Scott Logush – Editor-in-Chief
Erin McNulty
The journey of a package: outlining the process of how a package arrives at your door. From adding it to your mobile cart, to the miles of conveyor belts within the packaging facilities, to the businesses that provide them, have you ever wondered how a package makes it to your doorstep from Amazon? In April, Mike Murphy of Amazon reached out to me with the opportunity to go behind the scenes at BOS3, an Amazon fulfillment center in North Andover, Massachusetts, just a few miles away from Merrimack College. Now, I want to share that experience with you and give you a behind-the-scenes look at BOS3, the Journey of a Package, the investments Amazon has made in Massachusetts, and how important local talent and businesses are to Amazon’s operations.
First, the tour was guided by Mike and Sergiy Sushalskyy, the general manager of the center. Here’s some background information on BOS3 and Amazon’s investments in Massachusetts:
- BOS3 is a sortable fulfillment center. Those facilities are approximately 800,000 square feet and employ over 1,500 full-time associates.
- BOS3 specifically spans over 3.8MM square feet. It ships packages from electronics to toys and books.
- BOS3’s Grand Opening was in April 2024.
- The first package received was a “Toshiba & Insignia Fire TV Remote Cover with Lanyards Glow in Dark.”
- There is enough steel in this facility to build nearly three Eiffel Towers (As someone who has climbed up the Eiffel Tower, that’s a lot).
- There are over 10 miles of conveyor belts in this facility.
- The robots in this facility each weigh 320 lbs., can lift as much as 750 lbs. and can drive 5 feet per second.
- Amazon Robotics allows associates and robots to work side-by-side, opening the door to learning new skills and making it a more efficient process to meet customer demands.
- Amazon has made significant investments in its top priority, health, safety, and the well-being of its employees.
- With over 10,000 safety and health professionals around the world, their sole responsibility is reducing risks and protecting Amazon employees and partners.
- Amazon has invested over $2 billion in safety-related initiatives. These include technologies, initiatives, and programs to advance safety.
- The largest package size at a facility like BOS3 is 18.5 inches; anything bigger is sent to BOS7 in Fall River.
Made in Massachusetts:
- Most of the robotics in BOS3 were developed at Amazon Global Robotics campuses in Westborough and North Reading, Massachusetts.
- As of August 2024, Amazon has invested $23 billion in Massachusetts through both infrastructure and employee compensation.
- Amazon’s investments have resulted in $21 billion being added to the State’s GDP.
- As of January 2024, Amazon has created 23,000 jobs, full- and part-time, in Massachusetts
- Amazon has also helped create 30,000 indirect jobs through supporting roles, based on the Input-Output methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
- Over 9,000 independent sellers in Massachusetts are selling on Amazon, most of whom are small and medium-sized businesses.
- In Massachusetts, Amazon has:
- 32 Whole Foods Market locations
- 17 Delivery Stations
- 11 On-site Solar Locations
- 8 fulfillment and sortation centers (BOS3 Included)
- 2 Solar Farms
- 2 Amazon Hub Locker + Locations
- 1 Prime Now fulfillment center
- Amazon MGM Studio series filed in Massachusetts include: America’s Test Kitchen, The Next Generation, and The Tender Bar
The name BOS3 comes from Logan Airport’s code, BOS. Featuring over 10 miles of conveyor belts with five floors, BOS3 employs 1,500 employees across three shifts, aimed at keeping the center operational at all hours of the day. The center also contains a number of different areas for different purposes to benefit employees. There are smaller break rooms across each floor, and with bathrooms stationed at the corners. Everyone takes their lunch breaks together to promote community. There are nursing rooms for mothers, along with other perks such as insurance for employees that remains consistent at all levels. Amazon offers a competitive salary, which is reviewed consistently, and pays for education for employees. Amazon also prides itself on promoting from within and career growth for employees who stay with the company.
BOS3 is a “first mile” facility, meaning it is the beginning of a package’s journey from Amazon to your front door. From a fulfillment center, products are picked, sorted, boxed, and labelled to then get sent to a Sorting Center, then a Distribution Center (the “last mile” facilities), and then arrive at your front door.
The items in a fulfillment center are stored in pods, based on size and type, meaning it is likely that pods will have similar or multiple of the same type. They are sorted via VBI, visible bin inspection. Using lights and cameras allows for an automated approach to checking what items are stored in bins and which bin they are in. The pods are self-driving and can carry 1,500 pounds at a time. They automatically charge when the battery drops below 40%. The floors are covered with QR codes, where the drive robots (the robots that move the totes, or drivers as they are commonly known) scan them, and if there are any obstructions, workers are notified to enter and clear the area. When a worker is in the area, they wear an activated vest that sends signals to the drivers. Any drivers within 40 feet of the vest will slow down, and any within 20 feet will automatically stop.
As soon as an item is scanned and placed in a tote, it appears as available on Amazon. Packaging is a largely automated process. The totes are key parts of the process, as packing involves the drivers bringing the totes to the packers, then a picture shows what the item looks like, and it has lights that show where it is. After it is packed in another tote to move to be boxed, it is scanned and sent to be boxed. The packaging process machines create and cut boxes and padded envelopes to the correct size for each specific item. After they are boxed and packaged, they go through a “SLAM” machine, standing for “scan, label, apply, manifest.” Packages then go through a shoot and are sorted by robots onto trucks to be sent out.
Amazon has also made significant investments in small and medium businesses, along with the investments made in Massachusetts. This allows these sellers access to Amazon’s network, and two options in regard to managing inventory and shipments. The first is having the seller be responsible for fulfilling orders, managing inventory, and shipping packages directly to the buyer. The other is sending inventory to Amazon, allowing them to pick, pack, and deliver products to buyers through FBA: Fulfillment by Amazon. FBA also handles returns, and other customer service matters, leading to many sellers opting for the program. This program acts as a benefit to sellers, offering fast and free shipping to Prime customers, along with saving costs for sellers. This often leads to increased sales, growth, and positive experiences for sellers.
All seller stories are different, but Amazon’s goal of supporting seller growth and success remains the same. With over 60% of Amazon sales coming from independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses, over 4.5 billion items sold in 2023 from US-based sellers, and those sellers in 2023 averaging over $250,000 in sales, Amazon provides significant support for these sellers. Specifically in Massachusetts, with over 9,000 independent sellers such as Garden Tutor, Finer Form, and Dumpling Daughter, over 92 million items were sold in 2023 and Massachusetts by independent sellers. They also averaged over $245,000 in annual sales.
The rest of New England is host to a variety of independent sellers through Amazon, with over 5,000 in Connecticut, 1,050 in New Hampshire, over 1,000 in Rhode Island, over 600 in Vermont, and over 1,000 in Maine. Maine was the fastest-growing state for independent sellers, with the top five being Maine, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Fulfillment centers, like North Andover’s BOS3, play a key role as the first mile in the Journey of a Package. Thank you to Mike Murphy and Sergiy Sushalskyy for this behind-the-scenes look, for helping me showcase what goes on in a fulfillment center, and for highlighting some of Amazon’s work with small and medium-sized businesses in Massachusetts and across the country.
