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Adobe Acrobat Document
The Warehouse of the Future
MSG Ortega, Johanny
Sergeants Major Course
Class 71
Mr. Torres
April 8, 2021 2
The Warehouse of the Future
Imagine the future. The year is 2035, and drones fly in the sky. A Supply Support
Activity (SSA) Soldier prepares high-priority parts for shipment to a forward element and loads them. The drone takes off. The joint logistic system tracks its route and feeds the information to the awaiting customer, giving them live estimated shipment time across a secured cyber communication. When it arrives, the drone scans the customer’s identification card, validating
the receipt. It promptly sends a notification to the SSA that the customer received the part. The
customer then verifies it against their requisition to ensure serviceability and correctness. If there
are no high-priority retrogrades, the customer dispatches the drone. Before takeoff, the drone
submits the customer’s part verification receipt, effectively closing the request. Is this science
fiction?
No. Amazon is testing and refining a version of this and named it Amazon Prime Air
(Palmer, 2020). Unfortunately, the Army has yet to catch on to this process. However, to be fair,
Amazon began testing drone deliveries in 2013 while the Army was still conducting combat
operations in Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom (Palmer, 2020; Torreon, 2020).
Since then, Amazon has steadily modernized to meet current and future demand and
overmatched most competitors. Nevertheless, the Army’s procurement and budgeting processes
are different. Therefore, its trajectory to modernization will differ.
Despite these differences, modernization is knocking at the Army’s door. Some military critics say delivery drones in the Army are too risky for its cost. What if the enemy shoots them down? However, if drones are fiscally out of reach, what about robots that can extend human capabilities and productivity in the warehouse? Amazon has those as well, and while the system 3
is not perfect, the company has experimented enough that anyone watching can mitigate
potential pitfalls by learning from their mistakes.
Furthermore, if the Army modernizes the warehouse, what of the training to accompany this new hardware? Amazon created and is still implementing several educational initiatives to
upskill its employees. Thus, when looking at Amazon and comparing it to an Army warehouse, it
begs the question: How would the Army of 2035 look on the SSA?
To say no to modernizing the Army warehouse is a risky decision. In combat operations,
commanders seek to extend their operational reach to attain their objective and bring the enemy
to its culminating point (Department of the Army, 2019a). However, to reach their objectives,
commanders need endurance which sustainment provides (Department of the Army, 2019b). The
critical player in sustainment is the SSA, the hub that receives, issues, stores, and turns in all
supply classes. Thus, an archaic warehouse in the Army of 2035 will inhibit supplies from
national providers and depot facilities to the customer. Nevertheless, an outdated warehouse can
become ready for the Army of 2035 by looking towards its civilian counterpart to emulate the
processes that may work within, adjust the processes that do not, and mitigate potential pitfalls
by learning from Amazon’s mistakes.
The Pandemic’s Big Reveal
The arrival of the coronavirus was a sucker punch to the world. Flexible corporations and
ingenious minds turned this chaotic event into successes. Contrarily, the inflexible and one-track
minded flailed and drowned. Thus, the pandemic revealed the weaknesses of processes and systems that could only survive in a face-to-face environment. Finally, when the coronavirus pulled the curtains completely, it revealed Amazon—a flexible corporation ready to adapt to its customers’ needs. 4
As stated previously, Amazon started experimenting with drone deliveries eight years
ago. By August 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the company approval to fly delivery drones (Palmer, 2020). Additionally, the company is testing autonomous delivery vehicles. Furthermore, they are researching and developing their robotic line to increase warehouse production. Soon, critics warn, Amazon will also have a distribution line.
Consequently, the pandemic became a catalyst for this corporation to try the technology and processes they had experimented with. It is exciting to think that this forward-leaning
company started from Jeff Bezos’ garage and a humble dream to be an everything store
(Huddleston Jr., 2019). On the other hand, the U.S. Army’s roots and processes go further than
Bezos ‘nineties garage days. However, sometimes, the trees with the deepest roots are the
hardest to replant.
Nevertheless, despite being hard, it is possible. The Army streamlined modernization by
establishing the Army Futures Command (AFC), an organization that assesses the future
operational environment and develops technology to support it (Army Futures Command, n.d.).
If modernization includes the SSA, the AFC’s Sustainment Capabilities Development Integration
Directorate (CDID) will modernize it. Additionally, the Combined Arms Support Command
(CASCOM), as a TRADOC Futures Center enabler, can upskill Army logisticians through updated doctrine and learning modules for new Soldiers and those attending leader development courses. These commands working together can then generate trained and lethal sustainers able to support large-scale combat operations. After all, if Amazon did it, so can the Army. However, how did Amazon do it?
Emulate This 5
Driven by customer feedback for faster delivery, Amazon sought to speed its distribution.
The company achieved this goal by acquiring the technology of drones and autonomous vehicles,
followed by research and experimentation. Currently, Amazon has Prime Air and Zoox, an autonomous driving technology firm (Greene, 2020). These technology purchases resulted in a soon-to-be drone delivery system and autonomous delivery vehicles (Greene, 2020; Greene &
Siddiqui, 2020). This company is leaning into the future with little to no timidity. However, is the Army ready for cargo drones?
To Drone or Not to Drone, that is the Question
While the SSA is the heart of Army logistics—pumping blood to every vital organ—
distribution is the vessel that routes the blood to those organs. The Army distribution network
consists of land, sea, and air routes that may be simple or complex (Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS],
2019). JCS (2019) attests that in joint operations, the Army will work with the various military
branches, international forces, U.S. and international government, and non-government
organizations to meet the joint force commander’s distribution requirement. While by regulation,
the goal of logistics is to meet the combatant commander’s sustainment requirements, the
technology that supports the various logistic aspects lags behind Amazon and the future environment.
Distribution in Army logistics is low-tech. It consists of trucks, airplanes, helicopters, or
ships. Unlike Amazon, there are no autonomous driving vans or drones to deliver high-priority items efficiently. Consequently, when speaking about the future at the United States Army
Global Force Next Symposium, General John M. Murray said that forces must predict where the fight will be and establish prepositioned stock in advantageous forward areas (Olderog, 2021). 6
While this is an excellent idea to build combat power during the beginning phase of an operation,
it does not sustain the force throughout all phases.
The continuous flow of sustainment is what keeps the warfighters fighting. Thus,
sustaining the force not only requires the initial build through prepositioned stock and contracts,
but it also needs arming logistics with the technology necessary to shorten the lines of
communication and expedite the distribution process. The Army currently has the RQ-7B
Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) to perform surveillance and carry sixty
pounds (Department of the Army, 2006). This begs the question, why not use it for cargo?
Sixty pounds is not much, but when a part is critical to an end item and the lines of
communications contested, why not adjust? In 2012 Betson argued that the risk did not outweigh
the benefit of deploying a TUAS that could only lift sixty pounds while still requiring a security
force. However, Betson used Afghanistan and Iraq as examples, not Russia or China, our current
threat. Additionally, Betson authored the article in 2012, which begs the question, has
technology advanced since then?
The Possible Future of U.S. Army Cargo Unmanned Aircraft System
One Army organization seems to think so and is looking to exploit technology for logistics operations. Yates Electrospace Corporation (2019) announced in a press release a
development contract for a cargo drone with U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
The press release further explained some of the drone’s capabilities— its ability to deliver up to
1,631 pounds of supplies. The Army community knows USSOCOM as a forward-thinking
organization. With this first step, they give the rest of the regular Army organizations a way to
bring disruptive innovation into an archaic process to optimize it.
Imagine How This May Look in an Army Warehouse 7
The future is for those who prepare first. Looking ahead, one can imagine a squad size group of warehouse Soldiers with an additional skill identifier for drone operations. From their location at the brigade support area (BSA), they will load the cargo and dispatch the drone to the combat trains. However, if the environment allows, they can push supplies as far out as the company trains. The caveat to this method will be similar to aerial resupply—use this asset when
U.S. forces and allies have control of the air domain (Department of the Army, 2020).
Nevertheless, this asset has immense possibilities during the stability phase of an operation or humanitarian and crisis response.
Not all Army operations are combat. Some are peacekeeping operations. Additionally, combat operations evolve into stability, followed by the phase to enable civil authorities (JCS,
2018). These phases and types of operations have a more significant requirement for ingenious distribution since areas impacted by a natural disaster or combat operations may not have the road network necessary for land transport. Consequently, these areas may not have an operable landing zone. Thus, the smaller drone or aerial drops will meet the intent of the right supply, at the right time, right place, and operable. However, modernizing distribution is only one facet of modernizing the Army logistician. One cannot forget the warehouse itself.
Mitigate This
The name Amazon can bring up both negative and positive connotations. Nevertheless, one thing is constant—Amazon’s determination to optimize processes. Matt O’Brien (2019) reported Amazon’s acquisition of Kiva, an artificial intelligence (AI) software company. This acquisition enabled Amazon to extend its human capabilities in its warehouses. However, while robots solved Amazon’s productivity problem, they added another kind of problem. 8
While productivity soared at Amazon, so did the injuries. Those who criticize Amazon’s
robot and AI platform attest that their robots cause their human counterparts to conduct
“unergonomic moves” (O’Brien, 2019). Furthermore, the article explains that humans working alongside these robots may suffer injuries due to the robots' unhuman-like movements and the close quarters in which humans and robots work. Amazon accident numbers are still high even with fluorescent belts that signal to the robot the human standing nearby (O’Brien 2019).
Similarly, the Army has fluorescent belts; however, they do not signal robots and others to stop.
Nevertheless, implementing other methods will allow this technology to work while maintaining
safety.
Decreasing the Chance of Injury Before Implementation
One way to mitigate potential robot-caused injuries is to learn from Amazon’s mistakes
and look at how others use this technology. Fetch Robotics, which, unlike Amazon, do not have
robots restricted to a cage, make robots that can operate safely in shared spaces (Fetch Robotics,
2018a). The company’s robots are autonomous compact carts that can carry shelves, boxes, or pallets, stopping for forklift and human traffic (Fetch Robotics, 2018b). This design mitigates
Amazon's problem with injuries. The Army can learn from the implementation and statistical data from the various companies that have implemented robotics and AI into their warehouse operations. Doing this research and observation beforehand can enable it to find an Army best practice.
Imagine Robots and Soldiers Working at the SSA
Utilizing fetch-like robots that can follow the Soldier or autonomously put parts away or
pick them can increase productivity in the issue and receiving section. Autonomous pallet
carriers can aid the storage section in streamlining bulk pickups and storing. Additionally, 9
counting robots can cut the time a warehouse is closed for wall-to-wall inventories by days.
According to a brigade support battalion (BSB) SSA’s modification table of organization and
equipment (MTOE), thirty-four is the total number of personnel authorized. Considering the SSA
supports the entire brigade on all classes of supply, AI and robotics are not only good but crucial.
Nevertheless, technology on its own is ineffective without education behind it.
Adjust This
Robots have not replaced humans and may not ever since humans will still need to
program and manage them. Therefore “Amazon is investing $700 million to provide free skills
training to employees” (Amazon Staff, 2020). Since robots can do mundane tasks, Amazon
looked ahead and began upskilling its employees through in-house and outsourced training. The
various skills in Amazon’s curriculum vary from cloud computing to fiber optic to machine
learning (Amazon Staff, 2020). While these courses' titles vary, they all have one thing in
common; they feed into Amazon’s future need for advanced skilled workers. Additionally,
Amazon’s instructional methods are just as diverse.
A well-known fact when it comes to investment is that having a diverse portfolio can
mitigate the risk of significant losses. Amazon followed this popular advice for their teaching
methods. Currently, the corporation uses a mixture of face-to-face residency programs,
synchronous online lessons, and asynchronous self-paced ones to deliver training (Amazon Staff,
2020). Additionally, Amazon Staff (2020) reported how the company exploits the various platform available to present training, from their website to YouTube videos to take-home pamphlets. Thus, the Army can look to Amazon’s methods to upskill their labor force and adjust it to its requirements and capabilities.
Fixing Infrastructure First to Open the Doors to Distance Learning 10
If the coronavirus has taught the Army anything, it taught it to be flexible and innovative.
Thankfully, when the Army needed to pivot, it had the hardware necessary to do so, just not the
infrastructure. Connectivity became an issue in many online meetings and training sessions.
However, this is something the Army can improve now to be ready for the future. Doing so will
mitigate distance as a reason for work or training stoppage. Consequently, fixing connectivity
and opening opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous distance learning can expand the
entire Army's information flow. However, how would this look?
Imagine the Modernized Version of the SSA Training Module
If the SSA's future is as this paper envisions, then Soldiers going through advanced individual training (AIT) in Fort Lee, Virginia, will step into a robotic warehouse to train. The future logistician would train on various simulations which they may encounter in an operational robotic SSA. Select Soldiers with a mechanical inclination will have an added module attached to their AIT training and leave as certified logistic drone operators. Soldiers already in the operating force without SSA robotic experience will take the online synchronous version of the warehouse training. Additionally, units will use the asynchronous version of the warehouse training followed by hands-on practice to conduct low-density training. This possible future will modernize the heart of logistics—the SSA— to overmatch the Army's threat of 2035 and to sustain the force.
Conclusion
An unprepared SSA can become ready for the Army of 2035 by looking towards
Amazon’s warehousing processes, identifying the procedures to emulate, tailoring methods to
make them work in the military environment, and mitigating pitfalls by learning from the
company’s mistakes. As the hub for logistics, the SSA is a critical asset that leaders must 11 modernize to handle a prolonged operation’s sustainment. Thus, the Army should emulate the modernization of distribution through autonomous vehicles that can expedite the process.
Additionally, the AFC, in consortium with its Sustainment CDID should modify warehouse hardware to include robotics while mitigating potential injuries to streamline warehouse processes and decrease closure time. Lastly, the Army should adjust its teaching methods to incorporate this future technology and ready logisticians to sustain the force in a large-scale combat operation. 12
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