OB (Outbound)

In Amazon’s logistics and supply chain operations, Outbound (OB) describes all activities related to shipping inventory out of a fulfillment center (FC). This includes customer orders, inventory transfers between FCs, and removals sent back to sellers or vendors.

Outbound processes include:

• Order picking - retrieving products from storage locations
• Packing - boxing items with appropriate dunnage, labeling, and sealing
• Labeling - applying carrier, tracking, and compliance labels
• Carrier handoff - scanning and transferring to logistics partners (e.g., Amazon Logistics, UPS, FedEx)

Types of outbound activity:

• Customer shipments (standard or Prime orders)
• Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) orders
• Inventory removals or disposals
• Outbound Cross Dock (OXD) transfers to other fulfillment centers or sortation hubs

Key metrics tied to OB:

• Outbound defects (e.g., mis-shipments, damage)
• Shipping speed / SLA adherence
• Carrier pickup and scan rates

💡 Example: When a customer places a Prime order, Amazon’s FC initiates an OB process to pick, pack, and ship the item within 1–2 days.

In short:
OB (Outbound) refers to the entire process of shipping inventory from Amazon’s fulfillment centers - covering customer orders, transfers, and removals as part of the broader logistics operation.