The difference between traditional warehouse and distribution center is not comprehensive, please explain in detail, thank you!

More than a decade ago, when the rapid development of modern logistics abroad was gradually introduced to China, many new terms appeared one after another, which dazzled everyone. I don't know if this is different from the traditional saying, such as distribution center, such as supply chain management, such as logistics management, such as SKU and so on. For a time, logistics has become a fashionable term, and various modern logistics concepts have a lot of articles.

Today I want to talk about a small concept, warehouse and distribution center. Are they one thing or two things? What are the similarities and differences?

Warehouses and distribution centers are places where goods are stored or temporarily stored after production and before they reach the end users. What you see is a house or a big house with a lot of goods piled inside, that's all. But there are still huge differences between the two, and there are differences in the initial design.

This warehouse is mainly used to store goods. There was no independent third-party logistics company in China before. The warehouse was originally used to store the goods of the enterprise itself, but the place where these goods were stored before they were sold will not be moved at will. Therefore, the warehouse is created for inventory, which is a static concept. The design purpose of the warehouse is to protect the stored goods from loss and moisture. There is no spacious passage in the warehouse, as long as you can walk when you pick up the goods.

Look at the distribution center, also known as the distribution center, which is called the distribution center in English. A very intuitive understanding is the place where goods are distributed. Distribution center is the concept of western modern logistics, which is translated from the above English words. Distribution center mainly exists in the system of the third-party logistics company, including the transit place before the goods are delivered to the final distributor, so distribution center is a dynamic concept of rapid turnover of goods. The purpose of the distribution center is to deliver goods quickly and effectively. Now all kinds of equipment, pallets, shelves, forklifts and so on. Distribution centers exist to move goods quickly, effectively and efficiently. Relatively speaking, storage has become a secondary function, and the storage time has become shorter.

When I first started to do logistics, it was very painful to find a suitable warehouse. In the past, most warehouses in China were relatively small, with only one or two thousand square meters and many floors. I am very confused. How to use such a warehouse? After reading the above analysis, I gradually understand. If used as warehouses for storing goods, floors are not a problem as long as the goods are safe, but if used as distribution centers with completely different functions, these warehouses are very inappropriate.

Finally, there is a digression. The fire safety department still inspects the distribution center according to the requirements of the warehouse, which leads to many strange results. For example, a particularly large distribution center must be divided into small warehouses with a firewall in the middle, which has caused obstacles to the efficient operation of the distribution center. Fire safety work is very important and can't be ignored, but different safety facilities should be designed according to the different functions of different places.

I hope this little article will be helpful to everyone, and it is also a family opinion. Please correct me if there is anything wrong.