As a major port city, an industrial and manufacturing hub as well as being home to any national companies, Houston is a city with a very large commercial presence. For companies headquartered in the area, for local businesses and offices or for startup companies, finding warehouse solutions can be a challenge.
One solution to this problem is to use a third-party solution for warehousing. Some of these facilities are operated as true 3PL or Third-Party Logistics services with companies able to choose from a range of different features and options to customize to their ordering, inventory management, and even delivery needs.
Getting Started
As it can be overwhelming to compare all the different options in warehousing in the city, start by making a list of the services that you need. For a business that only requires simple receiving, storage and routine shipments to one or a few locations in the immediate area, a very simplified service is all that is required.
On the other hand, if the warehousing facility needs to integrate your bar coding and tagging technology to allow for real-time inventory management, it will be critical to find a warehouse solution that offers this option. You may also need the warehouse to provide assembly on-site and before delivery or perhaps kitting needs to be considered.
Other companies may need regular opportunities to count and check inventory. Not all services allow access to their storage areas, so this will be something to check. Finally, it is important to know if the warehouse has the capacity to rapidly scale up any of the services and the storage you require.
There is limited benefit to going through the effort to find a company in Houston offering warehouse and distribution services if they can only accommodate your current receiving and distribution requirements. Taking the time to ensure your business can grow and not be restrained by space and capacity is always a critical consideration.
