Building a suite of products to power Amazon’s global transportation services
Amazon Logistics is a shipping and delivery service built to complement existing providers like UPS, USPS and FedEx. From 2012 to 2015 I was the lead designer for Amazon Logistics, building the software platform and products that have enabled Amazon to create one of the largest delivery networks in the world. This project included internal products for Amazon operators, as well as customer-facing delivery options like Amazon Locker, pick-up points, and features on the Amazon.com retail site to help customer ship and track packages.
Amazon Logistics service diagram - created by Alex Blue
Building the operation from the ground up
Background and challenge
When I joined Amazon in 2012 customer received packages from third party carriers, like UPS and Fedex. Amazon realized that in order to meed the growing demand for it’s customers world-wide while reducing cost, and improving delivery services they needed to augment their third-party logistics partners with their own carrier network. Technology was the key differentiator to helping Amazon compete in an industry where many of the large player had been around for more than 100 years. As a designer this presented a rich opportunity to develop software based around the needs of a broad set of internal and external customers. At the core this was a complex service-design challenge that required the team to consider the challenging environmental, ergonomic, and financial constraints between a complex web of customers.
Physical space layout and design
Software products to power the operation
Real-world testing and prototyping
Foundational research and product development
Starting with a blank slate, the team and I were charged with building a broad range of products to support the Amazon Logistics operations and delivery services. Working with a cross-functional team of designers, product managers, operators and engineers we went out into the field to shadow in-station operations and customer delivery ride-alongs with drivers. The team documented research findings into documents and diagrams that summarized months of research into consumable presentations that were used to present our findings to stakeholders and leadership.
Service design challenges
In order to create the Amazon Logistics Platform we had to consider the layers of the complex ecosystem:
Operations - Developing products to support real-world operations depends on working backwards from complex chain of events that take place behind the scenes that most customers never see.
Core technology - We developed the technology infrastructure from the group up. This covers a broad range of services including: volume planning, capacity allocation, resource planning, routing, on-road tracking, delivery execution and metrics.
Foundational components - In order to build consistent, high-performance products we had to create user interface building blocks, including a library of front-end components, and functional platform infrastructure.
User Interfaces - On the surface we had to develop a suite of commercial-grade products that Amazon operators and customers would use to make the network function. Simplicity, safety, and delight were key factors to the success of these user-facing touch-points.
Amazon Logistics component diagram - Alex Blue
Scalable product architecture
Developing core products for internal and external customers.
Provider Acquisition - Promotional site and Provider Onboarding
Provider Management - Account Management and Provider Administration
Operations tools - Node Network, Analytics, Node App, On-road App
Developing a pattern library
In order to support the broad range of internal and external products on the Amazon Logistics platform the team built a comprehensive front-end design system. The unified design and development system is used to craft experiences for drivers, operators, associates, and carriers. It consists of a collection of reusable components and patters guided by clear interaction, style, and communication standards. The pattern library also includes components build in ReactJS that development teams use to build consistent applications across web and mobile devices.
Powering Amazon’s global last mile network
Internal operations
The Amazon Logistics platform supports a broad range of internal operations customers. Internal operations include “Middle Mile“ line-haul shipments between Amazon warehouses, as well as “Last Mile” delivery station operations, and management of third-party delivery partners.
Line-haul shipments
Delivery station operations
Third-party logistics prmanagement
Customer delivery options
In addition to internal operations the Amazon Logistics portal supports a broad range of customer-facing delivery programs and features. Real-time driver tracking and routing enable customers to track their deliveries on a map, and helps them plan for packages with delivery time estimates. Amazon Logistics delivers millions of packages to customers every day making it one of the largest delivery services in the world. Customers can order ultra-fast deliveries through Amazon Prime Now, and have the option to pickup their packages though a growing network of Amazon Lockers and Pick-up Points.
Real-time shipment tracking
Last mile parcel deliveries
Amazon Prime Now
Amazon Lockers and pickup points