Amazon Online Market Delivery System - Report Example

Design of Drone Based Product Delivery System Name Institution of Afiliation Date Executive summary The main purpose of the assignment was to come up with a project plan that would demonstrate the clear undertaking and execution of an engineering project, and with concise details of its supposed implementation. It entails the documentation of its aims and objectives and the expected outcome of the project. The project in focus was the Amazon’s online market delivery system using the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly known as drones, implemented in the US at a cost of $350 million. The project had its inception in November 2015 by a team of four, named Simran, B et al. It was a commercial-based production, which made use of increasing knowledge and use of advanced drone technology in use by civilian population. Studies apparently showed that the use of drone gave an advantage over the traditional delivery systems, in that it was faster and increased the area of coverage, not forgetting the remote places that the drones could reach, that initially, were dimmed to be inaccessible. Thus with lightweight retail products that could be purchased online, amazon thought it beneficial and advantageous to employ their use and give them an edge in the market over its competitors. The Amazon drone project study tackled in groups of five as assigned in the class was to help build the concept of project proposal and improve on the understanding of the same. Our team therefore found this project viable and comprehensive enough to study and analyze and thereby developing a fictitious project of the same but spanning across a single and unified state instead of a federal state. Centered about the design and use of drones, it highlighted the contrast that exists between them and the previously accepted methods, as well as the costs involved and time boundaries. These were all included to conform to the project plan structure and format, and gather the relevant study data required towards realizing the purpose of this course. The obtained data from online research was a composite item to generate the PERT, WBS and GANTT charts for the project mentioned above and prove a success to understanding the concept of project management in practical application. Table of content Introduction 5 Project Objectives 6 Scope Description 6 Project requirements 7 Project deliverables 8 Project Constraints 8 Projected cost 9 Approval requirements 9 Initial Recognized Risks 10 Scheduled Milestone 10 Section 2: Work Breakdown Structure 11 WBS chart 11 Activities: 11 Cost: 12 PERT chart drawing 12 GANTT chart drawing 13 Recommendations 13 Challenges encountered 14 Lessons Learned 15 Conclusion 17 References 17 Appendix 1: Technical Referent Materials 18 Appendix 2: Operational Terminologies 20 Introduction Amazon Incorporation is an online-based retail store based in the US which retails a wide range of product, ranging from electronics to software-based products. The software that are merchandised from amazon are availed to the customers via generated download links upon the payment that is also done in electronic form using credit card, visa or PayPal money transfer. The hardware items, on the other hand reach the customers via courier services for which they have undergone transformational metamorphosis in form and structure, and in methodology, ranging from use of trucks to use of motor bikes. Using drones also referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: owing their names to the aspect of their autonomy and operation, that is, having no human on board to steer and control them, would however cause a significant shift in speed and remote coverage. With remote control and with some that are incorporate autopilot mode, they require no human assistance, but rather use micro controller programs to guide them. The drones come in as an engineered tool that would see direct line of access in reaching to the customers. It beats the ground physical barriers such as vehicle traffic on roads and steep planes and paths that would otherwise be inaccessible by road transport. In addition, with their level of advanced technology, they would incorporate smart carriers and carts that would be able to serve multiple customers if a proper mapping is done on them. The drones will be a great tool that would integrate the online market and the courier services thereby eliminating the need for a third party courier service that apparently is being used, for many such ventures. With the integrated system, it will be a giant leap into advancing the most recent emerging technologies, prime among them being the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition to this, the business intelligence and information gathering is improved and statistics for the business be more analytic since the regions of stronger customer base would be easily noted and hence improve on the services within such region. Clearly, it is an intelligent design and fusion of science, mathematics and its application in business. Project Objectives i. To understand the purpose and importance of a project plan in engineering project execution and implementation in wholesome. ii. To understand project planning in relating to cost and time limitations in project execution. Scope Description The scope covers the use of UAVs in business operations and the implementation details within the US. The drones would have to match the location of the intended customer and reach them with the ordered lightweight goods. It would involve the engagement of both product protection, delivery system and billing system, as well as the drone flight and control system. Furthermore, the project would involve a linking with the online system that is currently in use to develop a comprehensive database and gather business intelligence and information. In essence, it will be an integration of smart drone technology and the internet based system that identifies customer location, product tracking and regions that experience much trafficking with geo-tagging technologies over the internet. The drones would have an embedded system that identifies the locations, regions and orders as submitted in the current online management system by the numerous customers registered in the Amazon database. Project requirements The project requirement starts with the design and acquisition of the UAVs, otherwise referred to as drones, alongside the carriers that would handle the products that need delivery to the last mile. The project would also require programmed software that would run on the drones, tailored to the operations and fitting to the amazon business model that would identify the places for delivery and the persons to deliver the products to, hence a need for software integration. In addition to the drones and the integrated embedded software, the project would also require legal acknowledgement and in particular, the operating licenses from various government bodies, including the federal aviation authority, FAA, the GPS system regulatory bodies, Google incorporation due to the use of its patented Google maps product and the drone manufacturers and designers. Another requirement that would be of pivotal importance is the customer appreciation of the newly employed delivery system and the positive attitude to enable the project kick and be feasible and economically viable. Without the customers appreciating and owning the product then it is easier to render it useless. Hence, the customer confidence on the new system is a key consideration in the design process and procedure. The current and modern businesses having a model that relies on customer experience, then the project has to be user oriented. A positive feedback from the customers would help the business growth and thus such study as whether the new system is okay with the existing customer base, determines the initiation of the project or its rejection altogether. Project deliverables The expected deliverables for the project include Accurate customer identification system, Drone controller and guide program, real time update and notification system for product delivery, the customized and optimized product compartment chambers, and a formidable flight controller network to avoid collisions. These need to be applied across the different states of the federal government of the United States of America. Thus with such a large span to cover, it is also expected that the project be able to deliver the points of refueling or recharge for the drones since they have limits concerning the fuel consumption. Nevertheless, the fuel consumption to be delivered in the drones used is expected to be minimal yet with high degree of efficiency. In addition, to be delivered is a standard design of a cart that is attached to the UAVs. The attached cart will have compartments with capacity to deliver goods to multiple customers, yet specific in the delivery such that a customer does not get a wrong product. In addition, the cart will have an enclosure to secure the products on transit and ensure that they are protected from being tampered with humans or with extreme weather conditions. Project Constraints The key constraint that meets this particular project is the authentication and approval of its operations by the licensing bodies, majorly due to the bureaucratic procedures, thus delaying the time that is needed for timely completion and execution of the same. A second constraint that is incurred in the project is the approval of the partnering non-governmental bodies that hold patent to the incorporated technologies in the drone industry. In addition, the cultural acceptance of the drones stands as a major bane since it deviates from the human interaction based courier services and thus communication with the machine removes the social aspect of human - human interaction. Projected cost The projected cost of the project is made to stand at an approximation of $350 million. This was reached after comparative analysis and individual assessment of the per item cost multiplied by the expected number to be rolled off in batch. The total estimated cost was reached which includes cost of assembly, system integration and fuel consumption of the electrically charged drones. In precise, the cost estimate for design, construction alongside commissioning and maintenance for the first year of rollout stood at $100,000 per drone. Going also by other drone projects launched by firms such as DHL that has medications as well as other goods being delivered in urgency to the remote areas of North Sea Island of Juist, the cost was found to be much reasonable for projection (Russon, 2014) Approval requirements i. The project was approved and found to be viable by the Amazon management board, citing its significant reduction in costs incurred that are affiliated to logistical issues. The initial cost that would be paid to courier services for product delivery was slain by almost 50%, which yielded more revenue collected and retained. In other words, the transport expenses were done away with alongside the risk of damage or theft. ii. The partners who play a significant role towards realizing the success of the different components of the project also gave their go ahead. Credits in particular go to the technological leaders in the engineering and software field, including: Matternet, that manufacture commercial drones, Dji Flight control experts, Fedex and DHL whose venture in logistics across the world is formidable, Google whose software contribution is legend. Initial Recognized Risks Though not so significant as such, it was identified that indeed a risk lay in the increasing number of UAVs without proper policy on flight control, and definition of flight paths as opposed to the well-structured FAA passenger flight controllers. Also, with the wake of cybercrime and its threat ever growing under the shadow of technological advancement, losing control of the flights to hackers or other cyber-attacks remain a tool to work on, and keep in line with the updated security measures to safeguard the goods on transit. A crowded radar system would hinder the operation of the UAVs and is at a potential of interfering with air traffic control, which could be hazardous and can cause air coalitions and accidents. Scheduled Milestone The main indicators of the project progress were marked and enlisted below as following: Design of The drone delivery system application 2013 Integrated Flight Management 2013 FAA approval of pilot-less drones for package delivery 2016 Heavy Rain resilient 2017 Automated regulatory compliance May, 2017 Direct Drone communications May, 2018 Air traffic Controlled Delivery 2019 Section 2: Work Breakdown Structure WBS chart Activities: The following were the activities that were agreed upon to be of necessity in carrying them out during the project implementation, which included drones’ configuration, program uploading and testing. Much deviated from he initially thought concrete plan of implementation. Activity Early Start Early Finish Cost Hardware Pieces design 2013 2013 $5,000.00 Software Programming 2013 2014 $2,000.00 Hardware - Software integration Mid 2015 End of 2015 $1,000.00 Delivery kit construction and installation 2016 2016 $1,000.00 Power installation 2017 2018 $1,500.00 FAA licensing 2019 2020 $5,000.00 Total 2013 2020 $15,500.00 Cost: Figure 1: cost estimate per drone PERT chart drawing GANTT chart drawing Recommendations a. Improvements needed in terms of operation and device handling Due to the cost of equipment there was seen the need for proper handling and servicing of the drone hardware pieces to ensure that the operations are retained mostly at their optimum levels. In terms of interaction with the machines, then the customer must not be allowed to touch, operate or modify the drone parts. Using the model designed and used by DHL for instance, to deliver its products, it only drops the package gently to the ground upon sensing that it has touched the ground, the point at which it has the product detached and the drone lifts up again and return to the nearby store for another order. Thus, the recommended framework includes the design of the UAVs with on board sensor to detect any breach of the highlighted threats. They are to relay the message in real time in addition to taking an immediate step to correct the measure. This includes immediate withdrawal of the UAV from the region. Thus, it dictates that the UAVs also have real time network access devices mounted on board, prime among them being internet connectivity modules and dongle, and network access devices and modules for long range and rugged terrains. b. Security concerns of drones and against cybercrimes. This comes as another pertinent area that we would recommend it be tested and fitted with the most secure tools. Both for internet based web pages and the drone machines against malicious interception. In addition, it is to protect the customer data and financial information privacy. Concerning the application that runs the autonomous drones, and from there can carry it to the homes. Encryption is necessary, practically the AES which seldom has had any penetration even from some hard known hackers. Frequent tests and drills would be advisable to conduct where, through ethical hacking that would seek to expose the flaws that there be in the embedded program that runs the hard ware pieces. c. Optimization and throughput for the payload delivered. Since it would be economically a waste to deliver one product at a time, we saw it a growing need to include an algorithm that allows multiple deliveries and the dispensing mechanism for the stored products. Challenges encountered a. Authorities and flight policies concerns one of the major banes of the project was to obtain the flight approval by the FAA authorities. With the increasing amount of commercial drones, it was becoming apparent that not all would be allowed to fly and hence the FAA regulations would put stringent measures to regulate and control the air traffic. Owing to that, the price for flying object has scaled to unsurmountable heights as well as increased time for approval and checking whether it truly meets the customer quality. b. Device security. This centers about the hardware pieces. Human curiosity could easily hold and damage it. This called for thorough sensitization to enable the potential customers to access the new product with ease. c. Customer adjustment: This was also a great challenge to face. Changing the mind of the customers from the conventional way of doing business to the one served by drones was no small task. Since it seems to be a cultural shift, adequate amount of sensitization and assurance that the new system is as good as and better than the former without losing the trust of customers was intensely an exercise that had to be carried out with tenacity and extra level of convincing power. Nevertheless, the adaptation to change witnessed among the millennial and the upcoming generation embrace of technology and science positively and gradually is alleviating the challenge at hand, and hence barrier seemed only to have been present at the launching of the project. d. Technical challenges: Since there are but a few people with technical expertise in drone flight operation and who are keen to control them, the shortage made it quite rigorous and tiresome to train the workforce that would be involved in technical administration and support of the system. The same is compounded by the fact that no engineered device meets an efficiency of 100% and defects are bound to arise. Whether by system breakdown or technical fault. The center for technical repair is thus another logistical burden that has to be encountered, since it has to be set up on multiple locations of service that prove to be prone and vulnerable to such effects as mentioned above. Lessons Learned a. Variations between projected cost and actual cost: This was a key lesson identified from the assignment that whereas there is a projected cost that seems to give a clear way on the budget and expenditure, other costs during project execution would always arise and hence shifting the projection to a slightly higher amount. For instance, there was a fixed budget of design and implementation of a single drone with the integrated system set at $100,000. In addition, other operational and activity charges arose pushing the charges to a higher limit. The travelling expenses for instance would be inevitable to shifting the budget and hence there always need to be a miscellaneous in such planning of a project during its execution. b. Discipline of timely implementation: The discipline of timely implementation was also another important lesson. Diverse as it may sound and mean, the point of discipline was first dimmed among us as we were working our way into ensuring that we all collaborate towards analyzing and reviewing the different sections of the planning. The essence of teamwork and every person’s involvement was a necessity, from the aspect of contributing ideas and pointing out to those grey areas that to some, they seemed to have escaped the sight and thought, or it had been overlooked due to the perception that it may not be that so important after all. The need for positive attitude was cultivated and brought up well among the group members and the danger that lied in pessimism. Regarding the plan, it we noted that sticking to the plan the best it can would go a long way to determining whether the project would be successful or whether its efficiency would crawl on the knees. c. Importance of project planning and guide: As we had previously highlighted or mentioned, it was a great lesson to realize that no matter the scale, scope or dimension of a project, coming up with a plan was in a way making the project coordination much easier and with direction as opposed to a jumbled up execution of a project. With a clear definition of each task, what needed to complete and the projected period, there was a relatively smooth running, even the mishaps are to meet proper handling, and fixes are to be quickly applied. The review of the plan showed that the complexity of every project lies in the simplicity of modularization and the ingenuity of formulating simple elemental blocks that would altogether build up the entire system. Furthermore, use of charts, such as the WBS, GANTT and PERT charts also showed the pivotal role of putting into focus, the entire project. Thus, giving a systematic flow that otherwise could difficult to note in the many volumes of theoretical data also, they revealed that it is easier to conceptualize an idea and be dimmed in its empirical form and simplicity when it is put down in charts that when it is merely explained in words. The development sequencing was found to be traceable and monitored with ease and the time bounds would be noted and not overlooked, thus making project evaluation and monitoring a simple and familiar concept. Conclusion The concept of planning for a project revealed of the numerous advantages in offering guidance towards a successful completion of the project. That does not imply that there are no demerits since while working with a plan, there is a fixed mindset of usage of funds and that does not include any emergencies that would force an adjustment, be it to speed up a task or slow down since everything is, geared towards operating at optimum criterion outlined in the plan. In addition, when coming up with a project plan, it may be said that it is good to have a clear division of labor penned down if possible, tabulated to improve and increase coordination and balance in information gathering and deliberation. References Appendix 1: Technical Referent Materials a. Definition of Terms i. UAV: Acronym for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Also referred to as drones. These are small size machines with capability of flying for considerable distances without a physical presence of a human being to fly it. They were initially, used for military purposes to deliver payloads, but have found a recent application in civilian industry. ii. IoT: Internet of Things. A recent technology allows physical devices to communicate with each other and with humans. They use sensors and electronic signals, exchanging data over the internet. iii. WBS: Stands for Work Break Down. It is a structured diagram showing a simplified division of how the tasks involved are to be handled. It modularizes a complex project work to empirical yet interrelated tasks of the project and shows the sequencing of duties. iv. GANNT chart: is a diagram that shows the flow of a project in terms of how each stage links to the proceeding one. v. PERT chart: It is a diagram generated to show the breakdown of each module of the project, and the associated fund usage. It takes a hierarchical form in which child projects make up a summation for parent module. vi. FAA: Federal Aviation Authority. The oversight body regulates the use of air space, and formulates policies and measures for air traffic control and licensing by the Federal government. vii. AES: Advanced Encryption Standards. This refers to Data Encryption plan for wireless devices that share data through internet, to prevent intruders from intercepting the data or manipulating it for malicious gain or damage. viii. DHL: is an internationally recognized shipping and courier service company that delivers goods and products to recipients from a point of sale terminal or distributor. ix. GPS: It is an acronym for Global Positioning system. A satellite network designed, to locate and identify the position of an item through global coordinates. The GPS works in hand with receivers on the earth surface using a system of triangulation, and accurately identifies where an item is located globally. b. Project component structure The projected timeline could be summed up in the image below: Appendix 2: Operational Terminologies Operational terminology involves the partners who would provide operational costs in project implementation and during its running. They include: the technical support Financial institutions Policy makers Management Auditors Customer base Their roles are as defined below: Technical support: They support the business by offering communication channels and repairs in case of break down or fault in technical equipment. They include Google Inc., UPS and DHL. Financial institutions: these provide funds for the smooth running of the project. In which case the business is the core financier. However, other cash lending institutions fall in this category especially during project implementation to support the cash reserves. Policy makers: They range from government to non-governmental bodies that ensure safety of operation. The likes of FAA and radiation monitoring bodies for such project test the safety of the frequency of radiations emitted by the electronic and telecommunication equipment involved. Management: They are instrumental in making decisions over the business platform, as well as how to handle arising needs and market demands. Auditors: They measure the financial health of the business to determine whether the business idea is of benefit or loss to the company Customer base: They are at the end in the production line, and their numbers dictate the viability of the project. The diagram below show how some of the above players interlink in the project: Read More