Warehouse 5.0: How Smart Logistics is Evolving

In today’s interconnected and interdependent global world of supply chains, there is an expectation of confident, technology-driven change, relating specifically to location and security. Equally, system and data speed along with accuracy need to be constantly improved, as inventory knowledge is paramount for retailers and their customers.

SOTI’s latest Transport and Logistics research, The Road Ahead: Driving Digital Transformation in T&L, shares valuable insight into the global views of technology used in the sector. Specifically, while 98% of respondents use mobile technology daily, they lose an average of 13 hours per worker per month due to mobile-device-related downtime. That is valuable time that could be spent fulfilling deliveries. This did vary regionally, with the US and UK losing 10 hours per month, compared to Sweden and Australia losing 12 hours per month.

The main time-wasters include: the inability to troubleshoot problems in real time, various printer-related issues, devices shared between multiple employees not being returned or getting stolen, working with outdated or non-functional IT systems and a general lack of information and tracking between warehouses and drivers. Almost half of the employees (46%) feel that the technical problems contribute to increased stress on the job. The problems lead to 41% of employees missing targets, 32% speeding up to compensate for delays and 29% working overtime.

“It is clear that the lack of robust technical solutions is causing significant time losses and impacting employee well-being and company profitability. To optimize operations in an industry so dependent on mobile technology as transportation and logistics, it is crucial to implement an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution and use AI-driven business intelligence tools, to all devices, including mobile printers,” says Stefan Spendrup, VP of Northern and Western Europe at SOTI. “For companies to gain better insight into what is really happening in the field, they need advanced device management and data intelligence tools for oversight and proactive support; only then can problems be identified and addressed before they arise.”

 

The Real Tech Cost

Tech issues, including network and connectivity problems, contribute to significant downtime and delivery delays. The Netherlands and Japan report over four hours of downtime weekly, while most other countries surveyed lose closer to three hours per week. More than three-quarters (76%) say that despite feeling adequately trained on mobile data security, 61% fear for the safety of their customers’ data should their devices get lost or stolen. Additionally, 58% of employees are concerned about customer data falling into the wrong hands when mobile devices are shared. This concern is most prevalent among employees in Mexico (71%), Canada (69%) and the Netherlands (67%).

“Even today in 2026, the reality is there are massive issues with Wi-Fi and connectivity causing downtime, despite the maturity of the technology. Warehouses are bigger and more complex than ever, averaging between 10,000 to 50,000 square feet in the UK, with connectivity issues in black spots that need to be carefully assessed to ensure continuity of connection 24 hours a day. Preventing any tech issues and consequent knock-on effects to customers and the supply chain is key for the manufacturing and service industry,” states Richard Gilliard, CEO Renovotec.

 

The Rising Role of the Printer

Printers in the sector are also now mobile, with a crucial role in printing quality delivery receipts as well as correct real-time inventory labelling and product information. Effective label readers and label printers themselves are equally reliant on the quality and legibility of the labels themselves to keep complex operations moving and to avoid downtime.

“Labels today are more sophisticated than ever. They carry real-time data and increasingly integrate technologies like 2D barcodes and RFID, transforming how customers engage with brands both in-store and online,” said Colby Cavanaugh, SVP Marketing at Seagull Software. “This level of sophistication allows T&L organizations to quickly locate and update inventory levels while enabling track-and-trace visibility across the entire customer journey. It is this operational insight that ultimately sets leading suppliers apart”.

The Zebra ZQ500 and ZQ300 mobile printer series specifically serve the warehousing and Transport and logistics sector well and working with SOTI Connect ensures the security risks are locked down, and that in case of devices being lost or stolen in the vast warehousing units, they can easily be remotely wiped, or better still, located and retrieved for continuous productivity.

Zebra printers are also certified with SOTI for end-to-end security and management, and by Seagull by BarTender for effective label updating when needed, in line with compliance and regulation. All are provided and managed via Renovotec as the Managed Service Provider.

Find out more about how Renovotec can manage your printer solutions with SOTI and BarTender to streamline your inbound and outbound logistics, automate processes and improve inventory and asset management.

To find out more about SOTI and Renovotec, book an appointment with one of their experts and secure your invitation to the upcoming SOTI Experience Day on 7^th May 2026, here.

SOTI Experience Day will bring together professionals who design, deploy and support enterprise mobility solutions, to discuss practical insights and deliver live demos and networking opportunities across multiple sectors.