Factory warehouse: Interfaces production with wholesalers
small number of large orders daily
advance info about order composition
=> focus on cost and order accuracy
(responsiveness depends heavily on production schedules)
Retail Distribution warehouse: Serves a number of captive retail units
advance info about order composition
carton and item picking from a forward area
more orders per shift than consolidation/shipping lanes
=> focus on cost, accuracy and fill rate
(responsiveness depends heavily on truck routing schedules)
Remark: If the retail units are not captive, then responsiveness becomes a crucial issue!
Catalog Retailer: A warehouse filling orders from catalog sales
a large number of small (frequently single-line) orders
item and, sometimes, carton picking
daily composition of orders usually unknown
only statistical information available
=> focus on cost and response time
Support of Manufacturing operations: A stock room providing raw material and/or work-in-process to manufacturing operations
many small orders
only statistical information available about order composition
stringent time requirements (e.g., response in 30 min)
=> focus on response time but also accuracy and cost