Types Of Warehouses

At the core of any efficient supply chain is a well-planned warehouse structure and storage plan. But what exactly is a warehouse?

A warehouse is a planned space to store and handle commodities of a business in a systemized fashion. A business cannot function hand-to-mouth; it needs preemption and projection of supply vs. demand ratio, an inventory of raw materials to go likewise and a bank of finished goods to curb market insurgencies, says a manager at Indospace, one of the best warehouses in India. Thus, a warehouse plays a focal role in its smooth functioning. They can vary in their type, role and characteristics.

Global Warehouse

It’s a new concept found with international trade reaching all-time high. Brands seeking to position themselves oversees acquire global warehouses at strategic locations to preposition products for emergency supply and meeting timelines. These are usually permanent units run by dedicated staff under 24x7 supervision. Most businesses even implement computer based remote monitoring and management systems to centralize everything and leave the final control with the mainstream to help implement strategic plans across outlets.

Field Warehouse

They are usually temporary arrangements to manage inventory for an urgent need. Usually stationed in a building or even temporary shackles that may or may not be designed for warehouse purposes. The workforce is usually made of untrained and casual workers who may not have worked in warehouse conditions and the inventory system is also paper based. These are cheap to run but not very efficient. In case of an emergency need, try to implement as much systematic approach as you can so that the system remains transparent and efficient.

Types of Warehouse

Commercial- Rented storage space that often comes along with a panoply of services and amenities clubbed. Best warehouses in India also offer compete supply chain management services as well.


State Owned- Government godowns and warehouses are sublet to industries and are used by public sector units as well. A fixed amount is paid to the gov. which is comparably low but security and other such services are the company’s responsibility.