The trend of optimizing the whole from partial optimization is progressing across industries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of toilet paper occurred. One reason for this was the delay in loading toilet paper onto trucks due to its bulkiness. Traditionally, cardboard boxes arriving from manufacturers to wholesalers are loaded onto pallets that are easy to transport with forklifts. Next, for shipment to stores such as supermarkets, they are moved to cage-type carts. Finally, supermarkets load them onto small, wheeled carriers for easier maneuverability. This three-step process is wasteful in terms of human resources, cost, and carbon-free aspects. The ingenious solution stemmed from the idea of starting from the final store, such as a supermarket. By shifting perspectives, the system was changed to loading onto store-specific carriers from the moment of shipment from the initial production factory. Such innovations seem to be being implemented in various industries.
Amazon, the e-commerce giant, is experiencing steadily increasing sales. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon was a company whose profits were not particularly high compared to its sales. This was because Amazon was investing heavily in the construction of logistics centers. They invested a large portion of their sales into their logistics business, developing logistics-related infrastructure. Logistics is an industry with high barriers to entry. However, overcoming this hurdle can bring significant long-term business opportunities. Amazon seems to have a strong commitment to logistics efficiency and the construction of logistics hubs. Since the beginning of 2021, they have opened more than 250 new logistics hubs in the United States. In June, Amazon announced that the number of robots deployed in its global locations had reached 1 million. The role of robots seems to be based on the idea of ”reducing tedious, repetitive tasks so that people can focus on important work.”
However, even Amazon, which continues its rapid expansion, seems to have its troubles. One news organization reported that Amazon has a plan to use robots in its logistics operations to replace approximately 600,000 jobs. 600,000 is half of Amazon’s workforce in the United States. In recent years, social anxiety has been growing in the United States that “AI will take away human jobs.” If AI robots become widespread, there may come a time when it becomes difficult to balance them with maintaining employment. If large-scale layoffs are implemented, it could provoke social backlash. Of course, Amazon is not neglecting countermeasures. One of them is “physical AI.” Another is the introduction of glasses-type terminals. Delivery personnel wear these glasses and rely on information displayed on the lenses to deliver packages. Both are positioned as supporting work done by humans. Amazon repeatedly emphasizes that it is “supporting human workers” and that its purpose is not to replace employment.
