A raw material warehouse is a facility that stores components or materials that will subsequently be used on production lines to manufacture products. These types of centres house unprocessed goods, i.e., those that haven’t undergone a production process. Besides storing raw material, these facilities are charged with ensuring the smooth supply of goods to the production lines.
Raw material warehouses are usually located near the manufacturing area to speed up the movement of products. In supply-chain procurement, syncing logistics facilities with production centres is essential for efficient operations.
Raw material storage calls for maximum inventory control: determining the amount of stock necessary and making sure that materials are received regularly are decisive factors for supplying the production lines nonstop.
Product traceability — a basic requirement in any logistics facility — is especially critical in a raw material warehouse. The logistics manager must know the exact location of all the goods to guarantee quality standards in the production process.
In these facilities, raw materials are deposited into different types of unit loads, mainly boxes, containers, or pallets. When planning the design of the centre and the storage systems, it’s important to take into account variables like the type of goods to be housed, the company’s manufacturing needs and product demand. The warehouse layout design is crucial for supplying production. This is because properly distributing the space facilitates storage and the movement of goods to the manufacturing lines.
