With versatile, high-quality assets, warehousing penetrates deep into Indian geography. There is an increase and strong demand for warehouse space in almost every major city in the country. For instance, Bangalore is becoming the logistical and warehousing epicentre for all top businesses! There is an ever-growing demand for storage and distribution services -- so much so that there is even a shortage of storage facilities popping up. However, with the right provider by your side, you would never encounter such discrepancies.
It's no secret that warehouse partners can help you store your products safely while also offering you cost-efficient service benefits. Warehousing companies provide services like storage, distribution, logistics, e-commerce fulfilment, and other value-added services.
Let's take a closer look at the factors to take into consideration while choosing your warehouse partners.
Material Handling Capabilities
Inquire whether they have handled products similar to yours before. When looking for the best warehousing firm, this is one of the most important questions you will have to address.
Considering the following variables, familiarity with your type of product can be extremely important:
- Technical know-how.
- Methods for loading and unloading.
- Storage, Packaging, and Distribution.
- Temperature-controlled storage facilities.
Choosing a warehouse provider that is familiar with all aspects of material handling will help you relax. Furthermore, it can also help to reduce costs and improve profitability. Also, pay close attention to the type of tools and equipment they will use to store, pack, and ship your products.
Location and Proximity to Major Networks
Always keep in mind where the warehousing company is located. Another point of consideration is proximity to your customer base. For example, if you trade and sell your products frequently in Mumbai, you can store them at a warehouse nearby. This will help you to deliver things more quickly and reach the target location without having to deal with the headaches of being outside of the city!
The key to faster delivery is location, and by extension, it is the secret to saving additional funds, improving customer experience, and increasing the efficiency of your business.
Before coming to a conclusion, consider the following pointers:
- Determine your consumer base and the area in which they live;
- If you own a small-scale business, you should think about hiring a facility near your target market or company headquarters.
- And if your clients are spread out throughout the country, hire centrally-located warehouse partners and companies.
- Find a suitable mix between the location of the warehouse, accessibility, and proximity to consumers.
The Number of SKUs
It is essential that you carefully assess your storage requirements before beginning your hunt for the best warehousing company. SKUs are used in storage facilities to keep track of inventory, calculate storage costs, and estimate the amount of space needed to store those things.
Only by understanding your exact storage requirements will you be able to assess whether a service provider will meet all of your needs.
The following are some of the most prominent customer requirements:
- Bulk storage
- Adequate square footage
- Product compatibility amongst other warehousing products
Technology and Software
In recent times, supply chain management has been incorporating new-age, ultramodern technology to streamline operations. Therefore, the warehouse facility you ultimately decide to go with should employ state-of-the-art technologies, systems, and software. The use of software solutions results in automation and a reduction in the number of errors. It allows you to track inventories and order shipments in real-time.
Additional Services
Value-added services have the potential to completely change your supply chain. These services enhance and complement basic storage, distribution, and logistics solutions. In today's ever-evolving marketplace, being able to provide additional services has become the new normal. In order to optimize your supply chain and distribution network, you must partner with reliable warehouse partners.
The best warehousing company can certainly provide comprehensive service offerings, like:
- Storage facilities for pharmaceuticals and other medical materials
- Automotive warehousing and loading trucks
- Value-added services like kitting, assembly, picking, packing, barcoding, labeling, and so forth
- Technically advanced equipment
- A skilled workforce
- Loading and unloading facilities are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with continuous video surveillance.
Final Thoughts
Bottom Line: These are a few of the factors to take into consideration while searching for the best warehousing company in India. Choosing the best warehouse provider isn't easy, but if you follow the 5 steps outlined above, you will surely be able to make an informed decision.