What to Look for in a Public Warehousing Provider

Location…Location….Location – It might be essential when buying a home, opening a business, or planning a vacation, but location might not be as important when looking for the best public warehousing provider. Rather, businesses deciding which public warehouse to use may want to follow this criteria checklist before making their final decision.

Main Factors to Consider When Choosing a Public Warehouse Provider

• Capabilities – The technology in use in a public storage warehouse is of the utmost importance. These computer systems and programs are what support the management and movement of inventory. For example, Brendamour Warehousing, Distribution & Services utilizes automated shipping and routing computers and a gravity conveyor system for preparing orders for shipment. In addition, Brendamour provides its clients with a warehouse management system (WMS) that comes complete with barcode applications and is compatible with most enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Many public warehouses do not have these capabilities and some require the use of your own WMS system. Keep in mind that the more technology a public warehousing company uses, the more accurately and efficiently your goods will be handled, inventoried, shipped and tracked.
• Other Services Available – While warehousing may be the basic service offered by public warehouse providers, the best warehouse companies provide complementing services to meet the specialized needs of its clients. As an example, Brendamour Warehousing provides office rentals and corresponding office services, order fulfillment and order picking, pick and pack support services, custom packing and labeling, assembly work, kitting, foreign trade customizations, advertising kit preparation, contract trucking, reverse logistics and a multitude of other services that pertain to getting your goods to market.
• Geographic Network – Depending on your type of business, the location of the public storage warehouse may not be important to you. However, its geographic network should be, especially as your company grows into other markets or if you need to move goods from various company facilities to different areas of the country. Not all warehouse facilities can provide countrywide or worldwide supply chain management services that warehouses with multiple locations can. As a complete 3PL and logistics operation, Brendamour has warehouse locations strategically located throughout the Midwest, including the Northeast, Northwest, South/Kentucky and South/Airport, to create interconnecting distribution hubs that are close to major highways, ports, railways and airports.
• Scalability – This is all about flexibility and how well a public warehouse can respond to your company’s growing needs. You need a facility that has the capacity to expand your warehouse space as needed and can do so in short notice.

5 Warehousing and Distribution Service Essentials

Whenever possible, a site visit to a public warehouse is a good idea for evaluating in person how it operates. It’s also important to ask for references, such as current clients or industry sources, and contact them for feedback.

Some things to look for during your visit are:

1. Security measures in use at the facility and if they are around the clock;
2. Organization and cleanliness of the storage areas;
3. A temperature controlled environment;
4. Maintenance of the facility’s infrastructure and equipment;
5. Whether it’s a bonded warehouse or insured in the event of product loss while stored there.

Brendamour welcomes site visits from potential and current clients. Our clean, secure, innovative and technology advanced facilities have ranked Brendamour among the leading warehouse and distribution facilities in the midwestern United States.