Article Review: The Stock-Boy Bot

In the article titled "The Stock-Boy Bot" in the April 2009 issue of Wired magazine, the author, Katharine Gammon describes a group of robots who have begun "stealing American jobs." The Zappos warehouse in Kentucky has begun using over 70 robots to "organize and deliver shelves of goods" throughout the compound. These robots can carry up to a half ton and use a series of bar codes and signals from a central server to receive instructions and directions. Although at this point humans still remain in control, as the bots can only move inventory from point A to point B, there is no telling what level the automation can reach.

The use of robots in the Zappos warehouse is a perfect example of how an Information System can change an organization described in Chapter 13. In this case, Zappos utilized automation to perform a job more efficiently then humans. It was a very low risk change for them that resulted in a moderate return. Not only could these robots lift way more than any human could, they do not require an annual salary. So Zappos found a way cut costs and make things more efficient throughout their warehouse. Further utilization of robots in the Zappos warehouse could result in even more return. Currently robots are only utilized in a 76,000 sq. foot zone of the 832,000 sq. foot warehouse. Finding a way to use automation throughout the rest of the factory could result in an even more efficient process and a greater return for Zappos.