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or many hauliers, arehousing is a atural step to xpanding
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the usiness, but simply uilding a shed is no nger enough.
les Brigham' utlines the issues perators should onsider before aking the plunge.
very haulier complains about the price of diesel: almost all bemoan the scarcity of good drivers and not too many are happy with the rates on offer for the job. Those who have 'nally less to complain about are ually the ones who also offer wareusing. Take a look around you—operars driving the newest cars might also those who are offering to store, as ll as carry, their customers' goods.
As if you didn't know it already, there's ney in them there sheds—the quesn, inevitably, is how do you get your e of the cake?
materials
lie you could be forgiven for thinking t the warehousing bubble has already rst, all the evidence suggests the conry. It's worth recalling that every manement consultant in the country has ent the past decade telling manufacrs and suppliers to cut down on the materials stored on the premises , most importantly, in the accounts. s, alongside the birth of just-in-time liveries, warehouse consolidation/cenisation and internet retailing, have ated a demand for warehousing that ply didn't exist 20 years ago.
However, before you rush out and uire some land, it's worth knowing e of the pitfalls. Just as haulage has n transformed over the past 20 rs, so has warehousing; if anything, re dramatically.
Some of the systems used by the est logistics firms in their wareses are as sophisticated as you'll find ny industry MO Trans European, for mple, is currently paying some £3m to puter software company Alphameric Install a state-of-the-art warehouse nagement software system in 14 depots across the UK and Ireland.
The floors in some modern warehouses are constructed using lasers to make sure they are exactly flat, and some of the machinery they house is mind boggling in its complexity.
Good idea
Most hauliers get into warehousing because their customers ask them to, and if you are to follow their lead you will need to have a pretty good idea
who your customers will be and prepare a business plan setting out how you will manage and finance the operation (see Fleet Focus CM 13-19 Dec 2000). This, according to warehousing expert Jeff Ashcroft, should also include a detailed strategic review outlining how it will work.
He has worked in warehousing and logistics for a variety of companies in different countries and says that many firms make the mistake of thinking that as long as it's big enough, "everything will sort itself out".
Ashcroft says the key facts to c sider when thinking about taking o building are its height and shape. height will determine the racking other equipment you will nee higher than 9.3m and the cost of equipment rises significantly.
It you operate in an area where Ian cheaper, it may be more economica work at less than that height. If load t portant, then you wi I want a comwarehouse where the goods travel er distances to loading bays. Even y in which you place the racking huge impact on the efficiency of the house, he warns.
olumn spacing is another critical r in the selection or design of a house as it has a direct impact on type and configuration of the storracking you will need. Floor thick sometimes neglected aspect of building design and selection.
Specifically, the thickness of the concrete floor of a warehouse and its foundations determines its load-bearing capacity which, of course has a direct impact on the weight of product and racking which can be stored on top of it.
This is an item which is usually designed into purpose-built warehouses, but if you are buying or leasing an existing before signing on the dotted line.
Temperature-controlled facilities ('wet " warehouses) require draining floors, and those housing very high racking must incorporate a "super flat" floor which requires lasers to be used during its installation.
Top level
A floor which is out of true, even by a few millimetres, can cause equipment to hit over when loaded. Assuming you can satisfy these requirements, and can sort out the finance, you will still have to satisfy the planning regulations.
New buildings or conversions need planning permission; a key factor in the application may be whether the vehicle movements in and out of the facility will be tolerated by your neighbours.
Local residents have held up some pretty big warehousing developments around the country over the past few years, and overcoming local opposition is a time-consuming and expensive process. If you're also going to base your haulage company on the site you will need the approval of the local Traffic Area Office.
Even if you use your existing operattn centre, changes to vehicle movements for example more night-time deliverie that are vital to the warehousing—ma attract local opposition. A warehous running 24 hours a day is useless if yo can't operate lorries after 2200hrs.
Obvious factor
Security is an obvious factor in managin any warehouse, particularly if you plan t store high-value goods. Other factors t consider include the computer syste you may require to track the goods. If yo plan to store property belonging to mor than one customer, the whole operatio will require something more sophist cated and expensive.
Finally, you should have a fall-bac position. What will you do if the custome whose goods you store goes bust an withdraws from the contract? Th demand for warehousing is such that i should not be difficult to find alternativ products to store—if your racking an other design parameters allow you t change over without huge expense.
CONTACTS
-autive's informatio 08701 545500; websIte,
www.hse.gov.uk.