DEFINITION

A simple definition of a warehouse is:

‘A warehouse is a planned space for the storage and handling of goods and material. ‘In general,
warehouses are focal points for product and information flow between sources of supply and
beneficiaries. However, in humanitarian supply chains, warehouses vary greatly in terms of their role and
their characteristics.

Warehouse Management is the management of the flow of goods. It includes the movement and storage
of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of
consumption. Interconnected or interlinked networks, channels and node businesses are involved in the
provision of products and services required by end customers in a supply chain.

Supply chain management has been defined as the "design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring
of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure,
leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand and measuring performance globally."

THE ROLE OF THE WAREHOUSE IN THE LOGISTICS SYSTEM

The warehouse is where the supply chain holds or stores goods.

Functions of warehousing include

 Transportation consolidation
 Product mixing
 Docking
 Service
 Protection against contingencies

PRINCIPLES OF WAREHOUSE LAYOUT DESIGN

 Use one store facilities

  Move goods in a straight lines
 Use efficient materials handling equipment’s
 Use an effective storage plan
 Use maximum height of the building

OBJECTIVES OF EFFICIENT WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS

 Provide timely customer service.

 Keep track of items so they can be found readily & correctly.
 Minimize the total physical effort & thus the cost of moving goods into & out of storage.
 Provide communication links with customers

WAREHOUSE ACTIVITIES

 Receive goods
 Identify the goods
 Dispatch goods to storage
 Hold goods
 Pick goods
 Marshal shipment
 Dispatch shipment
 Operate an information system

RECEIVE GOODS

 Accepts goods from Outside transportation or attached factory & accepts responsibility
 Check the goods against an order & the bill of loading
 Check the quantities
 Check for damage & fill out damage reports if necessary
 Inspect goods if required