When walking through the AlphaOmega warehouse, I observed the coordination and organization of the pharmaceuticals. All of the products were packaged in boxes varying in size. After being grouped, stacks of boxes were wrapped together and put onto a rotating table. The rotating table is part of a machine that wraps the piles in plastic automatically. These piles are wrapped onto the top of pallets, making them accessible by vehicles. All of the forklifts and pallet movers in the AlphaOmega warehouse are electric vehicles. They have a dedicated corner of the warehouse to store the vehicles overnight and charge them when needed. Overall, the warehouse is divided into multiple sections, each serving a specific purpose. There is a wall dedicated to truck imports, with the ability to create an airtight connection. This seal is important for maintaining the warehouse temperature as pharmaceuticals can be temperature- and humidity-sensitive. This is unique among warehouses in general, as most warehouses store ambient products that are not dependent on the conditions. AlphaOmega also has a cold storage room for pharmaceuticals that need to be kept in 2-8 degrees Celsius temperatures. This required a dedicated room where the temperature is constantly monitored and maintained so as not to impact the products. This is also unique among warehouses in general for the same reason, being that most goods may be stored in ambient temperatures and do not need to be monitored.
Above is an image of one of the many import docking stations. The black, bulbous object inflates and deflates to create an airtight seal with the truck, minimizing temperature fluctuations in the warehouse.
Above is an image of the cold storage room. The products are stored in insulated cardboard boxes, seen at the right of the image, with freeze packs to maintain a temperature around 2-8 degrees Celsius.
Above is an image from inside the separated electric vehicle room. This is where all of the forklifts and pallet movers are taken at the end of the day to be charged.