How Amazon robots make your order happen.

[HarrisonTX]

Very cool but not many companies can afford this kind of automation or get an ROI if they did. I would wager that there is less than 5% of the companies that have this level of sophistication. The flip to that is there are a ton still on antiquated paper based systems and vast majority on some kind of WMS RF based systems with some level of smart conveyors, voice picking/putaway or ASRS

I agree with you, but automation is only getting cheaper and more reliable and its advancing rapidly. Your statement is true today, but it becomes dated very quickly.

I would love to do this amazon tour in a few months

[LANTIRN]

I'm thankful constantly that I have an automation background

I am thankful as well. The future may not have me working in a job I like or for the company I want, but at least I shouldn't have to worry too much about putting food on the table.

[LANTIRN]

Very cool but not many companies can afford this kind of automation or get an ROI if they did. I would wager that there is less than 5% of the companies that have this level of sophistication. The flip to that is there are a ton still on antiquated paper based systems and vast majority on some kind of WMS RF based systems with some level of smart conveyors, voice picking/putaway or ASRS

We use an rf based system, and the only thing keeping them from automating more of the picking is a lot of the product won't fit. Easy fix, and I believe our newer buildings have a much more updated auto picker that blows ours away. I have talked to some of our corporate automation team and they are constantly looking at new stuff for the new buildings. Even our building is due for an upgrade sometime soon. It isn't a giant leap to automate stocking and shipping too. With an older building like ours it may not make sense to retrofit the entire building, but new builds will eventually be designed around it. Small companies will be the last to automate, everyone eventually migrated to cash registers and them to card readers. Think of how rare it is now for even a small store to not accept debit cards or not use barcode scanners. Problem is, these large companies that can afford to automate when the tech is here employ the most workers. Walmart, target, amazon, costco, mcdonalds, etc would put a ton of unskilled workers out of a job. Mom and pop can't create that many jobs, so even if small business never ever automates, you are stuck with a bunch of unskilled and unemployed workers spanning multiple generations and economic classes. It will be a large problem that is very close.

[UserX]

No wonder their warehouses are so big, they're not taking advantage of the Z axis.

[ceyko]

This makes me wonder about the un-skilled labor market. Un-skilled laborers are wanting minimum wage to be raised. But honestly, with the advancement of automation greatly replacing jobs, mostly un-skilled labor jobs, its obvious that soon there will be a flood of unemployed un-skilled labor. If anything minimum wage should flat-line for a long time.

Hell, makes me wonder about part time workers that are young with no skills. McDonald's was my entry into the official workforce for about 2.5 years, then Circuit City warehouse work after that.

I guess if none of that existed I could have just continued mowing lawns, but that's seasonal. Up north, maybe shoveling snow or something. Either way, those entry level jobs (regardless of wage) are nice since they go year round.

Edit: Also for at least us slightly aged folks, I don't want it all automated where I go an get some chow. Automation is great, but I don't think it'll be 100% utilized in the next 10 years. Over 20-40 years when we croak, the youth probably will embrace it though as they are already much further into automation than we were at their ages.

[LANTIRN]

Hell, makes me wonder about part time workers that are young with no skills. McDonald's was my entry into the official workforce for about 2.5 years, then Circuit City warehouse work after that.

I guess if none of that existed I could have just continued mowing lawns, but that's seasonal. Up north, maybe shoveling snow or something. Either way, those entry level jobs (regardless of wage) are nice since they go year round.

Edit: Also for at least us slightly aged folks, I don't want it all automated where I go an get some chow. Automation is great, but I don't think it'll be 100% utilized in the next 10 years. Over 20-40 years when we croak, the youth probably will embrace it though as they are already much further into automation than we were at their ages.

Fast food will eventually automate completely, but I don't think good restaraunts will. People want the human touch with some stuff.