About thirty years ago I visited two large book-distributor warehouses (Spring Arbor and Riverside Book & Bible) and saw firsthand the inner workings of a pick-and-pack operation. I observed what seemed like miles of shelves and a lot of people scurrying from one place to the next.
That is why the video below about the complexity of Amazon’s shipping operation was eye-opening. The use of robots to take shelves to a person instead of the person going to the shelf is a game changer!
No matter what you may think of this online giant, it is fascinating to see how your order for bandages, a commentary on Romans, and fish food end up at your home after placing one order. Rather incredible for a business that started in the garage of Jeff Bezos in 1994.
While the video is 18 minutes long (and includes a one-minute commercial from Hover), the time is well worth it. The more you increase your knowledge of how the business side of things work, the more comfortable you will become with the business side of things!
Watch to understand the differences between Amazon and FedEx, DHL, and UPS and also how they partner to get your boxes to you.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts or questions about this and how Amazon’s process impacts the publishing industry.
By the way, if you are interested you can read this article published last week about the sheer size of the Amazon empire, “How Amazon Makes Money.”
[If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.]
