The name ‘warehousing’ doesn’t really represent the warehousing business very well. Most people think of warehousing as storing goods until they are needed. But there’s far more involved in modern warehousing and the more you know about it, the better equipped you will be to choose the best warehousing services for your business.

1. Location, Location, Location – It’s simple economics: the closer your warehousing is to your products’ place of origin and/or your markets, the faster and cheaper it will be to get them to your customers.
2. Research Different Storage Options – If you’re lucky, your products can be stored just about anywhere. If, however, as it is with an increasing number of products, yours have special storage requirements, like temperature/humidity control, hazardous materials storage or customs-bonded storage, you’ll need to be a little more discerning, and informed, about your warehousing.
3. Look for Value-Added Services – You can find warehouse space just about anywhere. But it’s the extra services that will make your life, and doing business, easier. Known as 3PL or third party logistics, these services include: pick/pack, labelling, kitting and shipping, and the companies that offer them are more likely to be among your best options.
4. Get Automated – Better warehouses are managed by high-tech, online systems that can track your inventory, orders and sales – and they put all that information on your desktop.
5. Make Sure Safety & Security is a Priority – Your goods can never be too safe. Not just from theft, but damage due to poor storage, fire and water.