● receiving goods from upstream suppliers
● identifying the goods, matching them to orders and finding their intended use
● unloading materials from delivery vehicles
● doing any necessary checks on quantity, quality and condition
● labelling materials (usually with bar codes) so they can be identified
● sorting goods as needed
● moving goods to bulk storage area
● holding them in stock until needed
● when necessary, moving materials from bulk storage to a smaller picking store
● picking materials from this store to meet orders
● moving the materials to a marshalling area
● assembling materials into orders
● packing and packaging as necessary
● loading delivery vehicles and dispatching the order
● controlling all communications and related systems, such as inventory control and
finance.