Expansion is the most obvious sign that a business is successful. And in the process, your small business may need something bigger than the initial storage space you planned out. This is a good problem and a real indicator of business growth, and proper warehouse management matters are important.
There are pros and cons to whether to outsource or manage your own warehouse space. If this is your business challenge now, this article is for you.
Advantages of in-house storage
In-house storage simply means you’re responsible for your storage options. This can be an extra space in your home or garage or renting an entire warehouse.
Let’s weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of this option:
The pros
Control. You will have direct oversight of inventory levels, organization, and handling procedures for your stocks and products. This control provides you with a sense of security that your products are handled according to your specific standards and requirements.
You also have control over managing the place and anchoring it to the specific needs of your products and business.
Immediate access. It also goes to say that you have immediate and unlimited access to your products when you manage your storage. This may help reduce lead times in order processing.
Brand and service consistency. Without a third-party provider, you’re solely in charge of the customer experience from start to finish. From inventory, packaging, labeling, shipping, storing, etc, you’re directly in charge and responsible for your branding and consistency.
The cons
However, some disadvantages to consider are:
Operational costs. Managing your own storage space entails maintenance, utilities, and other labor costs. Which would, in turn, become more expensive and demanding for your business. These expenses will still stand even if you’re not yet fully utilizing your storage.
Overall responsibility. Storage and inventory management will be on top of the million things you’ll have to worry about as a business owner. This demands a substantial commitment of time and resources.
Limited flexibility. Most warehouses come with a contract for up to three to five years, and then you’ll negotiate your contract. This can also stunt your expansion or growth as it may mean more costs to do so.
Advantages of outsourcing warehouse storage solutions
Choosing to outsource means entrusting your warehousing and inventory to a third-party provider (3PL). It’s a matter of finding a trusted partner to take care of storage and inventory solutions for your business.
The pros
Cost savings. With shared facilities and resources that is mostly the case in third-party providers, you get to cut down on the costs associated with space and warehouse management.
More scalability. There is more flexibility when working with 3PLs. In terms of scaling up or down. They can easily adjust to fluctuating or growing demands for your products. And you won’t have to worry about additional manpower or other operational costs.
Guaranteed expertise. 3PLs are experts in warehousing and inventory management. They have the system, technology and manpower to keep things efficient and productive.
The cons (but not really!)
Control and visibility. Since you’re entrusting this side of the business to an entirely separate system and provider, you may have less access and visibility on your inventory. But this wouldn’t be a problem if your 3PL has an inventory system that gives you real-time visibility and tracking.
Third-party limitations. There may be some things that are not within the scope or control of the 3PL. So, choose a partner that truly provides end to end logistics services that can give you tailored solutions.
Finding the one. It’s important to choose your 3PL wisely. It will make a world of a difference to choose the perfect fit for your business, especially when it’s time to scale up.
The decision between in-house and outsourced warehouse storage hinges on factors like control, scalability, and resource allocation. While in-house storage offers control and customization, outsourcing provides cost-efficiency and scalability.
The different warehouse storage solutions
Warehouse storage solutions leverage a range of strategies, technologies and best practices aimed at making the process of storage, organization and movement of inventory smooth and efficient.
Some of these strategies include:
Racking systems
These are metal structures used to support the goods in a warehouse or industrial facility. These systems maximize storage spaces while making sure that items are stored properly and at par with customer standards.
Inventory management software
Automated systems and software are set in place to implement effective tracking of inventory, stock levels, movement, and optimize replenishment of products in storage.
Robotics
More advanced technologies are also used such as conveyor systems, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotic arms to improve efficiency and reduce labor costs.
Cross-docking
This is the practice of loading products directly onto outgoing trucks for shipment, thus reducing their time in the warehouse, and is also effective in maximizing time and minimizing handling costs.
Temperature-controlled storage
Warehouse storage solutions can also provide specialized storage environments for perishable or temperature-sensitive goods to maintain product quality, depending on what the product needs and their standards.
How Ninja Van can help with your business growth
Ninja Van provides warehousing and fulfillment solutions to growing and big enterprises. We maximize the efficiency of our fulfillment centers and warehouses, so we keep our costs low and deliver fixed-cost service to our shippers. You can expect tailored solutions that allow you to optimize your business for growth.
Get these benefits for your business when you partner with Ninja Fulfillment:
- Pay only for the space you use and orders you want us to process!
- 100% focus on your sales and marketing
- Let the system fetch marketplace orders AUTOMATICALLY
- Access to Live View of your inventory with real-time updates
- Same-day handover to courier
