Fulfillment Efficiency with Zebra Technologies

Written by Mike Huff on May 20, 2025. Posted in Automation, Continuous Improvement, Podcasts, robotics.

Embed Buzzsprout audio player

Live from the Zebra Technologies booth at ProMat 2025, Kevin dives into one of the most talked-about innovations in warehouse automation. He’s joined by Matt Wicks, Zebra’s VP of Software and Robotics, to explore the company’s latest mobile robotics solution to streamline order fulfillment from end to end. Zebra, known for its hardware legacy, is now delivering a powerful, cloud-driven system that combines wearables, intelligent routing, and autonomous mobile robots.

A Full Turnkey System Built for ROI

Zebra’s solution isn’t just about robots—it’s a fully orchestrated system. The software connects with a warehouse’s WMS, evaluates the entire order pool, and assigns optimized picking tours. The wearables guide employees visually and audibly, while the mobile robots stay on the move, never idle, explained Wicks. By decoupling robots from carts and using real-time order data, Zebra ensures full utilization of every asset. That utilization, Wicks noted, is critical: “If it’s not in production, you’re not getting a return on that investment.”

With fewer robots required thanks to longer battery life and less downtime, Zebra is unlocking automation for facilities that previously couldn’t justify the cost.

Fulfillment Efficiency Delivered Through Smart Routing, Faster Picking, and Simpler Training

Unlike traditional zone-picking systems, Zebra’s technology uses real-time geographic data to create optimized picking tours. Each picker is assigned a tour that reduces unnecessary walking to deliver fulfillment efficiency.

“It’s actually better than the zone-based picking,” said Wicks. “We plan a tour that’s optimal for the given products… and we can group those items across multiple different carts to increase the overall pick efficiency.”

Ease of use is another core advantage. Zebra can train workers in minutes with just a wearable and a ring scanner. “You put the handheld on and you walk this through once or twice and you’re good to go. You’re an official warehouse picker,” adds Wicks. Visual indicators on the wearable screen simplify placement and confirmation, providing textual and visual confirmation to minimize mistakes.

Maximizing Robot Utilization with Decoupled Workflows

Traditional mobile robotic systems often suffer from one major issue: waiting. Robots wait on people. People wait for robots. Zebra’s system eliminates this. Their autonomous mobile robots drop off carts and immediately return to production, while workers continue picking or unloading without delay.

“Because we can drop the carts off at induction and pack out, you don’t have the wasted utilization of the robots just waiting there,” said Wicks. “They’re back in production because of the efficiency of the tours that we plan.”

This design isn’t just about convenience. It delivers meaningful cost savings and accessibility. “It opens up the market to customers that haven’t necessarily been able to use AMR technology,” he added. The robots themselves are also upgraded, with heavier payloads, longer battery life, and improved navigation capabilities for brownfield sites and narrow aisles.

Key Takeaways on Fulfillment Efficiency

Zebra’s robotic picking solution integrates wearables, mobile robots, and cloud-based orchestration for end-to-end fulfillment efficiency.
The system delivers faster ROI and makes robotics accessible to more operations by lowering costs.
Visual indicators and intelligent routing make training and operation intuitive, often requiring just two minutes to train a new user.
Zebra’s mid-level software optimizes tours using real-time order data and warehouse layout.

Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Guest Information

For more information on Zebra Technologies, click here.

To connect with Matt on LinkedIn, click here.

For more information about fulfillment efficiency, check out the podcasts below.

570: Inside Zebra and Körber’s Partnership for Smarter Warehouse Technology

561: Maximizing Profits with Fewer Robots – The Breakthrough from Zebra Robotics in AMR Utilization

423: Navigating Future-Ready Warehousing with Mark Wheeler of Zebra Technologies