If 2025 was the year of experimentation, 2026 will be the year of execution.

The industry is finally moving past the buzzwords. The focus is shifting from what technology can do to what it actually does for your operations. We are no longer just exploring AI. We are applying it to drive results.

At American Barcode and RFID (AB&R®), we see a move toward “Intentional Intelligence.” Success next year requires deploying technology with a specific purpose to solve real supply chain headaches like inventory accuracy and labor efficiency.

To help you prepare, we identified five strategies for the year ahead. Here are our top ways to leverage AI and automation in 2026.

Most companies currently use AI passively. They ask it questions, summarize reports, or generate emails. The next phase in 2026 is the rise of “Agentic AI.” These are autonomous agents capable of taking action to achieve specific goals with minimal human oversight.

Think about inventory management. Instead of a manager running a weekly report to find low stock, an AI agent continuously monitors real-time data from your RFID readers. When inventory dips below a threshold, the agent doesn’t just send an alert. It autonomously drafts a replenishment order and sends it to the purchasing manager for final approval. This shift closes the loop between data analysis and execution.

That level of automation is the goal for 2026, but we know every warehouse is at a different stage today. Where do you fit in?

We are all guilty of “Shiny Object Syndrome.” In the supply chain world, this looks like buying the newest scanner, drone, or software simply because it’s new. But as we move into 2026, the most successful companies will be those that prioritize intent.

A recent industry analysis on The Missing Link in AI argues that innovation without intent is just an expense. If you implement a solution and labor costs don’t go down or accuracy doesn’t go up, the “intent” was missing.

Next year, don’t start with the technology (“How can we use AI?”). Start with the problem (“Why does it take us 4 hours to unload a truck?”).
When you lead with intent, the technology becomes the solution, not just another line item in the budget.

For the last decade, tracking was limited by cost. You tagged the pallet because it was valuable, but you didn’t tag the case or the bin because the ROI wasn’t there. In 2026, that barrier is crumbling with Ambient IoT.

A recent feature in SupplyChainBrain makes the perfect distinction: Traditional data is like a broad paintbrush stroke—it gives you a vague, historical idea of what happened. Ambient IoT is like a digital camera—it gives your AI millions of “pixels” of real-time data.

Why does this matter? because AI models run on data, not gasoline. If you want the “Agentic AI” we mentioned in Tip #1 to work, it needs “high-fidelity signals” from the physical world. It needs to know not just where a shipment is, but if it has been sitting on a hot dock for too long (temperature) or if a crate was opened unauthorized (theft).

In 2026, the companies that win the “data arms race” will be the ones that use low-cost, battery-free tags to turn every “dumb” object in their facility into a smart sensor.

For years, “Artificial Intelligence” meant heavy computing done in the cloud. But in 2026, the biggest shift will be the move to Edge AI—intelligence that lives right on your handheld device.

Why does this matter? Speed and reliability. When a worker is scanning a damaged barcode or analyzing a pallet, they can’t wait for data to travel to a server and back. They need answers instantly, even in dead zones.

Leading manufacturers have already prepared for this shift by building dedicated AI processors (NPUs) directly into their rugged devices. This isn’t just about faster processors; it’s about enabling new workflows:

Honeywell: The CT47 mobile computer is built on the Qualcomm 6th Gen AI Engine. This allows for “on-device” machine learning, meaning it can recognize text (OCR) or capture data from damaged labels faster than ever, even without a Wi-Fi signal.
Zebra: The ET40/ET45 Tablets and TC53/TC58 series utilize Mobility DNA to leverage AI in practical ways. Features like SimulScan use intelligent recognition to capture multiple barcodes on a pallet in a single trigger pull, drastically reducing dwell time at the dock.

In 2026, don’t just upgrade your hardware because it’s old. Upgrade it because it’s the only way to put AI in the hands of the people who actually move your business.

You can implement the “Agentic AI” from Tip #1 and buy the powerful “Edge AI” devices from Tip #4, but there is one final hurdle that kills more projects than budget cuts ever could: The Workforce.

In 2026, the biggest risk to your supply chain isn’t technology—it’s the “Fluency Gap.” This is the distance between the sophistication of your new tools and your team’s comfort level in using them. If a warehouse associate feels intimidated by a new AI-enabled tablet, they will find workarounds, revert to paper, or simply slow down.

Success next year requires a shift in how we introduce these tools. We must stop positioning automation as a “replacement” and start positioning it as an “assistant.”

The goal of training in 2026 isn’t just “how to push the button.” It is demonstrating value: showing a picker that the new Zebra device saves them 5,000 steps of walking a day, or showing a receiver that the Honeywell scanner eliminates the need for manual math. When the technology makes their life easier, adoption follows.

The common thread across all these trends—from Agentic AI to Ambient IoT—is purpose.

In 2026, the winners won’t be the companies with the most gadgets; they will be the companies that use technology to solve specific, high-value problems. Whether you are looking to automate your receiving dock, upgrade your mobile fleet, or simply get better visibility into your inventory, the goal is the same: Smarter, not just harder.

At AB&R®, we don’t just sell the hardware; we help you build the strategy. As you finalize your plans for the new year, remember that you don’t have to navigate this shift alone.

Ready to build your 2026 roadmap? Let’s schedule a 15-minute discovery call to review your current tech stack and identify where AI can make the biggest impact in your operations.

Call us at 800.281.3056
Visit AB&R.com
Contact our team to start building a smarter, safer supply chain today.

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