Contract Warehousing & Logistics

At WSI, we understand that as your business grows, so do the challenges of meeting customer demands swiftly and maintaining your reputation for excellence. That’s why our Contract Warehousing and Logistics solutions are designed to alleviate these burdens, ensuring seamless operations, and enhancing your competitive edge.

With a decades-long track record and a legacy of success, WSI is proud to be known as a preferred partner for contract warehousing worldwide. Our deep expertise in logistics, commitment to excellence, and client-first approach allow us to provide tailor-made solutions across a wide variety of industries, meeting the needs of hundreds of businesses.

View a Case Study on Contract Labor

WSI’s Services Include

Dedicated Warehousing

Tailored warehousing solutions exclusively for your business, providing complete control over your inventory and distribution.

Warehouse Management

Outsource efficient management of your warehouse operations with our expert guidance, optimizing space, resources, and processes.

Labor and Human Resource Management

We streamline your workforce management, ensuring you have the right personnel with the right skills at the right time.

Transportation Services

We offer comprehensive transportation solutions to ensure your goods reach their destination reliably and on time.

Material Handling Equipment and Maintenance

Access to top-tier equipment and maintenance services to keep your operations running smoothly.

Cutting-Edge Technology

Harness the power of technology with our Warehouse Management System, Order Management System, Transportation Management System, and Partner Portal. Gain real-time insights and control over your supply chain.

The WSI Advantage in Contract Warehousing

Unmatched Scale: WSI operates over 14 million square feet of operational facilities throughout the country. Strategically located near major metropolitan centers and transportation hubs, this network allows WSI to leverage unmatched scale to meet the warehousing and distribution needs of our partners.

Experience and Expertise: With decades of experience as an industry-leading 3PL, WSI stands as a trusted partner in contract logistics and contract warehousing. Our successful collaborations with global brands across diverse industries attest to our expertise and commitment to excellence.

Technological Integration: At WSI, we harness the power of technology to enhance contract warehousing. From advanced tracking systems to AI-driven analytics, our tech-driven approach sets us apart.

Logistical Global Reach: Our expansive global network ensures that no matter where you are, WSI’s contract logistics solutions are easily accessible, supporting both domestic and international operations.

The Contract Warehouse Process with WSI

Needs Assessment and Planning: Our journey begins with a thorough assessment of your company’s warehousing needs. We listen, understand, and then strategize, ensuring your goals are at the heart of our solutions.
Strategic Location Selection: Drawing upon our extensive real estate knowledge and your needs assessment, WSI can assist you in pinpointing the ideal geographical area, and facilitating negotiations for real estate contracts.
Recruitment and Training:
Implementation and Execution: With a plan in place, we spring into action. Precision, timeliness, and efficiency are our hallmarks as we implement and execute the tailored logistics strategy.
Continuous Improvement: The quest for perfection never ends. At WSI, we continuously analyze, refine, and enhance our processes, driven by feedback and data insights.

Contract Warehousing: Two Common Scenarios

Contract warehousing is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a flexible approach, molded to fit the distinct requirements of businesses. Here are the two most prevalent scenarios in contract warehousing:

Business-Owned or Dedicated/Private Warehousing with 3PL Support: In this model, a business owns or leases the warehouse facility, or operates within a dedicated or private warehouse. While the infrastructure is in place, the business collaborates with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) to enhance specific warehousing operations.

Many businesses contract with a 3PL such as WSI for warehouse labor to save money, reduce liability and improve efficiency. Order fulfillment, storage, pick, pack & ship and transportation can all be handled by employees of a 3PL. Contracting labor for a warehouse removes a major bottleneck in the supply chain, human resource management.

WSI’s Comprehensive Involvement – From Location Search to Construction: In this more integrated approach, WSI plays a pivotal role from the outset. The journey begins with WSI aiding a business in identifying the ideal warehouse location. WSI then remains intricately involved in the construction of the new warehouse facility, ensuring it aligns with the business’s operational requirements. Once constructed, while the facility remains a private/dedicated space for the business, WSI manages its warehousing operations.

A prime example of this model in action is the partnership between WSI and Syngenta in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Here, alongside a factory, a dedicated warehouse was constructed, with WSI at the helm of managing the warehousing operations. You can read more about the WSI and Syngenta partnership here.

Whether it’s leveraging the expertise of a 3PL within an existing infrastructure or building a new facility from the ground up with WSI’s guidance, the outcomes are the same: increased efficiency, adaptability, and cost savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding Contract Logistics

As a business grows, so do its resource management needs. Tasks like designing and planning supply chains, warehousing, transporting and distributing goods, processing orders and collecting payments, managing inventory, and even providing customer service can all grow beyond the ability of the original business to manage.

This is where contract logistics comes into play. Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) like WSI can leverage their size and experience to improve efficiency and cost savings, all while customizing those logistics solutions to fit the individual needs of a business.

Contract Warehouses: A Key Ingredient in Contract Logistics

At the heart of any effective contract logistics strategy is warehousing. A custom warehousing solution tailored to a business’s unique needs offers significant flexibility, allowing businesses to scale storage requirements based on demand fluctuations. It also ensures that goods are stored under optimal conditions, preserving their quality and ensuring timely delivery.

Every industry has unique warehousing requirements. From electronics to chemicals, consumer goods to food service, specialized expertise is required to meet the storage and distribution needs of a given business, especially at scale. This is where contract warehousing shines, offering significant leverage while maintaining secure & compliant storage and fast, efficient distribution of goods across a diversity of industries.

Contract Warehousing vs. Alternatives

Weighing the Benefits

When considering whether or not to contract your warehousing operations, it’s important for businesses to clearly understand the most common benefits vs. the alternatives. In comparison to its counterparts, contract warehousing offers the following:

Tailored Solutions: Unlike traditional warehousing, where businesses might have to adjust their operations to fit a predefined mold, contract warehousing offers bespoke solutions. Every aspect, from storage space to logistics services, is tailored to align with the unique needs of the business.
Cost-Efficiency: With costs like maintenance, compliance, and staffing, owning and managing a warehouse can be expensive. Contract warehousing sidesteps this, allowing businesses to leverage the expertise and infrastructure of a third-party provider for substantial cost savings.
Flexibility and Scalability: Markets ebb and flow, requiring modern businesses to stay agile. Contract warehousing offers the flexibility to scale up or down based on demand fluctuations, ensuring that businesses aren’t saddled with excess space during lulls or scrambling for space during peaks.
Advanced Technology: Contract warehousing providers often invest in cutting-edge warehousing and logistics technology. Partnering with them ensures you have access to the latest tools and systems without the hefty investment.
Expertise: Managing a warehouse requires numerous skills, from inventory management to logistics coordination – skills that often take years to build. Contract warehousing gives businesses the benefit of that expertise at a fraction of the cost, ensuring that warehousing operations run seamlessly.
Risk Mitigation: Owning a warehouse comes with numerous risks, from property damages to logistical errors. Contract warehousing shifts much of this burden to the third-party provider, offering businesses a layer of protection they wouldn’t otherwise enjoy.