Warehouse

The archaeologist Colin Renfrew argued that gathering and storing agricultural surpluses in Bronze Age Minoan 'palaces' was a critical ingredient in the formation of proto-state power.

[5] The need for warehouses developed in societies in which trade reached a critical mass requiring storage at some point in the exchange process.

But as attested by legislation concerning the levy of duties, some medieval merchants across Europe commonly kept goods in their large household storerooms, often on the ground floor or cellars.

The warehouses of the trading port Bryggen in Bergen, Norway (now a World Heritage Site), demonstrate characteristic European gabled timber forms dating from the late Middle Ages, though what remains today was largely rebuilt in the same traditional style following great fires in 1702 and 1955.

The mass production of goods launched by the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries fuelled the development of larger and more specialised warehouses, usually located close to transport hubs on canals, at railways and portside.

Before and into the nineteenth century, the basic European warehouse was built of load-bearing masonry walls or heavy-framed timber with a suitable external cladding.

Technological innovations of the early 19th century changed the shape of warehouses and the work performed inside them: cast iron columns and later, moulded steel posts; saw-tooth roofs; and steam power.

Strong, slender cast iron columns began to replace masonry piers or timber posts to carry levels above the ground floor.

It transformed the shape of the warehouse, from the traditional peaked hip or gable to an essentially flat roof form that was often hidden behind a parapet.

Inside the top floor, the vertical glazed pane of each saw-tooth enabled natural lighting over displayed goods, improving buyer inspection.

Hoists and cranes driven by steam power expanded the capacity of manual labour to lift and move heavy goods.

They were highly effective to power cranes and lifts, whose application in warehouses served taller buildings and enabled new labour efficiencies.

It not only reshaped transport methods but enabled many applications as a compact, portable power plant, wherever small engines were needed.

Forklifts transformed the possibilities of multi-level pallet racking of goods in taller, single-level steel-framed buildings for higher storage density.

Always a building of function, in the late 20th century warehouses began to adapt to standardization, mechanization, technological innovation, and changes in supply chain methods.

It should be in close proximity to a growing area as well as a market,[citation needed] be easily accessible for heavy vehicles, and have an uninterrupted power supply.

There, they provide services including order sorting, multi-channel delivery, and subsequent transportation for multiple exporting e-commerce companies.

Sellers send bulk products from their home country to an overseas warehouse where the staff undertakes inventory and shelving.

In instances of issues with sellers' accounts or incorrect labels, goods need to be returned to the overseas warehouse for correction and re-sale.

This project started operation since February 2002 and resulted in attracting additional traffic to the Railways, improvement in customer service and an increase in the volumes of cargo handled by CWC.

The success of this project led CWC to consider developing Railside Warehousing Complexes at other centers also throughout near identified Rail Terminals.

As a place for storage, the warehouse has to be secure, convenient, and as spacious as possible, according to the owner's resources, the site and contemporary building technology.

Before mechanised technology developed, warehouse functions relied on human labor, using mechanical lifting aids like pulley systems.

Breaking it down, warehouse operations covers a number of important areas, from the receiving, organization, fulfillment, and distribution processes.

Warehouse operation can fail when workers move goods without work orders, or when a storage position is left unregistered in the system.

To help speed up the receiving of goods, Radio-frequency identification (RFID) portals have been installed at the doors of the warehouses for instant verification of product information like the SKUs and their quantities.

[44] Modern warehouses commonly use a system of wide aisle pallet racking to store goods which can be loaded and unloaded using forklift trucks.

[citation needed] There are several non-profit organizations which are focused on imparting knowledge, education and research in the field of warehouse management and its role in the supply chain industry.

The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC)[45] and International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA)[46] in Illinois, United States.

Creating a safe working environment begins with a safety plan that covers all parts of the warehouse and applies to all employees.