Main purpose and types of warehouses

The existing production and trading process could not do without such an important object as a warehouse. In logistics, the organization of his work is one of the conditions for the correct organization of the movement of material and technical supplies, products from the producer to the consumer.

Kinds of warehouses which function in modern conditions, allow similar premises to correspond to the most different requirements of participants of industrial and trade relations. Depending on the type to which the warehouse belongs, it performs certain functions.

To be able to correctly plan the movement of goods from the enterprise to the buyer, the logisticians must take into account the features of the presented premises. They create different conditions for the storage of goods and supplies. Therefore, the peculiarities of each type of warehouse should be understood and taken into account in each logist's work.

Main purpose

Before considering the main types of warehouses, one should understand the essence of this structural unit. Storage rooms perform a number of functions. A warehouse is a building, site or complex of structures that are used to store various commodity values. In such rooms, a certain amount of material stocks and finished products are accumulated. This allows you to flexibly respond to fluctuations in demand and supply in the commodity market. At the same time it becomes possible to synchronize the speed of movement of material values in the technological cycles of producers and the processes of delivery and sale of finished products.

All the main types of warehouses are limited to a certain territory, which is protected by the relevant organizations. Inside the premises, appropriate storage conditions are created.

In addition to warehousing of commodity values, the presented structural units allow to process the products delivered here to preserve its quality. The personnel serving the warehouse, aligns incoming goods by volume, time and range.

Structure

Types of warehouses, constructions of premises and buildings are characterized by a certain structure. It can include several basic elements. First of all, this includes buildings for storage, as well as the surrounding area.

Each warehouse has shipping and loading systems. They include special equipment, areas for receiving or sending goods, ramps. Most of these facilities have internal transport. This category includes various warehouse equipment, the types of which depend on its features. It can be trolleys, loaders, escalators, elevators, etc.

The structural elements of the warehouse also include the processing of goods. For example, these are packaging lines, packaging, barcode printing, and sorting and ordering. In order to be able to store goods, the storage room requires the use of racks, containers, refrigeration equipment and other special systems to maintain the required quality of inventories. Any warehouse also has an accounting system. It can be computerized and manual. The first option in modern conditions is much more common.

Principles of classification

Modern storage facilities are one of the most important nodes in logistics. There are different types. Types of warehouses are distinguished according to different characteristics.

The size of the storage room can be from small objects to buildings that occupy huge areas. On the height of the stacking of goods, single-storey and multi-storey buildings are singled out, in which the equipment can lift the load onto a rack with a height of up to 24 m.

By design, the warehouse can be open, semi-closed (has only a roof) and closed. By storage parameters, there are ordinary and special objects in which certain conditions are created (humidity, temperature, lighting).

The mechanization of such nodes can be different. There are warehouses where only manual labor of workers is used. Most often, storage rooms are partially or completely mechanized.

If different ways of communication are adjacent to the warehouse, this object is called the port, prirular, deep. On the basis of the assortment distinguish specialized, mixed and universal objects.

Types of jobs

Each object of the represented type performs three basic operations. Types of work in the warehouse are designed to serve the input, internal and output flow of material values. At the first stage, personnel and equipment unload transport, as well as assess the quality and quantity of goods.

Internal flows are serviced for the purpose of adequate movement of goods in the warehouse. Material stocks are sorted, packed, stored under appropriate conditions, etc.

The work of a warehouse with output flows is reduced to loading goods for transport. In this connection, the zones of loading, acceptance, storage, sorting, forwarding, as well as offices of service personnel, administration are allocated.

Classification of warehouses in the Russian Federation

In our country a special classification is applied, allowing to divide the presented objects into main types. Appointments of warehouses, their characteristics allow us to distinguish several main groups.

Currently, the RMS system is most often used, which was developed by the association of domestic companies. This approach is very similar to the world principle of classification of warehouses. However, the "RMS" system takes into account the requirements of buyers and tenants to this type of real estate. At the same time, the main issues are taken into account, which are primarily focused on the organization of the central regions of our country.

All objects intended for cargo storage are divided into 4 groups. They are denoted in Latin letters. When referring a warehouse to a particular category, its design, location, basic functions and features of the operation of the facility are taken into account. Its transport communication with other important for the organization objects, logistical areas is also estimated.

The scale of the room, the types of storage in the warehouses of products, the assortment necessarily take into account. When choosing such non-negotiable assets, it is necessary to accurately calculate the company's needs for the rational use of premises for the storage of commodity values.

Class A warehouse

Class A includes such types of warehouses in the enterprise or trade organization that were built in accordance with high modern construction standards and requirements. This is a single-story structure, whose height is more than 8 m. This allows you to install inside the standard multi-storey racks.

The floor in the room must not have defects. It is perfectly flat and has an anti-friction coating. Inside the Class A warehouse, a clear temperature regime is maintained. The equipment for creating heat curtains is installed on the gates.

A modern fire safety system with fire extinguishing functions of powder or sprinkler type is mandatory. Also, new security and video surveillance systems are installed at similar facilities. There are computer-based communications of the fiber-optic type. This allows you to maximize the viewing of the internal and external space with no "blind zones", where video equipment is not available.

Gates, receiving and dispatching areas of goods in a Class A warehouse have automated systems for opening doors, lifting a ramp.

Access to such facilities should be convenient. Most often they are located next to the main transport routes. This type of warehouse premises is more often preferred by commercial enterprises that sell products both in bulk and retail.

Class B

There are rooms with slightly simplified characteristics, however, not inferior to the convenience of the previous category. Class B includes these types. The size of the warehouse of this category can be impressive. However, this multi-storey building, which allows you to occupy a smaller area, compared with class A buildings.

The height of ceilings of similar objects is in the range of 4.5-8 m. The floors are level, filled with asphalt or concrete. They do not have antifriction coating. The temperature in the room in winter does not fall below +10 ° C.

The shipping zone has a ramp, there is a security and fire safety system. Offices are combined with warehouses. They use modern communication systems, telecommunications.

The access to such warehouses may not be so convenient, but the building is located near the production or the city.

Class C and D warehouse

Considering types of warehouses, it is necessary to note such classes as C and D. For many enterprises this is the most acceptable option. Warehouse Class C is a heated room with a ceiling height of 3.5 to 18 m. The temperature is kept at a level of +8 to +14 ºС in winter.

Transport goes inside for unloading and loading, for which the gate is always kept in the zero position. The flooring can be concrete, asphalted or tile.

Class D is characterized by the least requirements. This can be an unheated basement room, a bunker or a hangar. Objects of civil defense also fall into this category.

Depending on the category of premises , the cost of buying or renting is determined. Therefore, the company must take into account its needs. If additional convenience is not required, you can give preference to a low-class warehouse. But in most cases, without the operation of an object of class A or B simply can not do. The costs of its maintenance and rental pay off as a result of the activities of the organization.

Public Warehouse

Considering the types of warehouses, it should be noted that there are public facilities and own premises of the enterprise. In the first case, the organization rents a room or part of it for the needs of its production.

This is necessary in the case of a small turnover or the sale of seasonal goods. Companies are more profitable to pay for services to the owner of a public warehouse than to maintain their own facility. The need for warehouses in such enterprises is less.

The small size and proximity of the presented property to the consumer make it profitable in some cases. For example, when a company enters a new market, where forecasting is complicated by a number of factors, a general store reduces the company's financial risks. It does not need to attract additional investment.

The company will not need to hire qualified personnel serving the facility, as well as carry out inventory management. Many large enterprises use the services of a public warehouse. This allows you to store products as close to the consumer as possible, to reduce transportation costs.

Own warehouse

However not in all cases of the organization it is expedient to rent a premise. Sometimes it is more correct to buy your own property. This is necessary if the turnover is characterized by large volumes. More often such objects are in immediate proximity from manufacture.

Also, many types of warehouses use this system. If the realization is characterized by high volumes and concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the buyer, it is more profitable to maintain your own warehouse. The organization arranges it properly.

Most often this is a real estate class "A" or "B". Here the accounting and management of commodity stocks by the trading company is carried out. She hires qualified specialists, organizes the process of trade (wholesale, retail), and also establishes the value of material values that are offered to the consumer.

Large industrial enterprises also have their own warehouses. They store stocks, semi-finished products and finished products. If the turnover of such a company is characterized by large volumes, it is more expedient to maintain its own warehouse than to rent such premises.

Having examined the existing types of warehouses, we can conclude that when choosing such an object, one should take into account their features. This will allow the company to effectively organize the storage and transfer of inventory. Minimum costs for maintenance and maintenance of storage areas will allow to optimize working capital, increase the financial result. To the process of organizing such objects are taken very seriously, producing a number of mathematical calculations and studies.