Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2026. Read them in this 18th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By Shash Anand, SVP of Product Strategy, SOTI
As we head into 2026, organizations across retail, transportation & logistics, healthcare and field services are facing a defining moment. Economic uncertainty, rising consumer expectations and increasing operational complexity are converging, placing unprecedented pressure on frontline operations.
In this environment, manual processes, disconnected systems and limited visibility are no longer just inefficiencies, they represent strategic risks. The year ahead will demand smarter automation, more resilient AI and a renewed focus on empowering the people closest to the customer.
Against this backdrop, here are five predictions that will shape 2026.
1. Manual processes will become the biggest barrier to scale
In 2026, manual processes will stand out as one of the biggest barriers preventing organizations from scaling efficiently. As retailers and logistics providers juggle growing device fleets, seasonal workforces, and tighter compliance requirements, the cracks in manual workflows will widen. Tasks like onboarding hundreds of temporary employees, troubleshooting device issues, or updating compliance reports by hand will no longer be sustainable. These inefficiencies don’t just slow operations. They introduce costly downtime, data inaccuracies and compliance risks that compound as businesses expand.
This upcoming year, leaders will turn to intelligent automation and real-time visibility to remove these bottlenecks entirely. End-to-end workflow automation, from device provisioning and security configuration to compliance tracking and maintenance, will become the norm rather than the exception. Likewise, real-time visibility will enable organizations to quickly identify bottlenecks, detect behavioral patterns, make immediate changes, understand impacts, and proactively prevent recurring issues. This shift will mark a defining moment where automation moves from a productivity advantage to a business necessity for scalability, resilience and agility in the digital era.
2. AI Will Expand Massively to On-Device
Today, most AI implementations rely on the cloud. But for industries like retail, logistics, healthcare and field services, constant connectivity isn’t guaranteed. In 2026, device AI will see massive expansion, where small, efficient language models run directly on mobile devices, complementing cloud-based AI.
These “small language models” will empower workers to ask questions and get immediate, context-specific answers, even offline.
Imagine a retail associate in a store’s basement or a delivery driver in a tunnel still able to ask:
- “Where is this product located?”
- “How much inventory do we have left?”
- “What’s the best route to meet my next delivery window?”
Bringing AI closer to the edge will remove the need for network dependency and keep operations seamless, enabling teams with mission-critical intelligence at any moment’s notice.
3. Market Volatility Drives Holistic Approach to Device Management
Inflation, tariffs, increasing consumer demands and shifting shopper preferences are forcing retail organizations to evaluate operations. A common misconception for years among retailers is that implementing new technology would increase agility, efficiency and flexibility. However, heading into 2026, these organizations understand that generating true ROI on tech investments requires a holistic approach – one that extends beyond procurement and deployment.
We will see retail organizations assess their tech spend through a lens of long-term value creation and invest in tech management strategies that support it. These will be underpinned by a goal of reducing downtime. This means retailers will focus on device maintenance, security and compliance, improving real-time visibility in device health and employee utilization, and creating KPIs on how the technology impacts the customer experience. As we work through holiday 2025 and get set for the start of 2026, device strategies will evolve beyond procurement and begin focusing on management and ongoing visibility.
4. Employee-Facing AI Bridges the Gap Between Consumer and Back of the House
AI use cases will continue to expand, but they will move in the direction of bridging the gap between the consumer and the back office. Right now, AI is primarily deployed for customer-facing interactions via chatbots or assistants, or manual administrative tasks. This will change in 2026, expanding beyond these initial deployments to help employees on the floor and in the warehouse improve productivity, efficiency and the overall customer experience.
An example of this use case is inventory. At the end of the day, retailers will utilize robotics to scan each product on the shelves, determine if stock is running low and automatically initiate a restock request to the warehouse. The request will be filled automatically by a machine, and the merchandise is returned to the store ahead of morning shifts. This allows companies to become more efficient because the task is completed in just a few hours, it reduces spend by not having employees going around to complete the task, and it improves the customer experience by ensuring the stock is properly replenished each day.
Beyond the frontline, AI will also empower IT teams with diagnostics and device management tasks. AI could leverage real-time access to device and system data to provide instant answers about configurations, status and performance. This enables IT teams to resolve issues faster and spend less time on repetitive administrative work, improving responsiveness and overall operational efficiency across the organization.
5. The next big productivity wave will come from the frontline
Frontline digitization still has enormous room for growth. Over the next year, we’ll see major investments in mobile workflows, frictionless authentication, and real-time insights that help frontline workers across T&L, retailers and supply chain operations get up and running faster. Every second counts, especially during high-volume periods like the holidays. Businesses that eliminate small inefficiencies on scale will see a massive return.
A key driver of this productivity wave will be fueled by real-time operational visibility. Organizations are increasingly demanding end-to-end transparency across their operations, enabling them to quickly identify bottlenecks, detect behavioral patterns, and make immediate adjustments on the ground. With live insights into workflows and performance, managers can understand the impact of decisions as they happen and proactively prevent recurring issues before they escalate. This level of visibility doesn’t just optimize processes, it empowers teams to work smarter.
Beyond just speed and efficiency, the focus will shift toward empowering employees with smarter, more intuitive tools that reduce errors, improve decision-making, and enhance job satisfaction. As these mobile solutions become more adaptive and AI-assisted, frontline workers will evolve from task executors to company contributors, directly shaping both efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2026, success will depend on how effectively organizations translate technology into real-world impact at the frontline. AI, automation and mobility are no longer optional; they are foundational capabilities for improving visibility, reducing friction and scaling operations with confidence.
Organizations that invest in intelligent automation, on-device AI and holistic device management will be best positioned to adapt quickly, empower their workforce and transform operational complexity into a sustained competitive advantage.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As SVP of Product Strategy at SOTI, Shash Anand oversees the company’s evolution from a single product centered around Mobile Device Management (MDM) to an integrated platform that solves many of the challenges around enterprise mobility. With a background in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Rotman School, Shash joined SOTI after serving as a Technical Support Engineer and Business Operations Manager at IBM. His tenure at SOTI spans various departments: Professional Services, Product Management, Product Marketing, Business Development, and Strategic Alliances, he has helped scale teams globally and drive business expansion.
His innovative leadership extends to SOTI Aerospace, SOTI’s research division, which pioneers fully autonomous indoor drones equipped with advanced vision systems for 3D mapping, object and person identification and obstacle avoidance. Additionally, he drives the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) tools, such as agents and chatbots, to enhance productivity across the SOTI ONE Platform. Beyond his role at SOTI, Shash is the Chairman of the Board for MCIS Language Solutions, a non-profit organization dedicated to language accessibility. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, soccer, volleyball, ball hockey, and badminton.
