For many businesses with stock to hold, they need one or multiple types of storage facilities: for example for raw materials, part-finished products and facilities for the finished product, etc. All this must be regulated depending on the specific operational needs of the business and subject to the limitations and potential of each location and its surroundings.
The best way to classify different types of warehouses currently available is to group them according to their common features:
According to the nature of the product there are warehouses that specialize in flammable products, perishable goods, small materials, spare parts and even warehouses for general use, among others.
The building itself could also be a criterion for classification. The building can be classified as an open-air warehouse, industrial buildings, basements, depots, cold storage spaces or rack-supported warehouses.
In terms of location, it could be a central warehouse, one that serves a specific region, a local depot or simply for transit.
According to the level of mechanization of each warehouse, they can be manual or part or fully automated. For more information on Telescopic Conveyors for warehouse management, visit https://fmhconveyors.com/products/telescopic-conveyors/
Well-organized warehouse management allows companies to have the necessary stock, offer the best customer service, have the highest occupancy, and the quickest amount of time for those internal processes. Such operations include the transportation of goods, shelf-picking, flow, stock management and optimization of location, among others.
Warehouse management software controls and optimizes warehouse functions. A warehouse should be intelligent, in that it is operated efficiently and in a logical manner to achieve optimum performance. Today, it is unheard of that any professional installation would not use warehouse management software (also known by the initials, WMS), which ensures that all of the above factors are seen to.
Choosing the right WMS is very important. At a minimum, it should allow the company to perform basic functions involved in warehouse management in a simple and intuitive way. WMS manage diverse operations and thus work toward the best resource management.
Who manages the warehouse?
Most warehouses are run directly by the company that owns the installation (manufacturer or seller). WMS is used only for the functions in the warehouse, and through a set of interfaces that define real-time communication with the central system or the general management of the company.
Additionally, it is becoming increasingly commonplace for businesses to outsource aspects of logistics and storage to specialist logistics companies who, as well as offering storage, offer comprehensive services and carry out picking, assembling parts, arrange transportation, etc.
The result of this is that a single warehouse managed by a logistics specialist can hold stock from any customers, or business owners, that need to be managed properly. In this case, the WMS must be able to work according to the principle of multi-owner.
How successful the goods and their location?
warehouse management must be designed in accordance with the functional analysis developed earlier. This functional analysis should follow the steps in the flow of materials and reflect the characteristics and type of facility and its components.