| cient business requires efficient warehousing. It can | | | | Import/export handling, Containerization, Pool |
| often be the most profit-consuming element if not | | | | distribution. |
| organised properly — with the cost of staff, | | | | If starting afresh you may need to purchase the |
| health and theft insurance, building rates. | | | | basics, forklifts, storage shelves etc. As these are big |
| Whether you contract for individual services, work | | | | investments, it is often cheaper to find a quality |
| with a warehousing company or run your own | | | | warehousing operator if the savings and features |
| warehousing operation, it is just good business sense | | | | outweigh the investment costs. This is especially the |
| to make a plan and consider all the possible | | | | case when a business is still in its early stages, where |
| consequences. | | | | there is little capital set aside for investment. |
| Outsiders may think of a warehouse as just | | | | Even before this stage, the decisions can be crucial. |
| containing a pile of boxes that are loaded onto trucks | | | | You will need to consider what will be best for your |
| for delivery. This may have been the case 50 years | | | | company, public warehousing or contract warehousing |
| ago, but the modern warehouse operation uses | | | | If you choose public warehousing you pay only for |
| specialist software to track each package around the | | | | the space and services you use, as you use them |
| complex. Packages are bar-coded to help with | | | | and there is no long term commitment. Contract |
| tracking in and out as well as for in-house tracking. | | | | Warehousing involves a longer term commitment but |
| Some of the warehousing services available are: | | | | the costs per unit will be less. Public warehousing is |
| Trans loading, Cross docking, Pick and pack, Pallet | | | | generally the better option initially, with progression to |
| exchange, Labelling, Packaging, Quality control, Local | | | | Contract Services as your product line becomes |
| trucking/drayage, Stretch/shrink wrapping, Inventory | | | | more established. |
| control, Just-in-time control, Lot number control, | | | | |