- Warehouse space is a designated area used for storing boxes of new products for both small and large businesses. The space is designed as a place for safe and dry storage of crated goods that are awaiting purchasing and shipment. Warehouses organize and stack their products with the most rapidly selling items located in an easily accessible area closest to the loading dock, for easy and quick transfer to truck.
- Depending on the size of the business, there are many types of warehouse space. For a business that is just starting up, a warehouse space may be a cleaned and empty area of the business owner's garage. Other types of warehouse space are rented public storage facilities and rented areas in factory warehouses. Large businesses own their own warehouses, and many are contained at the store's site. Some businesses use one main warehouse space as a hub in a central state or country where their products are made, and all shipments come from that warehouse.
- A warehouse space is usually located in an industrial section of town. The space may look large and bland from the outside. The features inside a warehouse space may include cement floors, wide open and empty storage areas, metal storage racks and a lack of windows. Warehouse space may be temperature controlled or may be uninsulated. A tin roof may cover the warehouse. There may be loading docks and ramps, forklifts or cranes for moving around crates and storage containers, as well as pallets for stacking and moving sections of boxes. An automated warehouse will have a computer-operated system for moving and removing products onto conveyor belts. A warehouse space that is in use will have stacks of boxed products awaiting shipment. Warehouse space is usually protected by a 24-hour security guard as well as video surveillance.
- The size of a warehouse space can be 10 by 10 feet for a modest business, and up to 50,000 square feet or more for a large company. Warehouse space generally has extremely high ceilings for maximum storage, sometimes two or three stories high.
- A warehouse space gives the business owner peace of mind, knowing his product is safe and protected in a watertight, locked facility. The warehouse space also keeps the office free of the clutter of unsold products, allowing the office to operate efficiently. Warehouse space allows the company to keep many sale items in stock for quick shipment to buyers. Some warehouses are converted into showrooms, with products displayed on lower racks, and storage of duplicate items in the higher racks, which combines selling and storage areas, saving the company money by using one facility for both business purposes.
- A warehouse space may be rented month to month, or by a yearly contract. Products in the warehouse space may rest in the warehouse for short periods of time, or may rest there without moving for many months, depending on the type of business or the individual demand for the product. Some warehouse space is utilized on a daily basis, removing products and adding new products to the space.
- For a large business, having an attached warehouse space is vital for transferring goods immediately from the space to the showroom as products in the store sell out and require replenishing. For a small business, the warehouse space may be the only place to keep large boxes of products that would otherwise be crowding the business owner's personal home or office. Using a WMS (Warehouse Managing System) by computer, the warehouse of any sized company can be organized, inventoried and stacked efficiently to maximize chances for success.
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