Zebra Technologies Announces Working Bikes as Grand Prize Winner of Its Imagine More RFID Innovation Contest

Zebra Technologies named Working Bikes the grand prize winner of its “Imagine More” social media contest. Working Bikes submitted an idea to use 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. “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.

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.