Zebra Tech: Why Manufacturers Need Partners, Not Suppliers

The manufacturing landscape has faced endless disruption since 2020, from broken supply chains to global talent shortages. In this high-stakes environment, the traditional buyer-supplier dynamic may no longer be enough. 

Manufacturers need strategic partners who bring more than just parts. They need technology ecosystems that deliver intelligent automation, AI integration and operational resilience. Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) is now much more crucial than just being a procurement checklist.

Zebra Technologies’ experts, Greg, Jason and Stephan, share their expertise on SRM with Manufacturing Digital.

See the full feature in the April 2026 edition of Manufacturing Digital.

What makes a good supplier today for manufacturers?

Greg: Having a mindset that looks to move from ‘supplier’ to ‘partner’ is important. But being considered a partner must be earned, and that comes with time, consistent project delivery and deep knowledge of the industry and the customer's business. Customers also value ease of doing business which means things like simplified admin, timely and responsive communication and the ability to move from conversations to proof-of-concept, site testing and full deployment without friction. Manufacturers are looking for partners who can offer a broad portfolio, which includes solutions offered by a technology company’s own partner network. A partner with a broad portfolio and an ecosystem of partners gives the customer a one-stop shop with the advice and solutions needed.

Stephan: The need for intelligent automated workflows is high on the agenda. We know technology moves fast and manufacturers can struggle to keep up. There are multiple solutions on the market which make procurement time-consuming and hard to navigate. Specifically, manufacturers see great potential in modern machine vision solutions, radio frequency identification (RFID) and software suites that connect workers, machines and data on the frontline. 

Jason: AI has to be part of today’s manufacturer-partner conversation, whether that’s deep learning, computer vision or multimodal models. AI is a powerful capability that sits as a layer across any number of hardware and software solutions. Manufacturers also need partners who can provide AI solutions while understanding concerns around data security and the need for high levels of quality and compliance. Which is why on-device AI is attractive – no data needs to leave the device. It reduces latency, adds a layer of security and can help cut cloud costs. AI solutions digitise physical industrial environments and operations and turn data into insight that frontline workers can use to improve operations. 

How would you define a reliable supplier for manufacturers? How has this changed since 2020?

Greg: The essentials will always remain – the ability to solve a problem or leverage a solution, on-time and on-budget, plus the required cyber security and compliance safeguards and certifications. A partner that has been around for a long time and has a strong presence across markets is also important. No one wants to risk working with a supplier that might go out of business in a few years or will struggle to scale across a customer’s business as they grow.  

Stephan: Things have changed since 2020. The pandemic sparked the pivot to remote work and factory site closures for public health reasons, and disrupted supply chains. Since then, manufacturers have faced new competitors at a regional and global level, natural disasters and conflicts, changes in consumer demand, tariffs and precarious labour hiring for skilled workers. Today’s partners are navigating these issues with their manufacturing customers with better solutions that offer the flexibility and scale manufacturers need, and better support in terms of customer service, repair, maintenance and account management.

Can you tell me about a successful supplier relationship?

Jason: Every customer that achieves its goals is an example of a successful relationship. That might be more productivity and throughput, reduced downtime, higher compliance and quality levels, or boosted employee satisfaction scores. For example, Zebra, Clearview Imaging and Sentinel Vision have been collaborating on several scalable 3D and AI machine vision solutions for manufacturing industry customers. We’re enabling well-known automotive customers to lower defect rates by 10-15%, ensuring higher-quality car door panels and fewer recalls. With our modern solution we can eliminate up to 500 mechanical sensors and reduce maintenance expenses and system complexity. These solutions support enhanced scalability and growth potential, allowing for quick adaptation to changing production demands.

How is SRM changing with near-shoring and friend-shoring on the rise?

Greg: The landscape continues to diversify, requiring organisations to rethink how they build and manage partnerships. Success now hinges on creating robust ecosystems that go beyond traditional resellers to include independent software vendors (ISVs), alliances, consulting partners and other specialised collaborators. These collaborative networks bring together diverse expertise to deliver greater value to customers. Organisations must prioritise understanding which ecosystem players align most closely with their key use cases and business priorities. In this evolving landscape, successful ecosystems will not be defined by the number of partners but by the strength of alignment, the relevance of expertise and the ability to co-create solutions that deliver a connected frontline, asset visibility and intelligent automation for customers.

Can you share examples of where strong supplier relationships made an impact?

Stephan: Zebra and partner AIMTEC recently completed a project with global manufacturer Denso. It needed to address workflow inefficiencies on the shop floor, from laggy interfaces to disruptive task switching, to help operators stay connected and productive.

Following a successful pilot and device loan, facilitated by implementation partner AIMTEC, Denso invested in Zebra KC50 kiosk computers to support more than 1,500 employees through rotating shifts. Throughout the shift, operators use the KS50 touch interface to follow instructions, scan parts and confirm each completed step via the Android-based manufacturing execution system app running on the kiosk computers. Each action feeds into Denso’s Factory IoT platform, creating a live record of production where every input, machine and human task is part of a single, connected system. 

Another example is the success achieved by global pet food manufacturer Royal Canin. At one of its warehouses, the company ships 1,800 food pallets daily, running 24/7 to serve global markets. In only three days, WIIO, a Zebra Premier Solution and Industrial Automation Partner, installed Zebra’s FS40 fixed industrial scanners and ET60 tablets throughout the plant, in collaboration with Zebra. The solution has contributed to a sharp reduction in accident risk with an automated, hands-off scanning system, full compliance with the MARS Group’s safety directive and a 50% increase in forklift loading rates.

See the full feature in the April 2026 edition of Manufacturing Digital.