Things You Should Know About Warehouse Agreements

If you are looking for a warehouse to store or distribute your manufactured goods, there are lot of factors that you need to contemplate. Almost all businesses in U.S. have started to outsource their warehousing needs to make sure that the products are stored safely. With the increasing demand of warehouse facilities, finding the one that adequately accommodates your needs can be quite a challenge.
 

Listed below are some of the things you should take into account while signing a warehouse agreement:

• Storage Period And Charges: The duration for which you need to store the goods should be clearly mentioned in the warehouse agreement. You may be charged according to the space occupied in the warehouse or the number of packages. All these details should be discussed beforehand with the warehouse management and stay in effect throughout the lease duration.
• Usable Space: Depending upon the type of goods you want to store, you may want to lease a specific amount of space within the warehouse. Make sure the exact square footage area is included in the agreement. Many business owners make the mistake of calculating this space by considering the total area of the exterior of the facility. Instead, you should take into account only the space used inside the warehouse.
• Floor Load Limitations: If your require storage of bulky goods or heavy machinery, make sure you clarify with the staff if there are any floor load limitations. The warehouse agreement should clearly state the approximate weight that can be handled by the foundation without causing any sort of damage.
• Handling: This clause in the agreement should mention the charges related to other services provided by the warehouse staff. These may include unloading goods in the warehouse, storing and packaging them for further transportation, inventory management and reporting, product labeling etc. Though most of these costs are included in the overall monthly warehouse charges, you may need to pay an additional fee for certain services such as handling and storing goods after the normal business hours, providing packaging materials, compiling stock statements etc.
• Safety Of Goods: The warehouse agreement should also have a clear mention of the measures to be followed to ensure safety of your stored goods. For instance, if you need to store hazardous chemicals, the warehouse must be fully equipped with fire extinguishers and offer fireproof packaging material for goods. Check for all these details before you sign the agreement. 

No matter you choose a public, private or contract warehouse, make sure you read the agreement carefully to avoid any sort of hassles in the long run.

Choosing A Food-Grade Warehouse

The storage and warehousing of perishable food items call for attention towards several minute details such as temperature, hygiene, pest control etc. It is important that the finished products and raw material should be kept in a controlled environment so that their quality can be retained for a longer period of time. However, with a wide range of options available, it can be difficult to find a facility that best matches your specific set of requirements.

 

Given below are some factors that need to be considered while choosing a food grade warehouse:

• Type Of Products: You must determine your needs to evaluate the type of warehouse that you need. Get an estimate of the space you will require in the warehouse, the duration for which the goods will be stored before being shipped and if you need to expand the storage space during certain months. You can choose from the different types of food grade warehouses- dry storage warehouses, cold or frozen storage warehouses, chilled or refrigerated storage warehouses, depending upon the items you intend to store.
• Level Of Cleanliness: The warehouse facility you choose should be absolutely clean and hygienic. The management and staff should follow the best sanitation practices to maintain a germ free environment as well as avoid any sort of health hazards. There should be adequate measures to prevent bacterial or fungal growth and infestation of rats, ants, roaches as well as other pests. Cleanliness is an important factor to keep the food in a palatable condition.
• Condition Of The Building: Besides the internal condition, it is equally important to inspect the exterior warehouse building. It should be well-maintained and comply with the building regulations of the area. The doors and windows should not have any cracks and the surroundings should be hygienic. Also, there should be sufficient equipment to deal with unforeseen circumstances such as fire breakout.
• Focus On Experience: Food grade storage requires the staff to possess a certain level of expertise and knowledge. Therefore, you must make sure that the warehouse you are choosing has prior experience in storing the specific type of food items. The staff should be able to control the temperature and humidity levels to maintain the shelf life of the goods. Not just inside the warehouse, the same quality standards should be followed during transportation of the food items to avoid any damage. 

The warehouse service provider should be licensed and registered with the concerned authority. The staff should be efficient in using advanced technology to track inventory, manage the lot and maintain an efficient supply chain.