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Looks like it took a huge amount of engineering to build. The extensible conveyor belt going into the truck took some effort to design and build. The software w

by tsomctl 12y ago

Looks like it took a huge amount of engineering to build. The extensible conveyor belt going into the truck took some effort to design and build. The software wouldn't have been terribly difficult to implement, but is still impressive how it keeps track of where everything is. I'm wondering if their software keeps track of the dimensions of objects, so that it tells the workers what shipping box to use and how to arrange the objects in it.

mcpherrinm 12y ago
The inventory database definitely knows dimensions: that's key data to making the whole operation work. It isn't just the box at the end, but also how much shelf space, what kind of shelf, whether it can be moved by a single person... A 60" TV and a TV remote need vastly different things to happen in the FC. There is a lot more to the software than meets the eye too: trip planning, various UIs for pickers and packers to read. Predictive modeling for where to store products to minimize pick time.
- mabbo 12y ago
  ... You totally work in AFT, don't you?
- Shivetya 12y ago
  It doesn't cease to amaze me how fast people dismiss the actual complexity of tasks they don't understand. As you pointed out, there is a lot going on that most people overlook when it comes to managing inventory. I am in distribution, we have many interconnected systems to manage our inventory, whether it is in stores or distribution centers. Within each there are many places and item can and cannot go, whether because of size, weight, volatility, or toxicity. Who processes are dedicated to having large volume items readily available to minimize trip times for stocking and fulfillment. I am curious if Amazon relies on separate system for each location or centrally managed. There are benefits to both
retroafroman 12y ago
Dimension data is an important part of the warehouse management system for any automated system. The size data will be used to figure out how the order should be shipped, but in my experience, it doesn't tell the packer how to place it in the box. Packers will often pick a larger or smaller box and then update the order information to note which size it shipped in before closing the order and sending it back into the system.

by tsomctl 12y ago

mcpherrinm 12y ago

The inventory database definitely knows dimensions: that's key data to making the whole operation work. It isn't just the box at the end, but also how much shelf space, what kind of shelf, whether it can be moved by a single person... A 60" TV and a TV remote need vastly different things to happen in the FC. There is a lot more to the software than meets the eye too: trip planning, various UIs for pickers and packers to read. Predictive modeling for where to store products to minimize pick time.

mabbo 12y ago
... You totally work in AFT, don't you?
Shivetya 12y ago
It doesn't cease to amaze me how fast people dismiss the actual complexity of tasks they don't understand. As you pointed out, there is a lot going on that most people overlook when it comes to managing inventory. I am in distribution, we have many interconnected systems to manage our inventory, whether it is in stores or distribution centers. Within each there are many places and item can and cannot go, whether because of size, weight, volatility, or toxicity. Who processes are dedicated to having large volume items readily available to minimize trip times for stocking and fulfillment. I am curious if Amazon relies on separate system for each location or centrally managed. There are benefits to both

retroafroman 12y ago

Dimension data is an important part of the warehouse management system for any automated system. The size data will be used to figure out how the order should be shipped, but in my experience, it doesn't tell the packer how to place it in the box. Packers will often pick a larger or smaller box and then update the order information to note which size it shipped in before closing the order and sending it back into the system.