The Ideal Warehouse Location

There are many things to consider when you’re looking for an ideal warehouse. When it comes down to it, the location is the most vital. Where you place your goods will have a huge impact on price. According to Warehouse Tips, 20% of costs are tied up in transportation. This makes finding the best place for your goods a factor in your company’s financial success. Here we’ve outlined some tips for choosing a warehouse location.

Warehouse Accessibility For Transportation Of Goods

Before choosing a specific warehouse, you should pick a location. The location of your warehouse can make or break your distribution costs. Look for a location that is close to the type of transportation you will use to distribute your goods. It’s important to know what will be the most cost-effective way to transport your items before choosing a warehouse location. Your pre-decided transportation method will inform your warehouse location. Once you’ve decided how you will transport your product, you then can look for a location that is closest to a freeway, an airport, a railway, an ocean port, or a combination of them. Patrick O’Healy from Inbound Logistics explains that “perceptions about where to locate (your warehouse) are often incorrect.” It may be in your best interest to hire a consultant who knows your market and can advise you where to store your product.

Thinking of Your Customer Base and Suppliers

Tapping into your consumers logistics is also important when choosing a warehouse location. Where are your customers primarily located? You will want to be located where your product is sold. It doesn’t make sense to pick a location based on a low storage price but then have to pay double to transport your items across the country. Think of the stores that sell your product and stay as close as possible. If you are supplying to the entire nation, which location would be best for your company? If you’re supplying overseas, then you’ll need closer access to ports. It’s also important to think through your anticipated inbound items. Which companies will be delivering to your warehouse? Is there a location that would be a good location for them to deliver to?

Warehouse Employees Welfare

Often overlooked is the welfare of your employees who will be working predominantly in the warehouse facility. It’s important to ask questions regarding the location’s schools and overall community health. Is the warehouse facility safe for workers? Also, can workers get good cell phone service inside the building? If your employees won’t be using cellphones, are you able to use a radio system? Many companies forget that a lot of workers have to go on lunch breaks and some warehouse locations are far away from fast food options. All of these things make for happy employees and an overall good business.

Questions To Think of When Choosing A Warehouse Location

When picking a warehouse location, you should ask yourself if you would like it to be near your main offices. You should also check to see if the location of the warehouse is situated on high ground and that there is no chance of flooding. Warehouse Tips suggests looking into the cost of labor in the area if you decide to hire workers locally. Keeping growth in mind, you should also consider the cost of moving goods overseas if you plan on expanding your supply.
Overall, when you pick an ideal warehouse location your business will strive. Focusing on your transportation costs, thinking of your client base and suppliers, looking out for your employees and asking additional questions will lead you to the perfect place to store your goods. Once you’ve picked an ideal location, then you can begin deciding which specific warehouse meets your needs.

If you’re looking for a warehousing or 3PL provider in Chicago  Contact Edler Warehousing LLC today to request a free quote.