com/us/en/blog/posts/2024/what-makes-the-women-who-wow-us-so-memorable.html 

If you're planning to use machine vision to assist with quality control or automate other visual inspections, there are some things you need to account for when designing your system. In the latest episode of the Industrial Automation Insider podcast, two engineers from Tri-Phase Automation explain what you should think about when spec'ing out your vision system to avoid headaches later on and make sure you get the results (and return on investment) you want.  

What's it really like to be a rookie in the NFL? That's one of the things that Adam Petrus and Hale Hentges wanted to get TJ Tampa's take on when they connected for the latest Chalk Talk. Hale's been in TJ's shoes. He knows what it's like to try to find your place as a pro athlete. But everyone's experiences are different, and TJ's experience has not been what you might expect. Hear how the all-star cornerback has been prepping for this season with the Baltimore Ravens and how he's hoping it will play out for him and his team. 

Unlike most clinicians, nurses at Hull University Teaching Hospitals don't have to worry that patient care will be compromised due to missing equipment or medical supplies shortages. Why? They've found an unconventional but effective ‘cure' using RFID. Listen to this episode to hear Hull RFID Charge Nurse Sarah Atkins explain what they did and the impact it has had thus far on clinicians, patients, and hospital operations. Prefer to read the transcript? Or want to learn more about the Hull project? Visit the related blog post. 

When an ambulance is dispatched to a call, the assumption is that it will be fully stocked with the right equipment and medicines for EMTs to stabilize patients or perform life-saving measures in the field. But with the increased number of calls for service, it's becoming more difficult for EMTs to maintain proper stock in their ambulances – and that has patient care implications. Why is such a fundamental task so hard to manage? That's one of the questions we asked two public safety experts. The other question? Is there anything that can be done to reduce the wait times for ambulance services where the calls for service are exceeding EMTs' capacity? These experts have some thoughts.

Stuart Hubbard, Senior Director of AI and Advanced Technology at Zebra, sat down with inspired software engineer Saliha Demir to find out what she has recently learned – and once misunderstood – about AI. Her early AI experiences are certainly a wake-up call to us all. Listen to what she says we all need to remember about AI (now that's she's spent more time developing AI applications and understanding its true purpose). 

In a very candid conversation, tech industry leader Tim Stoddard shares the best way to steer your career and life so that you become who you want rather than who others want you to be.

Want operational excellence throughout your manufacturing value chain? Apply value engineering methods to back-office operations, too, says Zebra Director of Operational Excellence, Cristina Chaidez. (That's how she's helped automotive and telecom manufacturers drive award-winning improvements.) Learn more about her approach and how she's impacted manufacturers' operations as a process engineer on the front lines as well as in the back office. Then click here to meet other Women Who Wow in industry.

Hear how T&L companies, utilities, government agencies, and other service providers are using the tablets currently installed as ELDs to inject more automation and intelligence onboard their fleet vehicles. Our guest, Michael Inglima from Ram Mounts, explains how these mobile devices are working with AI software, cameras, RFID and more to assist workers in and out of the cab as well as those coordinating goods transport and service call response. 

In this sit down, NFL Denver Broncos Coach Sean Payton revealed the common practices he's moving away from as a coach, what's on his vision board, what he saw in his time “in the booth" with Fox Sports, why he values RFID/data analytics so much, and what he's looking for when deciding which players will make it on the bus.  

They say there's two sides to every story. Well, now there's at least two viable machine vision solutions to every problem when you invite both seasoned and early career vision system engineers to the table, and that's making it easier to see the right path forward, according to two engineers. Find out why they feel this way, and what diversity of thought means for the impact of vision technology investments on your business. 

It is fascinating to hear what the retailer's loss prevention/asset protection team is doing to effectively detect and deter fraud and theft in stores (with the help of AI). Tune into this episode now.

From multiple substrate applications to automated compliance checks, the team at Cobalt Systems has come up with some interesting techniques to affix and validate labels on almost anything using common technology such as industrial printers and industrial scanners. Hear what they've done (and what you can do) in manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment operations. Then visit Zebra's blog to learn more.

If you use direct story delivery to get your goods on shelves, and you're trying to get more SKUs to more stores more frequently, then you'll probably need to enlist the help of more drivers and merchandisers. That's why you may need to rethink how you plan, coordinate, and execute DSD, according to one supply chain expert. 

There's a difference between structuring logistics operations for a customer and with a customer. Cathy Langham, CEO of Langham Logistics, shares what that difference is and why it's important to understand in this conversation with Deanna Self, Director of Digital Strategy for Global Supply Chain and Repair at Zebra Technologies.  

And what does a “good” company culture look like, anyway? Zebra's Chief People Officer shares his thoughts in this episode. 

 Though AI can work more quickly than people can in some cases, it still takes its cues from us. That's why you always need to keep a human in the loop. But that's not the only reason why you shouldn't let an AI work completely independently.  Zebra's Senior Director of AI and Advanced Technologies sits down with the Interim CEO of Humans in the Loop to talk more about why human oversight will always be needed with AI systems and if there's ever a time an AI system can be left to work autonomously.

Bluetooth has become ubiquitous over the last 20 years. (30 billion devices using Bluetooth.) But can it really get even more widely deployed (or better) than it is today? Inventor Jaap Haartsen has some interesting thoughts on what may happen in the next 20 years. Check it out. 

Two healthcare and pharmaceutical sector experts say resistance to change is causing many organizations to miss out on the benefits of automation and experience preventable disruptions in their operations. This is why (and how).

Cammy Shaheen shattered the glass ceiling for women. She also pulled many others through it behind her. Find out how she inspired inclusivity by helping women translate their non-technical skills to technology sector jobs. 

There are So Many Ways to Invest in and Inspire Women. Here are the Ones Inclusion and Diversity Champions Find Most Helpful.

The Blogging the Boys analyst also reveals the emotions that Super Bowl LVIII – and Usher's sweet skating moves – stirred up, along with his reliance on NFL Next Gen Stats to bring you the “story behind the story” each week. Tune in now.

What do 3D printing, Nikola Tesla, pharmaceutical production, the future of healthcare, and farming on Mars all have in common? And what do they have to do with "proximity"? Check out this podcast episode with Zebra CTO Tom Bianculli and TWIN Global Founder Rob Wolcott to find out!

Where exactly should these automation technologies be used within the reverse logistics chain? Alex Whiting, founder of MiTEQ, reveals what he's found to work best in our latest episode of the Industrial Automation Insider.

Brandon Copeland is a career athlete who has not stopped working for a day since he left the NFL. Wait until you hear everything (and we mean everything) this entrepreneur, professor, investor, advisor, coach, and philanthropist has been up to.

Not sure if you should be using AI in your warehouse? Or unclear where it can make an immediate impact? Zebra Global Partner Manager Mark Butler consulted with two experts from Körber Supply Chain to get you all the info you need to make the right decision for your people, processes, and profit targets. 

Richard Hudson made one thing very clear: trust is everything. So are people. Find out what he will be doing in the coming months to help ensure you feel fully supported, whether you're a customer, partner, employee or another key stakeholder for Zebra. 

Consumers and retail associates who participated in the 16th Annual Global Shopper Study hope it will, and top AI engineers think it will. Find out how we may all come to lean on this type of AI in stores sooner than later by tuning into this conversation between Zebra's EMEA Retail Industry Leader, Mark Thomson, and Zebra's Senior Director of AI and Advanced Technologies, Stuart Hubbard. Then check out this blog post in which Mark details where he and others are already seeing big gen AI opportunities for both associates and shoppers.

As UNESCO calls out, “Literacy empowers and liberates people.” And there are millions of people around the world whose lives could be vastly improved if they just had access to books. Kristen Daniels, Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank, has some ideas on how to ensure books are available to those who need them most - beyond the distributions that the book bank is leading. Listen to her ideas in this 20-minute Your Edge podcast episode. 

Ericsson and Zebra mobility experts answer important questions in this new roundtable discussion, including where private wireless technology delivers the most value and the ROI you can expect. After you tune in, check out other experts' perspectives on when you should use Wi-Fi and/or private wireless technology. https://www.zebra.com/us/en/blog/posts/2023/is-there-really-difference-between-private-4g-and-private-5g-or-private-wireless-and-wifi.html

A manufacturing veteran agrees, adding that you need to start thinking about IT/OT convergence differently as well. You must create more synergies among people and machines, and that requires a new strategy. Hear what Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial, and Sath Rao, the Director of Global Manufacturing Strategy at Zebra, recommend you do to make manufacturing jobs more attractive to a broader group of people. They also explain why automation is misunderstood and what you can do to help dispel myths. Listen now.

Google and Zebra are pulling out all the stops around mobility (and AI and AR) so you and your employees can source the info needed to more confidently do your jobs and secure more wins. Hear what's unfolding. 

Marcin Kowalski from Avicon Vision Systems in Poland pulls the veil back on some very cool ways this technology is being used to track ball movements, confirm the quality of a chicken's life, and more.  

In her first interview since moving into this leadership role, Tami Froese talks about her disciplined approach to collaboration, execution and performance measurement – and what supply chain “resiliency” really means.  

It's this mantra that helped Jenny Krummenacher, Director of Channel Sales at Zebra, repeatedly prove the impossible possible. Listen to her story to find out how she has built a career and life she loved with humor and grit.