If you run a business that deals with goods, or imported/bulk products, chances are you've had to deal with a warehousing company. But to the uninitiated, the concept of a warehouse may seem foreign. Thankfully, we're here to break down exactly what those massive structures tucked away in the Industrial Area on the outskirts of Doha are.
To put it plainly, warehouses are simply buildings constructed for storage. They're used in almost every industry, from manufacturers to importers, exporters, transport businesses, freight forwarders, relocation experts, customs, and wholesalers. They're low-cost structures, often unassuming, outfitted with built-up, modified bitumen, or TPO roofs, and enclose large empty spaces ideal for storage. Warehouses come in different types, depending on the kind of storage needed, the goods its storing, and the temperature at which they need to be held. Warehouses can be built with a high-rack storage area, bulk storage area, picking storage area, and so on. Or, they can be heated/unheated with pace for bulk, rack, and bin storage, aisles, and dedicated areas for receiving and shipping, packing and crating, offices, and toilets. Controlled humidity warehouses store speciality goods that are best preserved in a humidity-moderated environment. , and are constructed with vapor barriers and contain humidity control equipment to maintain humidity at desired levels. Refrigerated warehouses, vital in the supply chain of groceries, restaurants, and even hospitals, help preserve the quality of perishable goods and general supply materials by including freeze and chill space, processing facilities, and mechanical areas. Aside from these common types, there are also special-designed warehouses that are built to provide storage for volatile liquids like fuel and non-propellants, or ones built specifically for flammable and combustible storage, radioactive material storage, hazardous chemical storage, and ammunition storage.
Aside from their storage space, warehouses are also outfitted with loading docks. These utilitarian spaces are often elevated, to offer better ease of movement for people unpacking goods off of large vans and trucks. They serve as the arrival and department hub for large shipments going to or from the warehouse. Loading docks are also often equipped with cranes and forklifts for moving goods, which are usually placed on ISO standard pallets loaded into pallet racks. Docks have a ramp leading to the main parking area to facilitate deliveries from small trucks and vans, and should be at an incline easily maneuverable for deliveries on carts and dollies. Loading docks should have resilient, durable flooring, be able to accommodate delivery vehicles of all sizes, and be laid out with service routes that allow for the transport of large and bulky items.
Warehouse need to be flexible enough to adapt to future storage needs, and should come equipped with at least one electro-hydraulic dock leveler per every five truck bays. They need to be rigid enough to withstand the elements, extreme heat, snow load on the roof, and heavy rains, and well-insulated enough to avoid flooding. General warehouse space should be floored with a concrete slab to carry wheel loads and withstand the abrasion generated by the continual use of hard rubber and steel-wheeled forklift trucks, with epoxy coating on concrete floors near battery charging areas. Modern warehouses should also be energy-efficient, with built-in energy saving technology like solar panels, a light colour roof to reflect solar radiation, reducing HVAC loads, and energy consumption, and energy-efficient fixtures, sensors, systems, and appliances, wherever possible.
Warehouses usually have their own inventory management system that in turn is set up to work in tandem with your business's system. They provide a safe, secure, and centralised location for your goods, making it easier to track and manage your inventory. By investing in a warehouse, you'll store, ship and distribute products more efficiently. If something is out of stock, you'll know it right away and provide customers with alternative options rather than leaving them waiting for days or weeks. Warehouses that have additional in-house fulfillment teams also help businesses move, package and process orders from customers. Packages delivered on pallet racks, for example, can be unpacked and re-boxed before shipment to your customer. Warehousing also allows for timely delivery and optimized distribution, with in-house tracking systems that let you and your customers know exactly when their order has been received, packed, fulfilled, sent out, and delivered. It also helps reduce errors and damage in the order fulfillment process and prevents your goods from getting lost or stolen during handling. But the biggest draw of warehouses is the fact that they allow you to store goods for future use. Plants, artwork, candles, food and medications are just a few examples of goods that require special storage conditions that can often only be fulfilled by a warehouse. This helps to extend the product’s shelf life, while reducing your supplier costs. Additionally, the products stored in warehouses are typically insured. This means that you have higher chances to receive compensation from your insurance company in case of damage, fire or theft.
Some of the most common warehouse storage systems are:
Pallet racking including selective, drive-in, drive-thru, double-deep, pushback, and gravity flow Cantilever racking uses arms, rather than pallets, to store long thin objects like timber. Mezzanine adds a semi-permanent story of storage within a warehouse[23] Vertical Lift Modules are packed systems with vertically arranged trays stored on both sides of the unit. Horizontal Carousels consist of a frame and a rotating carriage of bins. Vertical Carousels consisting of a series of carriers mounted on a vertical closed-loop track, inside a metal enclosure.
Shelving and rack systems that offer maximum storage capacity and easy product access. A climate control system for the product being stored. This is particularly important for frozen products or those requiring refrigeration, including certain pharmaceutical or laboratory products, and others that degrade if exposed to too much heat. Inventory control software that tells the product owner – who isn’t necessarily the building owner – where all individual units are in the system at all times. Equipment that can move products from point A to point B – forklifts, pallet jacks, bins that hold products for orders, and conveyor belts, for example. Shipping supplies for order fulfillment. People who load products into a warehouse and others (“pickers”) who fill orders in a true distribution center, plus those who manage the facility and operation. Security to protect stored products. Access to cost-effective transportation to bring products in or move them out as orders are fulfilled. That often means easy access to interstates, rail lines, or airports.
If your business is just starting out, considering leasing space in a warehouse instead of purchasing or constructing one of your own. Save costs, learn the ropes, and expand your business at the same time by forgoing buying for renting. Need some help? Give these local warehousing leasing experts a call today.