Showing posts with label warehouse services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label warehouse services. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2016

Brief Timeline History: Warehousing

brief-timeline-history

Today’s youth have been lacking time to look back on our rich history. Why won’t we begin with a timeline of the history of warehousing. Warehouse services are quite an essential when starting in an industry where you supply stocks and goods. Did you know that warehousing started in Ostia, Rome. Warehouses are mostly commercial buildings that acts as storage for goods. Warehouses are valued most by importers or exporters, manufacturers, etc. who needs a large area for storing huge amount of product inventory. By history, they mostly have built-in areas for the unloading and loading of goods and one of the busiest areas of the business. 

Early Rome


ruined-warehouse
Ruined Warehouses in Ostia, Rome.
Image source: Wikipedia
Some of the documents found stated that the warehousing industry started in a large neighborhood called Ostia. Way way back in the fifth century, major shipping ports has a nearby warehouse for easy storage and forwarding large amount of goods. On those times, European explorers have created a route designated for such occasions made it possible for easier storage and movements of goods. 

Though at that time warehousing are still primitive and yet to be improved, this shows effective storage for it could provide secured storage and distribution of inventory.


The Industrial Revolution


watts-warehouse
Watts Warehouse in Manchester
Image Source: Wikipedia
This was on the 18th and 19th centuries, were people took on progression as an essential tool in development. They’ve started making machineries that could make forwarding a lot faster than what was present on that day and made warehouses, a business necessity. Through this, supply chain, a sequence of process responsible for the production and distribution of a commodity, has been a good source of income and made way for the business to start booming. 

Industrial revolution was more noted in the north western England of Manchester where they took warehouse designing more lavishly decorated. All the five types of developed warehouse was mostly seen on Manchester. 

At those times, most products needs time maturation in order to be sellable and this made warehouses more popular than they already were.


Twentieth Century Progression


Twentieth Railway
Image source: Dominion

The twentieth century gave way for the construction of rail warehouses wherein travelling through neighboring countries or state could be easily done. This popularized in North America’s extensive railway channels. Through such innovations, doing business with countries nearby has been possible and made faster and easy. 

With this transportation, new warehouses were built on ideal locations known to have good commerce and become a center for business.

Mid Twentieth Century


This has been the era of modern warehouses wherein they have been dependable on heavy machineries such as cranes and forklift used in moving large amount of goods in a short period of time and made way to mass production of goods. From this huge demand for warehouses, new warehouses were being built from time to time. To this day, they have been an essential to the ever growing supply chain of goods and products. 

Upon seeing the progress of warehouse services shows signs of growth in the business industry. From the start of warehouse establishment at ancient Rome to the modernized supply chain of the twentieth century have clearly evolve the industry’s look of business world. 

Upon the opening of new opportunities for warehouse services, choosing for the right warehouse services could be a tough decision. But through research and article reading, one can make the right choices for the business growth.

This warehousing history was brought to you by Metro Combined.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

4 Tips on Selecting the Best Warehouse Services

4-Tips-on-Selecting-the-Best-Warehouse-Services

On the growing industry of warehousing, many believe not all can be trusted. Not all can manage your interest resulting to wasted time, effort and money. Having the best warehouse services could be achieve through following these tips. Keeping in mind that things will go smoothly once you’ve analyze your needs as well as your expectations.

Looking for the right one could be tough as you go along and learn. One can easily filter the goods ones from the bad ones through experience but not everyone had experienced such. Here are some tips to have you ground up on what needs to be done and be prioritize.

1. Have a background check

Knowing the company to gain services from is not sneaky nor bad in a way. It’s just like having a little research on the person you wanted to talk to just so you could not get their hopes way up. How to start background checking:

  • Do a research on the internet. 
  • Look up their former clients and ask them comments about the services. (if possible) 
  • Ask for a copy of the services they offer and have a read of the services they offer. Read the fine print as well. To avoid shocking bill dues. 
  • Look thoroughly if they do exercise the services you’re interested in. 
  • Look for their qualifications for validity purposes. 

2. Have them send a personnel over to broadly discuss their services

If you’re still confused I could suggest you to have the company send over a personnel or a contact person to carefully discuss with you the services they offer and the benefits you can gain from them. No one can gain more than you being all careful and meticulous to details. These are question you could ask and might ease the confusion in you. 

  • Do they have the appropriate adequate volume and space? 
  • Do they have the right equipment handling for your products? 
  • Do they practice warehouse management system (WMS)? 

"A warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application that supports the day-to-day operations in a warehouse. WMS programs enable centralized management of tasks such as tracking inventory levels and stock locations", as defined by Searchmanufacturingp.techtarget.com.

Through such system, an assurance of accurate reports could be delivered in an instant resulting to more time for other business processes.

3. Accessibility issues

You should always consider its accessibility. Will having their services be a benefit or a setback? One must specifically determine their area of need. Does the place could easily be reach? Have it in your hand to know whether they could be easily accessed. Like, ask them send over a specific amount and be delivered on the time and date expected. Also consider if they are near any port locations, just so you could benefit in your importing and exporting venture. If they could also be accessible to major highway arteries for faster delivery transaction needed in forwarding freight by land. 

4. Risk management

Do they offer insurance for the safety of your products? Though it seems like it was already given, it should still be asked whether the company offers goods insurance. There are times, they do have insurance but you’re not satisfied on what was included so to fully enjoy the services, ask and be keen on details. 

Do they have top of the line security system? If the company practices security system such as alarms, CCTV and be monitored 24/7 would be the best company to avail services from. Though insurance on your goods are already given on the table, being reliable in terms of security will be much approved by most.

This article is brought to you by Metro Combined, a leading logistics solutions that offers reliable warehousing services as well as managed you freight forwarding venture.