Paul Eyre, Director, Machine Vision for Logistics, Zebra Technologies shares how escalating global supply-chain disruption is accelerating the shift from fixed industrial scanning to machine vision, enabling more resilient, intelligent, and efficient operations across manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing.
One of the world’s largest shipping companies reported that disruptions to global supply chains are likely to continue for the next 12 to 24 months. Economies are now resigned to the indefinite rerouting of cargo vessels away from the Red Sea and around the Cape of Good Hope, meaning longer and more expensive shipping lines.
Persistent labour shortages and ever more sophisticated cyberattacks are costing huge amounts of time and money to logistics, manufacturing, retail and many other industries.
A third challenge is the urgent demand by businesses for intelligent automation, precision, and efficiency, as traditional methods can’t keep up with the rising complexity of supply chains and customer expectations.
But a new route to more resilient and intelligent operations is emerging beyond those challenges. The market for machine vision is projected to grow from £4.3 billion to £5.3 billion by 2028. This advanced technology for defect and anomaly detection, quality and compliance inspection, and automated sorting is no longer optional but integral to staying competitive.
Research by Zebra with Oxford Economics into the impact of intelligent operations has found that manufacturers which achieved meaningful improvements in their quality control and assurance workflows over the last two years relied on machine vision (64%) and fixed industrial scanners (FIS) (56%), among other technologies.
Machine vision has mainly been the preserve of the manufacturing industry for the past 20 years, but technological advancements mean machine vision is now applicable to the less structured environments of logistics and warehousing operations. This aligns with Zebra’s 2025 Warehousing Vision Study, which found that three quarters (74%) of warehouse decision-makers in Europe believe that machine vision and/or fixed industrial scanning technology in key areas would save time and eliminate errors, and two thirds (65%) plan to implement machine vision solutions within the next one to five years.
What makes this shift so compelling? One answer lies in the shared technological foundation of FIS and machine vision. While FIS focuses on barcode scanning and data capture, machine vision builds on this by adding powerful tools like pattern recognition, object analysis, defect detection, and deep learning optical character recognition.
Businesses that already use FIS can upgrade to machine vision with minimal disruption, leveraging existing infrastructure and investing gradually with flexible software upgrades. FIS is already transforming industries, and machine vision could be the logical next step.
Fixed Industrial Scanning: Real-World Success Stories
FIS systems are already delivering impressive results for businesses worldwide.
- A logistics company handling fresh produce across dozens of retail locations needed to streamline operations and reduce human error. By installing 56 FIS readers across seven scanning gantries, the company automated barcode reading on crates stacked up to 2.3 metres high. The results were striking: productivity increased by 20-30%, errors dropped to under 5%, and inventory visibility improved dramatically. Employees could focus on higher-value tasks instead of manual checks, while customers benefited from more accurate deliveries.
- Another success story comes from a European logistics firm grappling with 70 different package sizes on its conveyor belts. The company used FIS scanners to process poorly printed or damaged labels, saving over 50% of the time previously spent on inbound storage. In five months, the system processed 700,000 packages with minimal manual intervention. Beyond the time savings, the firm also improved its overall efficiency and accuracy, setting a new benchmark for operational excellence.
- A photographic processing manufacturer with production sites across Europe deployed a FIS system to identify flaws in products at an early stage, improving throughput by 20% and significantly reducing waste.
- Similarly, a northern European bakery achieved remarkable savings by installing scanners on forklifts. This ensured that pallets were correctly labelled and routed, reducing downtime and saving €20,000 annually. Employees could focus on strategic tasks instead of troubleshooting errors, making work better every day.
Machine Vision: Expanding the Possibilities
While fixed scanning excels at linear barcode scanning, machine vision takes automation to a whole new level. By combining advanced imaging technologies with AI-powered software, machine vision systems can perform multiple tasks simultaneously. For instance, machine vision can verify barcodes, inspect package integrity, and read alphanumeric labels, all within a single system. This eliminates the need for separate devices, reducing costs and complexity.
machine vision systems can generate real-time data insights and enhanced asset visibility, helping managers make better decisions and optimised workflows. By automating repetitive tasks, machine vision frees up teams to focus on innovation. and machine vision delivers a fast return on investment by reducing errors, improving quality control, and boosting productivity.
Upgrading from fis to machine vision also builds smarter, more resilient operations that can adapt to future demands, including through fis/machine vision working together with robotics. machine vision systems can act as the ‘eyes’ of robots, providing real-time data about the environment, and using this data to perform certain tasks such as materials handling or component assembly.
A Strategic Investment for an Industry 4.0 Future
The rise of machine vision is part of a broader shift toward Industry 4.0, where intelligent, connected systems redefine how businesses operate. Elevating FIS with machine vision is therefore a strategic move that unlocks new ways to connect the frontline. By combining the strengths of FIS with the advanced capabilities of machine vision, businesses can create seamless, automated workflows that delivers tangible benefits.
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