When one hears of warehouse, they normally think of cold, dusty, dark building filled with racks, boxes and crates. However, in reality modern warehousing Ontario is a spic and span place with good light and that keeps the economy moving.
Here are different types of warehousing facilities in Ontario
1. Distribution center: Many people confuse warehouse with a distribution centre. Warehouse holds the items for longer time period whereas distribution center holds goods for short time period and has a much higher velocity of products coming in and going out. Distribution centers are customer-oriented and are located near end user so they receive the products quickly and without any damage. The distribution center of Ontario also offer value added services like pick and pack service, cross docking and more and feature the cutting-edge technology to initiate the process.
2. Pick, pack and ship warehouse: In this warehouse the pick, pack and ship process happens after the receipt of an order either from online store or from a physical store. The warehouse receives the pick list of the products and the workforce or the automated system finds the products within the warehouse. The products are then packed for shipping and are labeled before shipping them to the customers.
3. Smart warehouse: In the digital-age, smart warehouses are common in Ontario. The smart warehouse uses the cutting-edge automation system and interconnected technologies to receive the products. The automated system performs all the warehouse work including putting the products away, pick them for orders, ship them and keep an accurate inventory count. Smart warehouse use the technology to boost production, minimize errors and also reduce the numbers of humans required to run the warehouse facility.
4. Cold storage: Cold storage facility stores temperature sensitive items at low temperature. Cold storage warehouse allows medicines, perishable foods, cosmetics, plants, artwork and candles to have longer life. They use refrigerated shipping and inbound and outbound shipping.
5. On-demand storage: On-demand storage is a growing trend in Warehousing Ontario. These warehouses connect businesses with a need for warehouse space (seasonal, temporary or to handle the increase in sales) with the warehouses that has extra space facility.
6. Bonded warehouse: They are also called customs warehouses. A bonded warehouse is a building in which imported goods are stored, manipulated or undergo manufacturing operations without the payment of duty for five years from the date of acceptance. The duty on the imported goods can be very high and so the bonded warehouse allows those products to be sold first and then the duty is paid from sales proceeds.
Wrap up
There are many different types of warehouses in Ontario, performing varied functions. The dedicated service providers offer full-service warehouse management, inventory and order fulfillment services that help businesses run more effectively.