Warehousing and Logistics in Trade Show Shipping

Thursday, July 14th, 2011 at 7:37 pm

Warehousing is an indispensable part of trade show shipping. Your logistics company must have a storage facility to keep your exhibits safe and secure when not in use. Whenever you choose a shipping company, do not forget to ask about the storage facilities they have. You may prefer to hire a company which has warehouses near the trade show location. If you are a frequent exhibitor, it is always good to know about warehousing and its relation to logistics.

What is Warehousing and How it Correlates to Trade Show Shipping

The term warehousing is used to define the process of storing exhibits and other materials in large spaces. These storage spaces are not only used for keeping your trade show exhibits, but also for many other storage purposes. Most of the warehouses contain different types of products from different businesses. The maintenance of such warehouses is an immense task, and this is what logistic providers do. They always keep an inventory of the products inside the warehouse including the time of shipping and receiving.

Different Types of Warehousing

Although warehousing looks very simple, it consists of a multitude of minor tasks. In order to make the functioning of a storage facility simple, they are divided into 2 functional areas – warehouse control systems (WCS) and warehouse management systems (WMS). Both these systems are used in trade show shipping to ensure timely delivery of your exhibits from the warehouses to the right location.

Warehouse Control Systems (WCS)

This system is used to control the receiving and shipping of exhibits from and to the warehouse. It is a software application that helps with the storing of your trade show exhibits. With this system in place, any problem with your trade show shipping is sorted out immediately. This system has many sub-systems, which are involved in the allocation of work to maintain the proper balance. It also helps the controllers and other workers by giving proper directions when needed. This will in turn help the logistics providers involved in trade show shipping to carry out orders and routing requirements in an effective manner. This application also collects data which can be used to analyze the functioning of the entire warehousing system. If there are any faults, the logistics specialists can solve it easily.

Warehouse Management System (WMS)

A well-coordinated warehouse management system is essential for the proper handling of your trade show shipping needs. This system is involved in the receiving, pickup and shipping of your exhibits. It uses many modern technologies such as wireless LANs, barcode scanners, and mobile computers to monitor and control the entire process of warehousing. When your exhibits reach the warehouse, the information about the next delivery is sent to the database. This will ensure timely delivery to the trade show location. Small warehouses have a simple system of management, while large warehouses need an ERP system to handle the movement and storage of exhibits. The warehouse management system is one of the main parts of logistics and trade show shipping. Without proper warehousing systems, you will not be able to participate in trade shows. It indirectly affects the growth and popularity of your business.

Tagged with: logistics • Trade Show Shipping • warehousing