Inside Amazon's 850K Square Foot, Robot-Staffed Fulfillment Center
SHAKOPEE, Minn. (WCCO) -- You've probably heard by now Amazon moved into Minnesota. The first fulfillment center in the state opened a year ago, but on Friday they opened their doors for others to see inside.
The warehouse is 850,000 square feet. Think 14 football fields! WCCO got a behind the scenes look at how your order gets from Amazon to you.
Amazon's massive Shakopee warehouse opens up to a full operation that is in constant motion.
It begins with products to stow. Items are put in inventory pods. There's four levels of them. Goods are stored until an order comes in. Then robotics take over.
"We've got over 5,000 of these robots in this facility, over 50,000 of those yellow pods," Amazon Shakopee General Manager Brian Urkiel said.
Urkiel explains the floor is filled with bar codes. A camera underneath the robot scans it so it knows where to go.
"It takes a lot of the non-value work out of the process. So rather than walking to the product to stow it, to pick it, the product actually comes to the associate," Urkiel said.
From there, the yellow totes deliver items to be boxed up. A computer even shows what box is best to use. Then a machine attaches the shipping label. And off the boxes go on the conveyor belt.
"Years of technology, sophisticated algorithms all being married together into a fulfillment center," Urkeil said.
The final step is the advanced scanner: it pushes the completed order off to the right truck. Technology allows the whole process to be completed in minutes.
"It enables us to be able to provide improved service, faster service, increased selection. So it's great for us to be able to service this geography quicker, faster and more efficiently," Urkiel said.
Some of the items get sent to distribution centers in the state for Prime two-hour delivery. Larger items like sporting goods and furniture come from other fulfillment centers.
Amazon has 2,000 employees in Shakopee and the company is still hiring. Click here for more information.
