Organizing a warehousing solution for your business is not the easiest thing in the world. You are going to account for numerous factors, such as location, security, capacity, etc. when choosing your warehouse. Each factor needs to be considered both separately and how it interacts with others. But one thing’s certain, you will need to talk to many moving companies in Saudi Arabia before you settle on the perfect warehouse for your business. However, before talking to them, you need to understand what is it that you need and what can you live without. Therefore, you need to carefully consider all the factors. In this article, we are going to arm you with the relevant knowledge in order to make your warehouse selection process a lot easier.
Top 6 factors to consider when choosing your warehouse
Here are the main factors that pertain to your warehouse solution:
- Warehouse location
- Accessibility
- Security
- Experience
- Storage capacity
- Technology
1. Warehouse location
The most important factor is the location of your warehouse. This is something that you need to spend most of your time considering. Compile a list of your suppliers and clients first, then figure out what is the most convenient location for everyone. Additionally, you will need to consider several other factors such as traffic in the area and neighboring businesses. Try to focus on one area at a time, though. It is a lot easier to find a suitable warehouse for rent in Jeddah if you are concentrating all of your efforts on that location. Start by figuring out your prime area and your ideal locations and go from there.
2. Accessibility
Your warehouse can be in the best location possible but if you or your partners can’t access it easily, it is all for naught. Your ideal storage space needs to be easily accessible by as many vehicles as possible. Even if you think that only cars need to access it, you never know when your business might expand. It is a lot easier to have a good warehouse from the get-go than it is to change it in the middle of your operations. In fact, cargo transportation does not really go well with changes. You want consistency and that only comes from experience. Having an accessible warehouse solution will simply make everything easier. There will be fewer issues, fewer frustrations, all of which can hamper your business quite significantly.
3. One of the factors to consider when choosing your warehouse – Security
This is a factor that you simply can’t underestimate. Warehouse security is a big deal and you want to have a combination of electronic and live security if you can manage it. While your business might be insured, theft is something that can put a stop to your business activities, real fast. Therefore, never go for a solution that does not have adequate security. Also, always check the security measures yourself. Try to think of a way how you can infiltrate the warehouse and make sure that all that you think about will be foiled by the security system. Of course, no fortress is impregnable but you want it to be as tough to crack as they come.
4. Experience
If you are using the services from a storage provider, and not only their facilities, this is perhaps one of the most influencing factors. The experience that the crew on-site has will influence just about everything that goes on in the warehouse. Not only that but with experience comes expertise, which can enhance your business operations greatly. Especially if you are counting on the warehouse workers to do your packing and crating for you. Basically, the more you rely on them to provide you with services, the more experience you will want them to have. Of course, if you are only renting the facility, without any services, this becomes a lesser factor. But even then, dealing with an experienced warehouse provider is going to make a lot of difference.
5. Storage capacity
When it comes to storage solutions, bigger does not necessarily mean better. By having a larger warehouse, you may need to spend the extra effort that you might not need to in a smaller place. The important things to consider here are the requirements of your business and the possible growth. Always go for a slightly larger solution than you think that you need but never go wildly overboard. Larger warehouses cost more to rent and maintain, after all, and you might want to invest that money into growing your operation. If you end up needing a much larger warehouse, you can always rent another one down the line. The important thing is to optimize your operational costs at all times.
6. The factor to consider when choosing your warehouse – Technology
Finally, you will need to consider the technology level of your warehousing solution. Do you need a real-time, up-to-date, inventory management system? Perhaps you need a conveyor belt or two present in your warehouse. Will your systems integrate with those present at the warehouse? Or maybe you want to have maximum efficiency and employ robotics? You need to ask questions like these when choosing your warehouse before selecting the best solution for your purposes. Warehouse technology has advanced rapidly over the years and there are plenty of them on the market. It all depends on what your business needs.
You can save a lot of money on equipment if you choose a warehouse that already has what you require. One good example of this is a cold-chain warehousing solution. Instead of purchasing numerous freezers, you can simply rent a storage unit that comes with them! Or if you deal with sensitive materials, you are going to need top of the line equipment for maximum efficiency, which can cost way more than you can afford to purchase. But renting a warehouse that has such equipment might just be within your price range. In fact, utilizing such solutions might bring you a hefty profit. It literally pays off to choose well!
