Guide
Preparing stock for warehousing
What to do before a container or delivery arrives at a 3PL, and the small things that slow receiving down more than anything else.
Stock arriving at a third-party warehouse should be labelled with a reference the owner also uses, accompanied by a packing list that matches what is physically on the vehicle, and packed so that individual items can be identified without unwrapping them. Most delays at receiving are caused by goods that cannot be matched to paperwork, not by the volume of the delivery itself.
Receiving is the part of warehousing that decides everything after it. A discrepancy found while the goods are still on the dock is a conversation with your supplier, and one that can be settled because everyone can still see where it happened.
Before it ships
Give every item a reference you will still recognise in three months, and make sure the same reference appears on the packing list and on the item. Send the packing list ahead rather than taping it to a carton nobody can reach.
Tell the warehouse what is coming and roughly when. A container that arrives unannounced gets received eventually; one that is expected gets received properly.
Packing that survives storage
Packaging designed for a single journey often does not survive months of being racked and moved. Corner protection, adequate wrapping and a way of identifying the item without opening it will save more than they cost.
Anything with a finished surface should be wrapped so it can be inspected without being unwrapped, or it will either be inspected badly or not at all.
What to ask for on arrival
A record of what was received against what was expected, and photographs of anything that arrived marked. This is the evidence that settles a claim later, and it only exists if somebody takes it on the day.
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