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Which Warehouse Does Your Business Need?

You need a warehouse.

You have pinpointed the most optimal location and finalised on all the high-tech equipment and machinery to function with ease, but how do you decide which warehouse building is best suited for your operations and functions? Let’s find out.

The Standard Warehouse

For operations that only need basic walls, a roof and some clear space, the standard warehouse is the way. These warehouses can be made in any size required and are extremely versatile.

It is possible to fit them with skylights and windows as well as with multiple gates, ramps and docks. They are a popular solution for almost every industry, providing storage for machines, raw materials and equipment, and products in production; serving as transshipment points in logistics; storing goods for retailers and wholesalers; acting as distribution centres for e-commerce; and even housing donations and relief supplies for non-profit organisations.

A standard warehouse can be easily adapted to specific equipment and spatial requirements by the warehouse developer and are extremely cost effective for businesses that require minimal retrofits to get going.

The Container Warehouse

This is a specific kind of storage warehouse is a stopover for goods coming or going from freight transport. These warehouses are used to consolidate or deconsolidate freight goods to prepare them for the next legs of their journey. Or in other words, it is a temporary storage for the goods to wait a little for other goods to come and fill a container up, before they can be shipped off. The challenge here is to have a system that allows storing, tracking and retrieving the goods easily and efficiently.

Container warehouses need to be located close to ports, airports, or major railway hubs. These warehouses can be designed for efficient cross-docking and provision can be made for ample parking space for holding trucks even in case of demand surges. These warehouses are also equipped with stacking racks, crane systems, container frames, floor anchors, proper lighting, and robust security systems.

The Open-Air Warehouse

For large and heavy items that are difficult to move in and out of warehouse dock doors, open-air warehouses provide an efficient storage solution. Custom-designed racks for open yard storage can offer protection from atmospheric elements and play a key role in keeping the goods safe. Typically, the warehouse is an open area with space demarked and fenced in with walls with a high level of security to safeguard the assets.

Depending on the sensitivity of the goods and the extremities of the climate, storage can be covered or partially roofed. Goods are also protected by covering them in plastic wraps or tarps. These warehouses are commonly used to store vehicles, spare parts, machines, and raw materials for construction, metalworks, or timber sectors. The design of open-air warehouses focuses on shielding goods from harsher natural elements like direct sun or snow but may not address milder elements like humidity, wind, dust, and temperature fluctuations.

The Industrial Warehouse

This is the modern-day factory which may span across multiple halls and floors and can be tailored to integrate advanced technology and equipment. The industrial warehouse can be designed to have spacious loading and unloading areas; ample space for machinery, equipment, goods, and workplaces; high ceilings and large doors for the transporting of goods and large machines, even indoors; bright administrative and office areas; parking spaces for delivery and staff vehicles; pleasant social and relaxation areas for the workers; strong load-bearing floors; a reliable energy supply and ventilation; independent lighting systems for each work area and fire protection measures like fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.

These warehouses are especially popular for manufacturing companies, energy and utility companies and businesses in the food and beverage industry.

The Custom-Made Warehouse

When your business needs are too complex to be housed in a pre-made standard warehouse, you need a warehouse designed around your requirements. These are called built-to-suit warehouses. They provide a high degree of customisation and can be made to create the ideal environment needed for your operations and goods.

Need a cold storage with consistent temperature and humidity, immaculate hygiene and protected electrical circuits? It is possible. Need a chemical warehouse with good ventilation systems, fire containment measures and specialised storage? Also, possible. Retail warehouses with space for smart racking and processing machines, auto warehouses with complex assembly lines or heavy industry that need tall lifting equipment and sturdy densified floors, a custom-made warehouse lacks for nothing.

The Automated Warehouse

If you are a business that uses machines to do it all, then an automated warehouse is what you are looking at. These are computer-controlled environments with automated racking and shelving, conveyor and retrieval systems. While the investment cost is definitely high, the efficiency is unmatched. These warehouses are sought by large trading companies, global e-commerce giants, logistics parks in India and manufacturing behemoths.

At the end of the day, you know your business needs better than anybody. It is crucial thus, to find a warehouse developer who is proactive in understanding your functional requirements and who works with you to overcome any infrastructural challenges in a collaborative way. At Horizon Industrial Parks, our teams specialise in delivering custom-made warehouses as well as providing swift plug-and-play solutions that can get your operations running in no time. To learn about what our customers like about us, click here, and visit our website to connect with us for exploring collaboration opportunities.