This is the third edition of a book first published in 1983. It con­ tains two new chapters. One of these deals with the growing use of "just-in-time" techniques and their effect on warehousing. A second new chapter covers specialized warehousing and three types of special storage - temperature control, protection of hazardous materials and "fulfillment" warehousing. Major changes in both materials handling and information processing and transmitting have caused appropriate changes in the contents of this book. For over two decades, the author has been involved in writing about the warehousing industry. Earlier writings were oriented to­ ward users and operators of public warehouses. The goal of this early writing was to develop a better understanding between the third party warehouse operator and his consumer, through a common apprecia­ tion of technical problems. Since that time, the number of information sources on warehous­ ing has increased. A professional society, the Warehousing Education and Research Council did not even exist when we first started writing about the industry. Today it provides an important source of informa­ tion in the field. Both private and third-party warehousing have grown in vol­ ume. More importantly, public awareness of warehousing as an in­ dustry in itself has increased.

Background of the Warehouse Industry.- 1 Warehousing: Origins, History and Development.- History.- Warehousing in America.- Role of the Independent Warehouseman.- Financial Security Aspects.- Role in Mass Production.- From Terminal to Distribution Center.- The Emergence of Business Logistics.- The Rise of Professional Associations.- Trade Associations.- 2 Warehousing in Today's Economy.- The Business Environment.- Freight Consolidation.- Real Estate as an Investment.- Warehouse Locations Shift.- 3 The Functions of Warehousing.- Six Functions of Warehousing.- Three Warehousing Alternatives.- Cost Structure.- A Contract to Control Risks and Costs.- Changing Values of Warehousing.- Space.- Equipment.- People.- 4 Warehousing Alternatives the Make or Buy Decision.- Corporate Financial Policy.- Labor Relations Policies.- Strategic Decisions.- The Final Decision.- Public vs. Contract.- The Economics of Third Party Warehousing.- Bonus Incentives.- Other Factors.- The Elements of Warehouse Management.- 5 Communications.- Hard Copy Versus Voice.- Public Warehousing Forms.- Damages.- Real-Time Inventory Control.- Circulation of Stock Status Information.- Effective Order Picking.- Faulty Communications Equal Wasted Effort.- Complaints.- Standard Procedures.- Uniform Communications-A New Development.- Uniformity for Warehousing.- System Priorities.- 6 Packaging and Identification.- Functions of a Package.- How the Package Affects Warehousing.- Effect on Stacking.- Packaging for Unitization.- Identification.- Container Handling.- Package Design.- Efficient Packaging-A Joint Responsibility.- A Series of Compromises.- 7 Transportation.- Location.- Effects of Transport Modes.- Freight Rates.- Transit Time.- Private Fleets.- Warehouse Freight Consolidation.- Reducing Transport Costs in the Deregulation Era.- Reducing Freight Costs.- Transportation Brokerage-A Useful Tool.- The Second Industrial Revolution and Its Effect on Transportation.- 8 Accountability.- Title.- Inventory Responsibility.- Product Liability.- Insurance.- Summary of Claims Procedures.- 9 Starting-Up or Moving a Warehouse Operation.- Initial Planning.- Cost Considerations.- Transportation.- Taxation.- Insurance on Goods in Storage.- To Move or Not to Move.- Timing Can Be Critical.- Estimating the Cost of Moving.- How to Load the Trucks.- Cost of Transferring the Load.- How Long Will It Take?.- Deciding to Continue Services or Suspend Operations for the Move.- What to Move.- Customer Communications.- Other Communications.- Opening the Relocated Warehouse.- Planning the Opening of the Distribution Center.- Writing a Warehouse Operating Manual.- 10 Warehouse Performance Audits.- Tracking Accuracy.- Account Profitability.- Qualitative Performance Ratings.- Other Performance Guides.- Real Estate Aspects of Warehousing.- 11 Finding the Right Location.- Reasons for Site Seeking.- Location Theories.- Outside Advisers.- Requirements Definition.- Comparisons From Published Sources.- The Final Selection Process.- 12 Building, Buying, Leasing, or Rehabilitating?.- Acquisition.- A Worksheet for the Buy/Lease Decision.- Assumptions.- The Rehabilitation Alternative.- Rejuvenating Warehouse Roofs.- Rejuvenating Warehouse Floors.- 13 Construction.- Test Borings.- Government.- Storm Water Management.- Utilities.- Layout Design.- The Contract.- Risk Management.- Roofs.- Fire Protection Systems.- Heating.- Roads.- Docks.- Wear and Tear.- Floors.- Rails.- Illumination.- Walls.- Landscape.- 14 Planning for Future Uses.- Design Structure for Versatility.- Changes in Basic Function.- Internal and External Changes.- Planning Warehouse Operations.- 15 Space Planning.- Sizing the Warehouse.- Storage Requirements.- Interaction of Storage and Handling Systems.- Stock Location Systems-Fixed versus Floating Slots.- Family Groupings.- A Locator Address System.- Cube Utilization.- Lot Size.- Reducing Aisle Losses.- Reducing Number of Aisles.- Managing Your Space.- 16 Planning for People and Equipment.- The Process of Making Flow Charts.- The Best Sequence?.- 'What If' Questions.- Personnel.- The Critical Role of the Supervisor.- Planning for Equipment Use.- 17 Contingency Planning.- Strategies.- Trigger Points.- Planning for the Impact of Strikes.- -Your Own Firm' s as Well as Others'.- Strike Against Suppliers.- Strikes Against Customers.- Trucking Strikes.- Charting the Planning Process.- Planning Steps.- 18 Postponement.- Background of Postponement.- Types of Postponement.- Postponement of Commitment.- Postponement of Title Passage.- Postponement of Branding.- Postponement of Consumer Packaging.- Postponement of Final Assembly.- Postponement of Blending.- Increased Warehouse Efficiency.- Potential Challenges.- Postponement in the Warehouse.- 19 Strategic Planning.- What Is It?.- How to Start.- Corporate Strategy as a Morale Builder.- Production Changes.- Strategic Thinking in the Public Warehouse.- Financial Changes.- Planning Warehouse Networks.- 20 Selecting a Public Warehouse.- The Preparatory Phase.- The Investigative Phase.- Evaluating Quality.- The Decision.- Protecting the Warehouse Operation.- 21 Preventing Casualty Losses.- Types of Casualty Losses.- Controlling Fire Risks.- Hazard Ratings for Stored Merchandise.- Wind Storm Losses.- Flood and Leakage.- Mass Theft.- Vandalism.- Plant-Emergency Organizations.- New Developments in Fire Protection.- The Importance of Management.- 22 'Mysterious Disappearance'.- Electronic Detectors and Alarms.- What About False Alarms?.- Door Protection Alarms.- Grounds Security.- Seals.- Storage Rack.- Restricted Access.- Marketability of Product.- Hiring Honest People.- Using Supervision for Security.- Procedures to Promote Security.- Customer Pick-ups and Returns.- Security Audits.- 23 Safety, Sanitation and Housekeeping.- Improving Safety in Lift Truck Operations.- Action Steps to Improve Safety.- Sanitation.- Housekeeping.- Damage Spreads.- Personal Appearance-Part of Good Housekeeping.- Effect on Employee Morale.- Effects on Customer Service.- A Source of Shame.- Impact on Safety.- A Housekeeping Checklist.- 24 Contracts and Liability.- The Changing Role of the Warehouseman.- The Insurance Problem.- Customer's Contracts.- Liability Limitation.- A Meeting of the Minds.- 25 Verification of Inventories and Cycle Counting.- Purpose of Inventories.- Inventory Carrying Cost.- Benefits of Improvement.- Problem Areas.- How Can a 'Physical' Be Improved?.- Incentives.- Managing the Job.- Involve the Whole Team.- Getting Organized.- Advance Preparation.- The Importance of Cutoff.- Zones.- Arithmetic Aids.- Controlling the Count.- Reconciliation.- Elimina…