The Drone of Drones

By Bob Larrivee posted 12-03-2013 08:35

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As many of you know, I am a true techie at heart and I get excited about new technology and technology use. This week, I was energized by the announcement that Amazon is exploring the possibility of using drones for local area delivery of goods. I think this is a good thing, in fact, I think the use of drones for specific purposes like searching for lost children, assessing a disaster site, and yes, even small package delivery is a good use. I have to admit that when I first read the story and watched the video, I had visions of millions of drones leaving the Amazon locations with Ride of the Valkyrie playing in the background while Jeff Bezos is found saying, I love the sound of drones in the morning, it sounds like, victory! Ok, back to my original thought.

I know there are lots of hurdles to overcome in this scenario but it proves once again that technology application is limited only by the individual. I have not heard of even a conceptual discussion other than this one, by any other retail or delivery service, in favor of using drones for delivery. This time it is small packages, but who’s to say that pizza, Chinese food, or any other delivery type product could not take advantage of drone delivery. (Not that I want to see swarms of these in my neighborhood anytime soon.)

In my view, this is an interesting and good step forward in the realm of automation. Give a drone a package and address, then it is off to deliver. There have been many jokes about people shooting them down, insurance claims for personal injury due to low flying drones and I am sure you have heard many more. There is one thing that also came to my mind and that is one of theft. How will you know the drone has dropped the package and unlike the delivery person of today, a drone cannot place it on the porch where it would be less visible. For now it would be in the driveway, on the walkway, or some other open area in plain site. This means that theft of these packages could rise significantly. Imagine you order from work, expecting it to ne there when you get home. The package was delivered and someone who saw it, took it. Nobody knows who. In this case, who is responsible for the loss? Amazon? The drone delivery service – if it is a third party, or you?

I think we are headed to some very interesting times, but like anything else, it will take time and planning to ensure success. The order process, logistics, traffic control, audit trail for the package, and confirmation of delivery will all play a role and the information associated with it will have to be captured, and managed properly. I cannot imagine what it will be like to hear the drone of drones in a few years, but I can imagine how much effort is going into this project and the amount of information to be managed as a result. It will be an interesting ride.

What say you? Do you have a story to tell? What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know.

Bob Larrivee, Director and Industry Advisor – AIIM
Email me: blarrivee@aiim.org

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