Drive a robot at Amazon’s Massachusetts Robot Distribution Center.
Our visit to the new automated Amazon fulfillment facility in Massachusetts was eye-opening on several levels.
On Wednesday, April 16th, Amazon graciously gave me a guided tour of its recently opened robotic distribution center in North Andover, Massachusetts. Andover is a medium-sized town about 30 miles north of Boston with easy access to freeways.
My congenial hosts, Andre Woodson, Amazon External Communications Manager, and Sergiy Sushalskyy, Amazon GM At the facility, we were given a detailed look at how a major e-mail company’s robot delivery center works. model It works.you can read my report here.
But in this week’s Retail Insights column, I want to focus on what the North Andover hub and Amazon’s robotic fulfillment center tell us about the state of e-commerce both at Amazon and the industry as a whole.
Digital commerce requires a lot of physical infrastructure
On the front end, “digital” commerce seems to work like magic. Customers can browse and select products based on images and descriptions on screen, click a virtual button, and have them delivered to their doorstep or local store in as little as 1-2 hours.
Of course, anyone familiar with how e-commerce works understands that in the real world, a lot happens between the click of a button and the sound of a box dropping on your doorstep.
But when you look at the sheer size and scope of the North Andover facility and realize that it’s one of many Amazon fulfillment and distribution hubs across the country, it’s important to note that physical infrastructure is the foundation of Amazon’s virtual commerce operations. I realized how much there is.
Opened in March 2024, the more than 3.8 million square foot, five-story facility processes hundreds of thousands of small packages daily through 19 miles of interconnected conveyors.
A huge floor full of robot-driven storage pods (more on this in a moment) transports orders to numerous picking stations where, after picking, orders are automatically sorted, packed, labeled, and finally Travel on one of several different routes assigned to your delivery trailer.
All accomplished at scale and with incredible precision and efficiency. This is one of our small, sortable goods facilities that primarily fills orders in New England.
Now imagine all the other supply chain networks, from large Tier I companies like Walmart to small local retailers, physically supporting all the other e-commerce operations. . This is the physical infrastructure for many of the business models that technically exist on ether.
innovator’s edge
Amazon’s North Andover Robotic Fulfillment Center is a source of technology and process innovation. Robots perform a variety of tasks, from transporting products back and forth to picking selections off conveyor belts, automatically packing products into precisely measured packages, and applying shipping labels.
Furthermore, automated systems allow us to deliver products and packages to the correct destination instantly. AI helps Amazon Determine exactly which products need to be stored in which facilities and in what quantities to fulfill orders quickly.
For Amazon, this technology is largely proprietary. The company has left an empty “innovation space” on his first floor of the new facility to facilitate the process of integrating future next-generation systems into the center.
Running e-commerce at Amazon’s scale requires vast reserves to develop continuous innovation, and being able to develop it in-house is a huge competitive advantage.
human touch
Our robotic distribution center employs more than 1,500 live humans and we are actively hiring. Amazon is incorporating people into the design of its facilities, starting with a strategy of using robotic automation to handle repetitive movements and heavy lifting and transportation, allowing human employees to move more smoothly and with less stress. You can participate in workflows that include and handle lighter things.item.
The company also uses advanced technology to protect employees who interact directly with mobile robots, and throughout its centers people are equipped with automated systems and systems designed to make their jobs easier, safer and more efficient. We work together.
E-commerce also relies heavily on people’s efforts, and success requires ensuring that the technology supporting e-commerce responds to people’s needs.
