Having an Amazon Fulfillment Center is essential if you want to be able to sell your products quickly and effectively. This is because you need to have a way to store your products while you are waiting for them to arrive. Luckily, there are a lot of options for you to choose from. These include Inbound cross-dock networks and Prime Now Hubs.
Inbound cross-dock network
Located at various regional airports throughout the United States, Amazon’s fulfillment center inbound cross-dock network significantly contributes to the company’s massive distribution system. These facilities are named after their nearest IATA airport code.
The primary purpose of these centers is to receive packages from various suppliers and deliver them to customers quickly. The location of these centers also helps minimize transportation costs. The facilities are located near crucial trade gateways, such as ports.
The facility is a central hub connected to 25 “spokes.” These spokes are smaller facilities that are located in a geographic cluster. These clusters are also known as last-mile clusters. Each spoke is designed to maximize accessibility for last-mile deliveries.
Sortation centers
Initially developed in collaboration with the USPS, Amazon sortation centers are a new addition to the company’s supply chain network. These facilities are designed to organize shipments, reduce shipping costs, and improve last-mile delivery.
A sortation center is a warehouse that aggregates incoming packages from fulfillment centers and prepares them for delivery. They typically take boxes from a wide geographic area and sort them according to their final destination.
Sortation centers are meant to speed up same-day delivery and help avoid shipping delays. These facilities usually employ a handful of full-time and part-time associates who stow, pick, and ship packages.
A typical sortation center is about a third the size of a fulfillment center. This facility has robotics and high-speed conveyor systems to stow, pick, and deliver orders faster.
Non-sortable
Almost all Amazon orders are processed in fulfillment centers. These extensive facilities are designed to handle vast amounts of inventory. The company has more than 175 fulfillment centers across the world.
These facilities are divided into three types. The first type is called a sortable fulfillment center. These centers pick and pack millions of items each year. The second type is a non-sort distribution center. These facilities contain more oversized bulky items that are too heavy to be placed onto conveyor belts. These facilities have over 1,000 employees.
The third type is a specialty building. These locations are used in different capacities during busy seasons. Some facilities combine the functions of a sortable and a non-sort. They also provide part-time jobs.
These facilities are extensive and have several floors. They are located near airports. Various fulfillment centers in the United States are based at regional airports.
Prime Now Hubs
Whether you’re looking for a quick delivery of your groceries or a last-minute gift, Amazon Prime Now is the solution. It’s a two-hour delivery service that delivers tens of thousands of in-demand items for free. It’s available in more than 25 metropolitan areas across the U.S. and can even be downloaded as an Android app.
Amazon’s new Prime Now Hubs are part of a larger strategy to create a lean logistics network. These warehouses are designed for nearby small-parcel shipping. They’re built for speed and efficiency. They also allow the company to shift deliveries to the US Postal Service. They are similar to retail stores, with lettered and numbered aisles and random stow assortments to ensure accuracy.
The new facility will be the largest of its kind in New York. It will span nearly 1 million square feet and will improve access to online shoppers in the city.
Tours
Visiting an Amazon fulfillment center can be an excellent experience for the entire family. The tours are not only educational, but they are fun.
The one-hour tour allows you to see a portion of the fulfillment process. It includes a 10-minute video and a live video feed of the warehouse. You will also see the various machines used for packaging, picking, and shipping.
In addition to this tour, you can also sign up for a virtual tour. These tours are also free. However, you will have to reserve your spot six hours in advance.
The tour is not for everyone. For instance, the Amazon fulfillment center in Monee, IL, has a footprint of 850,000 square feet. It handles small and medium-sized items, including toys, shoes, and mops.
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