With partner American Barcode and RFID, Zebra will bring an RFID solution to a small non-profit with a big idea and demonstrate the positive impact of visibility technologies
Lincolnshire, Ill., April 9, 2014 – Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a global leader in products and solutions that provide real-time visibility into organizations’ assets, people and transactions, today announced it has named Working Bikes as the grand prize winner of its “Imagine More” social media contest. Working Bikes submitted an idea to use radio frequency identification (RFID) to better track and manage the organization’s donated bikes that are refurbished and distributed in countries throughout Latin America and Africa to help mobilize impoverished communities. Zebra, in partnership with American Barcode and RFID Inc. (AB&R), will now bring the solution to life.
“Working Bikes has been ‘imagining more’ for 15 years through our approach to empowering communities, so we jumped at the chance to improve our technological efficiencies which will better enable us to achieve our mission,” said Jim Lindsey, member of the Working Bikes board of directors. “We could not be more excited to be selected as Zebra’s ‘Imagine More’ grand prize winner and transform how we run our organization and better serve those in need by applying innovative RFID technologies.”
Launched in late 2013, the “Imagine More” social media contest challenged the public to submit ideas on how RFID technology could be positively used to solve anything from a simple household problem to a global social issue. Zebra received more than 45 submissions from around the globe with ideas ranging from keeping track of physical health to protecting animals to empowering the visually impaired. A panel of six judges, which consisted of Zebra RFID experts and external RFID professionals, selected Working Bikes as the grand prize winner based on the creativity, global reach, positive impact and RFID relevance of the submission.
“Through RFID technologies, businesses and people around the globe are changing how the world works and plays. By driving more visibility, RFID makes processes more efficient, informs smarter business decisions and assists innovators in creating change,” said Debbie Murphy, vice president of global marketing, Zebra Technologies. “I want to thank all the ‘Imagine More’ contest participants for their thoughtful submissions. We are thrilled to help Working Bikes realize the power of RFID and bring its innovative idea to life.”
Working Bikes is a Chicago based nonprofit that rescues discarded bikes and gives them new life by redistributing them as tools of empowerment in local and global communities. Bikes donated to Working Bikes find new life in one of three ways: most donated bikes are shipped to partners in Africa or Latin America for redistribution in local communities; other bikes are repaired by volunteers at the warehouse and donated to groups and individuals around Chicago; and finally, professional mechanics repair bikes for sale at below market rates from the Working Bikes warehouse at 2434 S. Western Ave, Chicago.
The organization’s three story warehouse has thousands of bikes in it at any one time, which volunteers move at a fast pace from floor to floor for receiving, repairs and shipping. Working Bikes is seeking to improve the tracking and management of its inventory throughout the process from donation to repair, which is what prompted their participation in the Imagine More contest. Working Bikes wants to transform how they control the bikes that go through their organization with RFID technologies so they can increase efficiencies and the positive impact on those in need.
After notifying Working Bikes of its selection, Zebra partnered with AB&R to be the systems integrator for the project. The three organizations have started to collaborate and determine the most fitting RFID solution to meet Working Bikes’ operational needs and will be dedicating time and resources to building the solution throughout 2014. Zebra will document the process and share the experience with the public via its corporate social media channels to highlight the positive impact RFID and associated technologies can have on the world.
“We’re honored to take part in such an exciting project and look forward to assisting Working Bikes in the design of its solution,” said Dino Farfante, president and COO, AB&R. “Zebra has consistently been a leader in innovation and this initiative further demonstrates its commitment to making asset visibility and intelligence possible for any organization.”
For more information about Zebra’s RFID and other visibility technologies, please visit www.zebra.com. Information about the “Imagine More” contest can be found by visiting http://bit.ly/ImagineMore
About Working Bikes
Since its founding in 1999, Working Bikes has donated more than 45,000 bicycles to humanitarian organizations around the world, providing people in underserved communities with an efficient means of transportation. Working Bikes donates used bicycles, diverting them from the waste-stream and giving old bicycles productive new lives. For more information about Working Bikes, please visit www.workingbikes.org.
About American Barcode and RFID Inc. (AB&R)
Since 1980, American Barcode and RFID Inc. (AB&R) has been a nationally-recognized integrator of proven solutions that drive efficiency and productivity in the supply chain. Those solutions include asset tracking, inventory management, workforce mobilization, wireless networking, and the managed services to support them all. For further information about AB&R please visit www.abr.com.
About Zebra Technologies
A global leader respected for innovation and reliability, Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) offers technologies that give a virtual voice to an organization’s assets, people and transactions, enabling organizations to unlock greater business value. The company’s extensive portfolio of marking and printing technologies, including RFID and real-time location solutions, illuminates mission-critical information to help customers take smarter business actions. For more information about Zebra’s solutions, visit www.zebra.com.
