Owning a warehouse surely has its share of advantages. However, startups and small business owners often find it hard to keep up with the soaring market costs and therefore owning an entire facility can eventually sabotage their growth. In addition to that, purchasing or even availing a facility comes with its own set of obligations— which often overshadows the benefits.
The best answer to ownership is a Contract Warehouse. Companies must eventually realize that ownership restricts them to a predefined area. Be it the cold facilities or an operational area involving dry products, everything about a commercially owned warehouse is trickier than usual. Owned facilities often push companies to their limits, especially when it comes to maintaining stocks at the peak. This is where contract warehouses come to the fore as they allow companies to breathe easily, even when there is a gap between demand and supply or vice versa.
Apart from that, businesses usually have a lot of warehousing options at their disposal, depending upon the size and scale of operations. While some organizations prefer maintain their own spaces, there are certain firm which prefer leased facilities. However, nothing beats the effectiveness of a contract warehouse as it is definitely synonymous to lower costs, guaranteed reliability and lower investments.
Defining a Contract Warehouse
Unlike regular facilities, contract warehouses are easier to work with. They can seamlessly handle the storage and shipping whereabouts of an organization, precisely on a contract basis. However, companies taking the services of a contract warehouse must commit to a periodical timeframe. The tenure, however, depends on the company and concerned service provider. Transactional fee can also be a determinant as contract warehouses usually function under cost-plus or fixed cost revenue models.
Associated Benefits
- Lower Capital Investments and Overhead Costs
When it comes to purchasing a space and converting the same into a storage facility, massive costs are involved. Structuring a warehouse according to the requirements of an organization also attracts additional costs. Be it renovating the entire building or purchasing equipment for beefing up the storage space— owning a warehouse can come with a lot of headaches. However, contract facilities usually have predefined zones for product storage. This eliminates the infrastructural costs and therefore excessive capital investments. Apart from that, sections for cold storage, controlled storage and even general storage are already carved out when it comes to a contract warehouse. There are instances when staffing requirements for the entire facility is also handled by the logistics company— as a part of the contract. This in turn, further reduces the incidental expenses related to staff handling and overall maintenance.
- Minimal Hassles
Contract warehouses function in a remarkable and hassle-free manner. Companies hiring similar services are contract bound which in turn protects the same from additional and unexpected expenses. There is a definite lock-in period to look after and this actually safeguards the concerned organization from hassles. Logistics companies associated with these warehouses specify even the minutest of details, including monthly costs, possible changes to the existing prices and even provisions for extending the period of contract. Owned warehouses, on the other hand, are completely controlled by the concerned enterprises. Therefore, it is possible to miss out on several factors— which isn’t the case with a third-party service provider at the helm.
- Improved Reliability
Logistics Companies offering contract warehouses also take care of distribution and packaging. With these useful services covered, organizations need not worry about increasing customer demands. The existing service provider eventually takes care of the goods and other aspects of a storage facility. This approach allows an enterprise to establish long-term ties with the partners and clients, regardless of the timeframe. When it comes to the reliability quotient, nothing beats a contract warehouse. The best part about hiring contractual services is that the company offering the same also helps envision and ascertain the design improvements.
Bottom-Line
While it’s great to depend on a logistics company for your warehousing requirements, it is the selection that eventually matters in the long run. It is understandable that every service provider wouldn’t offer the same catalogue and set of features and it is equally important to assess the professional requirements of your firm, beforehand. Regardless of the size and stature of a company, it is the right warehouse that makes all the difference when it comes to aspects of storage and distribution. A contract warehouse, therefore, simplifies proceedings for the entrepreneurs— depending upon the service period.
