Warehousing, storing, and safekeeping of goods are three key concepts in logistics, referring to the management of inventory and goods within the supply chain. While these terms might seem synonymous at first glance, they each have distinct meanings and functions.
Warehousing is the overall process related to storing goods in dedicated spaces called warehouses. It encompasses the entire logistics process, starting from the moment goods are received into the warehouse and ending when they are released or shipped to the customer. Warehousing includes activities such as receiving goods, sorting them, quality control, inventory management, packing, and preparing them for shipment.
Storing refers to the physical placement of goods in a specific location within the warehouse for a defined period. It is an element of the warehousing process. Storing involves decisions about where and how goods will be placed to ensure they are easily accessible and safe. It also involves managing the warehouse space to optimize the use of available storage areas.
Safekeeping involves ensuring that goods are kept under the right conditions during storage so that they remain fully usable and ready for further distribution or sale. This process includes controlling temperature, humidity, securing the goods properly, and monitoring their condition over time.
Warehousing can be classified in various ways depending on specific criteria.
Based on the warehouse function:
– production warehousing (warehouses located near production sites that supply necessary raw materials or semi-finished products)
– distribution warehousing (warehouses used for storing finished products, which are then distributed to end customers)
– consolidation warehousing (arehouses where goods from different suppliers are combined for further distribution)
– transshipment warehousing or cross-docking (warehouses where goods are temporarily held without long-term storage).
Based on the type of goods stored:
– general warehousing (refers to warehouses where various types of goods can be stored)
– specialized warehousing (refers to warehouses tailored to specific needs, such as cold storage, chemical warehouses, or high-rack storage warehouses).
Storing can be differentiated based on:
– organization of space (rack storage, floor storage (block stacking), container storage)
– access to goods (FIFO (First In, First Out), LIFO (Last In, First Out), FEFO (First Expired, First Out)
– level of automation (manual storage, automated storage).
