Warehousing – activity which contribute to supply chain performance

Consumption economy that characterizes the developed countries, but also the ones in course of development suppose available abundance of products for clients. To achieve this availability the firms make use of logistics activities. These have known continuous developments alongside economic, technical, technological etc. progress that determine transformation in a very competitive branch. This fact it is happening into a context of prevailing rivalry, the globalization process extant leading to a great e extent of dislocation, externalizations and subcontracting of activities, developing of some production modes without stocks or with reduced stocks, flows optimization for obtaining the minimum possible cost. In response to such tendencies, it is emphasized the tendency to develop business partnerships, which transform the logistics from an internal enterprise sector into a sector based on cooperation with external entities as supply chains forms. A basic link of any supply chain is represented by warehousing activity. In the new supply chains development context the warehousing activity is transforming from a passive one, with a simple objective of providing products stocking, into an active one, in which it pursues the achievement of an assembly of services for clients. More and more warehouses are also exploited by logistics services providers that are involved in different logistics activities destined to reduce total logistics cost, with favorable influences on selling price and on firms competitiveness too.