Warehouse Management
A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, towns or villages. They often have loading docks to load and unload goods from trucks. Sometimes warehouses are designed for the loading and unloading of goods directly from railways, airports, or seaports. They often have cranes and forklifts for moving goods around the structure. Goods are stored in pallets or stillages on racks or shelves.
The term ‘warehouse management’ refers to all of the activities that go into operating a warehouse, including receiving and processing incoming shipments, storing and retrieving inventory items, shipping orders to customers, and maintaining the facility and equipment. A warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application that helps businesses automate these activities to improve efficiency and accuracy.
There are many different types of warehouses, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The most common types include:
– Manufacturing warehouses store raw materials and finished products for manufacturing companies. These facilities are often large and sprawling, with multiple storage areas for different types of materials.
– Distribution warehouses store products for distributors who ship items to retailers or other customers. These facilities are typically smaller than manufacturing warehouses and have more efficient systems for retrieving inventory items quickly.
– Retail warehouses store products for retailers who sell items directly to the public
