Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

These accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and include the accounts of Zebra and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Fiscal Calendar

The Company’s fiscal year is a 52-week period ending on December 31. Interim fiscal quarters end on a Saturday and generally include 13 weeks of operating activity. During the 2018 fiscal year, the Company’s quarter end dates were March 31, June 30, September 29 and December 31.

Use of Estimates

These consolidated financial statements were prepared using estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Examples of accounting estimates include: cash flow projections and other valuation assumptions included in business acquisition purchase price allocations as well as annual goodwill impairment testing; the allocation of transaction price to performance obligations in revenue transactions; inventory and product warranty reserves; useful lives of our tangible and intangible assets; and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash consists primarily of deposits with banks. In addition, the Company considers highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months to be cash equivalents. These highly liquid short-term investments are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and are so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of a change in value because of changes in interest rates.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts due to us from our customers in the course of normal business activities. Collateral on trade accounts receivable is generally not required. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated uncollectible accounts receivable. The allowance is based on historical experience and our assessment of delinquent accounts. Accounts are written off against the allowance account when they are determined to be no longer collectible.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of a moving-average cost (which approximates cost on a first-in, first-out basis) and net realizable value. Manufactured inventory cost includes materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead. Purchased inventory cost also includes internal purchasing overhead costs.

Provisions are made to reduce excess and obsolete inventories to their estimated net realizable values. Inventory provisions are based on forecasted demand, experience with specific customers, the age and nature of the inventory, and the ability to redistribute inventory to other programs or to rework other consumable inventory.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is computed primarily using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various classes of property, plant and equipment, which are 30 years for buildings and range from 3 to 10 years for all other asset categories. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or 10 years.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes. Accordingly, deferred income taxes are provided for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and income tax purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company recognizes the benefit of tax positions when it is more likely than not to be sustained on its technical merits. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters as part of income tax expense. The Company has elected consolidated tax filings in certain of its jurisdictions which may allow the group to offset one member’s income with losses of other members in the current period and on a carryover basis. The income tax effects of non-inventory intra-entity asset transfers are recognized in the period in which the transfer occurs. The Company classifies its balance sheet accounts by applying jurisdictional netting principles for locations where consolidated tax filing elections are in place.

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act (“TCJA” or “the Act”) enacted on December 22, 2017 contains the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income and Deduction for Foreign-Derived Intangible Income provisions (collectively referred to as “GILTI”), which relate to the taxation of certain foreign income and are effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The Company recognizes its GILTI inclusions as a charge to tax expense in the year included in its U.S. tax return.

The effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances are recorded in the period of enactment as a component of income tax expense within continuing operations, even if they relate to items recorded within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”). The Company has elected to not reclassify the tax effects of these changes associated with the Act from AOCI to retained earnings. Such tax effects will be released into earnings when the underlying portfolio of assets or liabilities giving rise to the AOCI position are fully derecognized.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized, rather it is tested annually for impairment, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. Our annual impairment testing consists of comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to it carrying value. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, goodwill would be considered to be impaired and reduced to its implied fair value. We estimate the fair value of reporting units with valuation techniques including both the income and market approaches. The income approach requires management to estimate a number of factors for each reporting unit, including projected future operating results, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows and discount rates. The market approach estimates fair value using comparable marketplace fair value data from within a comparable industry group.

Fair value determinations require judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates as well as market factors. Estimating the fair value of reporting units requires that we make a number of assumptions and estimates regarding our long-term growth and cash flow expectations as well as overall industry and economic conditions. These estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, projections of revenue and income growth rates, capital investments, competitive and customer trends, appropriate peer group selection, market-based discount rates and other market factors.

We performed our annual goodwill impairment testing in the fourth quarter of 2018 using a quantitative approach which did not result in any impairments. See Note 6, Goodwill and Other Intangibles, net for additional information. We believe our fair value estimates are reasonable. If actual financial results differ materially from current estimates or there are significant negative changes in market factors beyond our control, there could be an impairment of goodwill in the future.

Other Intangible Assets

Other intangible assets consist primarily of current technology, customer relationships, trade names, unpatented technology, and patents and patent rights. These assets are recorded at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over the asset’s useful life which range from 3 years to 15 years

Impairment of Long-lived Assets and Long Lived Assets to be Disposed of

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of

The Company accounts for long-lived assets in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment which requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and the eventual disposition of the asset. If such assets are impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Investments in Equity Securities

The Company’s investments in equity securities are accounted for at cost, adjusted for impairment losses or changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. These investments are primarily in venture capital backed technology companies, where the Company's ownership interest is less than 20% of each investee and the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence. The Company held investments in equity securities in the amount of $25 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. These investments are included in Other long-term assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue includes sales of hardware, supplies and services (including repair services and product maintenance service contracts, which typically occur over time, and professional services such as installation, integration and provisioning, which typically occur in the early stages of a project). The average life of repair and maintenance service contracts is approximately three years. Professional service arrangements range in duration from a day to several weeks or months. We recognize revenues when we transfer control of promised goods or services to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services.

The Company elects to exclude from the transaction price sales and other taxes assessed by a governmental authority and collected by the Company from a customer. The Company also considers shipping and handling activities as part of the fulfillment costs, not as a separate performance obligation. See Note 3, Revenues for additional information.

Revenues

As prescribed in ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services.

Performance Obligations

We enter into contract arrangements that may include various combinations of tangible products and services, which generally are capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. For these types of contract arrangements, we evaluate whether two or more contracts should be combined and accounted for as one single contract and whether the combined or single contract has more than one performance obligation. This evaluation requires judgment and the decision to combine a group of contracts or separate the combined or single contract into multiple performance obligations could change the amount of revenue recorded in the reporting period. We use the accounting guidance on “capable of being distinct” and “distinct within the context of the contract” to assist with the evaluation.

For contract arrangements that include multiple performance obligations, we allocate the total transaction price to each performance obligation in an amount based on the estimated relative standalone selling prices for the products and/or services underlying each performance obligation. When the standalone selling prices are not directly observable, we estimate the standalone selling prices primarily based on the expected cost-plus margin approach. For arrangements comprised strictly of the sale of product and performance of maintenance type services where the standalone selling price of the maintenance service is not discernible, we estimate the standalone selling price of the maintenance contract using the residual approach. When the residual approach cannot be applied, regional pricing, marketing strategies and business practices are evaluated and analyzed to derive the estimated standalone selling price using a cost-plus margin methodology.

The Company recognizes revenue when transfer of control has occurred for the goods or services sold. Control is deemed to have been transferred when the customer has the ability to direct the use of and has obtained substantially all of the remaining benefits from the goods and services sold. The Company uses judgment in the evaluation of the following criteria: 1) the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided by the transfer of goods or service; 2) the performance creates or enhances an asset that is under control of the customer; 3) the performance does not create an asset with an alternative use to the Company; and 4) the Company has an enforceable right to payment, in order to determine whether control transfers at a point in time or over time. For each performance obligation satisfied over time, the Company measures its progress toward completion to determine the timing of revenue recognition. Judgment is also used in the evaluation of the following transfer of control criteria: 1) the Company has a present right to payment for the asset; 2) the legal title to the asset has transferred to the customer; 3) the customer has physical possession of the asset; 4) the customer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the asset; and 5) the customer has accepted the asset, in order to determine when revenue should be recognized in a point in time revenue recognition pattern. Assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition have been met, for products and services sold on a standalone basis, revenue is generally recognized upon shipment and by using an output method or time-based method respectively. In cases where a bundle of products and services are delivered to the customer, judgment is required to select the method of progress which best reflects the transfer of control.

For some of our transactions, products are sold with a right of return, and we may also provide other rebates, price protection, or incentives, which are accounted for as variable consideration. The Company estimates the amount of variable consideration by using the expected value or the most likely amount method and reduces the revenue by those estimated amounts, only to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal in the cumulative revenue recognized will not occur. These estimates are reviewed and updated, as necessary, at the end of each reporting period.

Our payment terms vary by the type and location of our customer and the products or services offered. The time between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined that our contracts do not include a significant financing component.

Costs to obtain a contract

Our incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract, which consist of sales commissions and incremental fringe benefits, are deferred and amortized over the weighted-average contract term, consistent with the guidance in ASC 340 Other Assets and Deferred Costs. The incremental costs to obtain a contract, which were previously expensed as incurred under ASC 605, and the determination of the amortization period are derived at a portfolio level and the amortization is recognized on a straight-line basis. The adoption of ASC 606 required the capitalization of these costs which resulted in an adjustment to increase retained earnings.

Revenues

Performance Obligations

Research and Development Costs

Research and development (“R&D”) costs are expensed as incurred, and include:


•	Salaries, benefits, and other R&D personnel related costs;


•	Consulting and other outside services used in the R&D process;


•	Engineering supplies;


•	Engineering related information systems costs; and


•	Allocation of building and related costs.

Advertising

Advertising is expensed as incurred.

Warranty

In general, the Company provides warranty coverage of one year on mobile computers, printers and batteries. Advanced data capture products are warrantied from one to five years, depending on the product. Thermal printheads are warrantied for six months and battery-based products, such as location tags, are covered by a 90-day warranty. A provision for warranty expense is adjusted quarterly based on historical and expected warranty experience.

Contingencies

The Company establishes a liability for loss contingencies when the loss is both probable and estimable. In addition, for some matters for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible, an estimate of the amount of loss or range of loss is not possible, and we may be unable to estimate the possible loss or range of losses that could potentially result from the application of non-monetary remedies.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Our financial assets and liabilities that require recognition and fair value measurement under the accounting guidance generally include our employee deferred compensation plan investments, foreign currency derivatives, and interest rate swaps. In accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, we recognize derivative instruments and hedging activities as either assets or liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and measure them at fair value. Gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value are accounted for depending on the use of the derivative and whether it is designated and qualifies for hedge accounting. See Note 10, Derivative Instruments for additional information on the Company’s derivatives and hedging activities.

The Company utilizes foreign currency forwards to hedge certain foreign currency exposures and interest rate swaps to hedge a portion of the variability in future cash flows on debt. We use broker quotations or market transactions, in either the listed or over-the-counter markets to value our foreign currency exchange contracts and relevant observable market inputs at quoted intervals, such as forward yield curves and the Company’s own credit risk to value our interest rate swaps.

The Company’s securities held for its deferred compensation plans are measured at fair value using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. If active markets for identical assets are not available to determine fair value, then we use quoted prices for similar assets or inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly.

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, receivables and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company has share-based compensation plans and an employee stock purchase plan under which shares of Class A Common Stock are available for future grants and sales. The Company recognizes compensation costs over the vesting period of up to 4 years, net of estimated forfeitures. Compensation costs associated with awards with graded vesting terms are recognized on a straight-line basis.

Foreign Currency Translation

The balance sheet accounts of the Company’s subsidiaries that have not designated the U.S. dollar as its functional currency, are translated into U.S. dollars using the year-end exchange rate, and statement of earnings items are translated using the average exchange rate for the year. The resulting translation gains or losses are recorded in Stockholders’ equity as a cumulative translation adjustment, which is a component of AOCI within the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Acquisitions

We account for acquired businesses using the acquisition method of accounting. This method requires that the purchase price be allocated to the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill.

The estimates used to determine the fair value of long-lived assets, such as intangible assets, can be complex and require judgment. We use information available to us to make fair value determinations and engage independent valuation specialists, when necessary, to assist in the fair value determination of significant acquired long-lived assets. While we use our best estimates and assumptions as a part of the purchase price allocation process, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement during the measurement period. Critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows from revenues and operating activities, customer attrition rates, and discount rates. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but due to the inherent uncertainty during the measurement period, we may record adjustments to the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding adjustment to goodwill.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) applying the modified retrospective method to those contracts which were not completed as of January 1, 2018. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historic accounting under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605”). Under ASC 606, revenue is recognized upon the transfer of control of goods or services under a five-step model, whereas under ASC 605 revenue was recognized under a risk and reward-based model. The adoption of ASC 606 did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or results of operations.

The cumulative effect of the changes made to our consolidated January 1, 2018 balance sheet related to the adoption of ASC 606 were as follows (in millions):



	As Reported December 31, 2017		Adjustment			As Adjusted January 1, 2018
Assets:
Inventories, net ⁽¹⁾	$	458	$	(3	)	$	455
Prepaid expenses and other current assets ⁽²⁾	24		7			31
Long-term deferred income taxes ⁽³⁾	119		(5		)	114
Other long-term assets ⁽⁴⁾	65		12			77

Liabilities:
Deferred revenue ⁽⁵⁾	186		(2		)	184
Long-term deferred revenue⁽⁶⁾	148		(6		)	142

Stockholders’ Equity:
Retained earnings	1,248		19			1,267


(1)	Reflects an adjustment of $(3) million related to changes in revenue recognition patterns.


(2)	Reflects an adjustment of $7 million related to the recognition of contract assets.


(3)	Reflects the income tax effect of $(5) million related to the adjustments made for the adoption of ASC 606.


(4)	Reflects an adjustment of $12 million related to the capitalization of costs to obtain contracts (primarily comprised of sales commissions associated with longer term support service contracts).


(5)	Reflects an adjustment of $(3) million related to reallocation of revenue between performance obligations and $1 million related to changes in the timing of revenue recognition.


(6)	Reflects an adjustment of $(6) million related to reallocation of revenue between performance obligations.

Under the modified retrospective method of adoption, we are required to disclose the impact to the Consolidated Financial Statements had we continued to follow our accounting policies under the previous revenue recognition guidance. Had the Company applied the previous revenue recognition guidance, revenue would have been $4 million lower for the year ended December 31, 2018. See Note 3, Revenues for further information.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. ASU 2016-01 amends various aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure for financial instruments. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2018, in conjunction therewith, the Company elected to measure equity investments without readily determinable fair values at cost, adjusted only for impairment losses or for observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. Prior to ASU 2016-01, such equity investments of the Company were measured at cost, adjusted only for impairment losses. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact to the Company's consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326) -Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The new standard requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost. It replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of credit losses. There are two transition methods available under the new standard dependent upon the type of financial instrument, either cumulative effect or prospective. The standard will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020. Earlier adoption is permitted only for annual periods after December 15, 2018. Management has assessed the impact of the new standard and determined, based on current operations, that there will not be a material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures upon adoption in the first quarter of 2020.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Subtopic 842). Also, in July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Subtopic 842): Targeted Improvements. Together, these ASUs increase the transparency and comparability of organizations by recognizing Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and Lease liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and disclosing key quantitative and qualitative information about leasing arrangements. The principal difference from previous guidance is that the ROU assets and Lease liabilities arising from operating leases were not previously recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The recognition, measurement and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee have not significantly changed. The ASUs will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2019. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at either the beginning of the earliest period presented or the beginning of the period adopted, using a modified retrospective approach. Management expects to elect to not adjust the comparative reporting periods, and apply the ASUs beginning in the period of adoption. In transition, there are also a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. Management expects to elect certain practical expedients that it will apply upon transition, which principally include the election to not reassess existing or expired contracts to determine if such contracts contain a lease or if the lease classification would differ, as well as the election to not separate lease and non-lease components for arrangements where the Company is a lessee. Management is finalizing its assessment of the impact of these elections and adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. Management has identified and collected data on its significant leases and selected a system to support future accounting and disclosure requirements and expects to recognize ROU assets related to operating leases of approximately $100 million and Lease liabilities of approximately $120 million on its Consolidated Balance Sheet upon adoption in the first quarter of 2019. The lease liabilities to be recognized will be measured based upon the present value of minimum future payments and the ROU assets to be recognized will be equal to lease liabilities, adjusted for prepaid and accrued rent balances which are recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2018.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This ASU clarifies existing guidance related to implementation costs incurred in cloud computing arrangements, including the recognition, subsequent measurement, and financial statement presentation of such costs. The standard will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020, with earlier adoption permitted. Management is still assessing the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements.