Logistics warehousing is the planned management of the waiting period between the moment a product is made and the moment it is consumed. Providing space is only one part of the job; the real work is records, protection and the shipment plan.
The type of warehousing varies with the legal status of the goods and with the need.
The main types of warehousing
| General depot | Goods in free circulation; no customs supervision |
|---|---|
| Bonded warehouse | Duty-deferred goods under customs supervision |
| Cold store | Temperature-controlled products |
| Open yard | Items unaffected by weather |
| Cross-dock | Direct transfer without storage |
Forms of storage
The physical properties of the product determine how it is kept:
- Racking: palletisable, boxed and medium-weight products
- Pallet stacking: many pallets of the same product
- Floor stacking: heavy, rollable loads such as steel coil
- Open yard: pipe, sections and items that withstand weather
What makes a good warehouse
Not the price per square metre, but record discipline. The difference between the quantity found in a count and the quantity in the records must be zero.
The second criterion is the protection regime: a suitable arrangement must be provided for products sensitive to moisture, impact and temperature.
Bonded warehouse or ordinary depot?
If the goods have been imported and the duty paid, an ordinary depot is enough. If the goods have not been imported and you want to defer the duty, a bonded warehouse is required.
The decision starts with the legal status; the cost comparison comes after that.