Ambient vs. Climate-Controlled Warehousing: Which Is Right for Your Business?
Warehousing plays a critical role in global supply chains, providing secure storage while ensuring that goods are optimally located for inventory management, fulfillment, distribution and timely delivery to end customers. While selecting strategic locations for warehousing needs is among the most important decisions that companies can make, choosing the right environment is also critical for maintaining product stability and cost effectiveness.
When it comes to warehousing, a one-size-fits-all approach often misses the mark, so it is important for companies to determine whether ambient warehousing, climate-controlled storage or even a combination of the two will best meet their needs.
Ambient Storage: Covering the Basics
For most goods, ambient warehouses meet basic standards for security and compliance. Ambient warehouses typically range from 59 to 77 degrees (F), depending on where the facility is located, and have little to no ability to control temperature or humidity levels. With basic infrastructure and shelving, these environments are ideal for packaged goods, electronics, household items, clothing and other non-perishable items that do not have strict regulations or compliance requirements.
Manufacturers of stable inventory within the following industry sectors are most likely to benefit from ambient warehousing:
- E-commerce
- Electronics
- Furniture
- Toys
- Clothing
- Household products
- Pet supplies
- Books
- Games
- Dry or canned foods and beverages
If ambient warehousing is under consideration, companies should also be mindful of any product sensitivities, as locations with extreme temperatures could compromise the integrity of the items stored during certain times of the year.
Climate-Controlled Storage
Whereas ambient storage is sufficient for stable inventory, goods or supplies that have specific temperature requirements to preserve product integrity or shelf life should be housed in climate-controlled warehouses. These facilities provide refrigerated and cold storage, typically between 32 and 50 degrees (F), in addition to heated storage for goods that could become damaged in freezing environments. They also have humidity control to prevent moisture buildup, which can damage or destroy many items.
Climate-controlled warehousing generally is more expensive than ambient storage due to the level of infrastructure required for product preservation. For example, these facilities utilize HVAC, insulation and monitoring technology to adhere to health and safety regulations, which are more stringent than those of non-perishable items and primarily apply to the following sectors:
- Perishable food and beverages
- Cosmetics/personal care products
- Pharmaceuticals
- Chemicals
- Sensitive electronics
Selecting the Right Option for Your Business
When choosing the right warehousing option to store your inventory, it’s important to consider the product requirements, shelf life, regulations around compliance and total cost of ownership (Including risk of loss due to potential damage or spoilage of goods if they are not in an ideal environment) to ensure your needs are met. Additionally, for growing companies, determining the ability of a facility to scale with future needs can reduce the likelihood of having to search for another storage provider in the future. For companies managing goods that fall into both categories, a hybrid approach may prove to be the best option for their needs.
NXTPoint Logistics offers flexible and convenient warehousing services, with more than 35 facilities nationwide designed to meet even the most stringent requirements. For assistance with evaluating your supply chain needs, consult our experts.
