Here’s a rare look inside a massive Amazon.com warehouse. The online retailer has a host of warehouses located around the world with some over 1.2 million square feet in size (111,484 sq m). One thing you may not have known is that at the heart of this global operation are over 65,000 employees and a logistics system known as “chaotic storage”. Continue reading for a video, more pictures, and additional information.

Simply put, “chaotic storage” is basically like organized confusion. In other words, this system is an organic shelving system without permanent areas or sections, meaning there are no areas for specific categories of items. The product’s characteristics and attributes are irrelevant. The most important thing is the unique barcode associated with every product that enters the warehouse.

Yes, there are several advantages to this system. They include: flexibility (free space can be refilled immediately), simplicity (new employees only need to find specific shelves, rather than what the products actually are), optimization (the most efficient routes are provided for the pickers).

[Sources 1 | 2]

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