Warehousing and Logistics: What You Need to Know
Efficient warehousing and logistics are crucial to the success of any business. Without proper management, your inventory would be a mess, and your order fulfillments would be riddled with errors. We’re here to break down everything you need to know about warehousing and logistics, starting with three frequently-asked questions.
What are warehousing and logistics, anyway?
Warehousing provides the secure storage of raw materials or finished goods, often in an off-site location. While warehousing focuses on storage, logistics focus on flow and the customer experience. Logistics management includes organizing the movement of items in and out of the warehouse according to your customers’ needs.
Warehousing and logistics are vital for a successful supply chain, but performing it all in-house can cost you too much time, money and energy. Instead, many businesses have turned to outsourcing for better efficiency and end-to-end visibility. In 2019, a survey of companies found that a whopping 69 percent outsourced their warehousing. A warehousing and logistics partner has the specialized resources, technologies and capabilities for storing and distributing products. While they focus on managing your orders and inventory, you can focus on growing your business.
What can a warehousing and logistics partner do for me?
A warehousing and logistics partner can handle the bulk of your supply chain, working behind-the-scenes to help you meet and exceed your customers’ expectations. In particular, a warehousing and logistics partner works to support you in four areas:
Receiving Inventory
When you are shipping materials to a warehouse, someone will need to be there to accept it. They have to know what products are arriving, in what quantities and when they will be delivered so that they can be put away in an organized and efficient manner.
Asset Management
Your warehousing and logistics partner can develop a customized plan for your inventory so that it is stored, packed, secured and tracked in a way that works best for you and your business. If your assets need floor or rack storage, Armstrong Relocation – Raleigh can provide the space for either. We provide 24-hour monitored security so that you can sleep easy, knowing that your assets are protected.
Looking for a partner who can provide an online asset catalog? We do that, too. If you outsource your asset management to a partner like Armstrong Relocation – Raleigh, you don’t need to be local to stay on top of your inventory. Our real-time tracking allows you to receive minute-by-minute information on your product availability and the status of assets, even if you’re currently across the country or the world. These kinds of high-tech technologies are one of the main reasons people choose to outsource their logistics.
Order Fulfillment
When you entrust your order fulfillment to a third-party partner, your customers will receive fewer errors and better service. Warehousing and logistics partners are experts in their fields and know how to make the process run as smoothly as possible. For example, Armstrong Relocation – Raleigh has decades of experience in order fulfillment, so we know how to make it as easy as possible for you and your customers.
Final-Mile Delivery
A warehousing and logistics partner can also handle the last phase of the ecommerce supply chain: delivering items from the warehouse to their final destinations. During the pandemic, ecommerce sales have boomed, and customers are looking for speedier deliveries than ever before. A final-mile carrier can deliver your products with the speed, cost-efficiency and professionalism that your customers expect.
How do warehousing and logistics work together?
Warehousing and logistics are two pieces of the same puzzle, and to maximize efficiency, they need to fit together seamlessly. You can’t have stellar logistics without warehousing, and vice versa. That’s why experts recommend choosing a partner who can do it all. When you have one centralized hub for all your warehousing and logistics needs, you know that your operations are working together in harmony, with fewer pressures on the daily parts of the customer journey.
What are you waiting for? If you are looking for a warehousing and logistics partner, call Armstrong Relocation – Raleigh today!
