Choosing <A href=”http://www.fulfillmentplusny.com/direct-to-consumer/order-processing.cfm”>Warehouse Organizations</a>
If your organization has inventory, you have storage issues. As inventory grows warehousing becomes a possible answer to your storage needs. There’s more to warehousing than you might think. Warehousing services cover a broad variety of activities. From a leased garage sized storage facility all the way up to the most modern pack and ship facility.
Many online retailers run daily operations out of small rented self-storage units. The last day’s orders can be picked and packaged right in the storage unit and taken for shipping on the way home. When they outgrow this setup, warehousing services become the obvious next step.
Types of <A href=”http://www.fulfillmentplusny.com/index.cfm”>Warehousing Services</a>
Warehousing doesn’t mean just storage. It can, and this is the most common kind of warehousing. You simply rent storage space and nothing else. Access may be limited and the use any special equipment, such as fork trucks, or additional facilities can add to the cost. In any warehouse set up (even the U-Store type) you should try to work out any insurance or security issues. Some of your stock may require temperature controls. Don’t forget to check that the warehouse is climate controlled.
Look for these things at least: theft and fire insurance – theft and vandalism can be a real worry if you aren’t around to supervise what’s going on. Check that the operation has liability insurance and ask what bonding options they offer.
Beyond simple storage, some warehousing services also offer pick and pack type order fulfillment. You transmit your orders (with customer information), they find the merchandise and ship it for you.
You could also use a service that will pick orders for you and leave you to arrange the shipping. This would allow you to double check your orders before they are sent off.
Other Things to Consider:
· Climate controlled storage – for artwork or other precious commodities that might be affected by changes in temperature.
· Registered warehousing – for custom sensitive items, both for shipping or receiving commodities.
· High security warehousing – you get your own secure lot and the facility is both patrolled and alarmed.
· Hazardous materials storage – a special type of warehousing for dangerous materials.
Warehouse Plus <A href=”http://www.fulfillmentplusny.com/direct-to-consumer/picking-and-packing.cfm”>Pick, Pack and Ship</a>
If you have very large items (or large numbers of the same item) to sell, you will need somewhere to store them before they are sold. Once they are sold the items move to the shipping operation. However, by using a service that combines both storage and a pack and ship services you will solve this problem.
Order picking and included paperwork might still be a problem. However whenever an order is taken from stock, the pack and ship company takes care of the rest. This is very useful for merchandise that is problematic to ship or that need special delivery tracking, proof of delivery or insurance. Many warehouses use barcoding to keep track of your unventory as part of their pack and ship service. They may also offer additional record keeping, such as what is spent on postage or other ancillary services.
Pack and ship operations will also usually accept deliveries as part of their services. This can be a real time saver as you won’t need to dash off to the warehouse quite so much.
Warehousing on a Budget
Quite often, those who already rent warehouse space will be willing to lease storage space for your goods. Often these are informal contracts but it pays to draw up an agreement that covers access and responsibilities. Insurance for your merchandise is up to you.
Unconventional warehousing space can be found almost anywhere for the creative entrepreneur. A freind’s basement might be all you need or even an outdoor area, so long as your merchandise will be sufficiently protected from the elements. Sometimes, people are happy to allow you to use a space so long as you agree to maintain it for them.
Also, be on the lookout for businesses that have back rooms that are no longer needed. These can sometimes be had very easily, because they are otherwise wasted space. Wherever you store your inventory, remember to insure against loss – don’t rely on the current policy, it probably won’t cover you because the premises are being used for a different purpose .
