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Global order processing, inventory management and warehousing.
    

Warehouse Infrastructure Networks

Our warehouse service supports inbound logistics, distribution and aftermarket services in a way that improves inventory management, reduces total operating costs and improves cycle times.

Our facilities offer our customers warehousing that is fully integrated into the wider supply chain and meets demanding service levels. This encompasses the design implementation and operation for both dedicated and multi-user sites.

Benefits include improvements in:

  • Customer service levels
  • Stock accuracy
  • Lead times
  • Redundant stock costs
  • Productivity responsiveness to a company's strategic needs

Multi User Centres

We provide a network of multi-user warehouses, enabling manufacturers to hold inventory at local level, whilst avoiding expensive, dedicated storage solutions. These facilities can receive products from both local and global manufacturing sites, providing downstream distribution.

Strategic Part Centres (SPC)

Our Strategic Part Centres (SPCs) are in-country facilities offering:

  • 1, 2 and 4 hour order fulfillment
  • stock optimisation across the complete network of SPCs
  • guaranteed performance against agreed business rules

Express Logistics Centres (ELC)

Our Express Logistics Centres (ELCs) are regional centralised facilities offering:

  • order processing
  • outsourced repair facilities
  • custom final assembly
  • kitting services

Dedicated EDC /RDC Solutions

RDC - the Regional Distribution Centre may serve a group of countries, potentially feeding bulk stock into local warehouse facilities.

EDC - European Distribution Centre. This will be a mega-store, holding all European stock for a customer, prior to distribution to the active countries. Stock may be held in a generic form (i.e. common product that has not been customised for particular markets).

Warehouse Management Solutions

Warehouse Management Systems

The Warehouse Management System (WMS) records all events and actions in the receipt, handling and storage of products and orders in a warehouse environment. The WMS also accurately records the location of inventory whilst stored in the warehouse.

Our Prologs WMS manages all critical processes in the warehouse, and is also an important support for varied transport and distribution concepts (planning, time controlling, booking of transport capacity, communication with customs and other authorities).

Strategic Inventory Management

Strategic Inventory Management (SIM) has been created to deliver urgent shipments to main business areas within a 2 to 4 hour time frame, usually time critical spare parts with a high value and high impact on business.

Direct Express Inventory Management

Direct Express Inventory (DEI) allows customers to centralise stock in one warehouse and use express distribution to deliver components the next day. Entire management is done by DHL.

Repair Return Inventory Management

Return & Repair Inventory (RRI) manages the physical flows for Return material authorisation. In this case, DHL will be responsible for picking up the broken part, sending a new one, bringing the broken part to a repair centre and moving repaired parts back into stock.

Cross Docking

Cross-dock operations are facilities where shipments are received from one mode of transport and transferred to another mode, or where shipments complete one leg of a journey prior to commencement of another journey. Shipments are consolidated or deconsolidated. Product received into the facility is not taken into inventory.

Inventory Optimisation

Through effective inventory management, inefficiencies can be driven out of the supply chain, overall costs reduced and high service levels achieved. We optimise inventory at a line-item level at every stage of the supply chain.

We focus on driving results in:

  • Supplier management
  • Expediting
  • Order replenishment
  • Demand forecasting
  • Safety stock setting
  • Order pipeline monitoring
  • Excess stock management


Inventory optimisation is supported by inventory management software that calculates 'line item risk profiles' that measure the variability of demand and supply for each line item within a customer's inventory.

We can offer:

  • Average of 20% inventory reduction and 8% improvement in product availability
  • Reduced inventory and overhead costs
  • Improved sales, profitability and return on investment
  • High service standards
  • Better matching of supply with demand
  • More streamlined and responsive supply chain

Shared-user Warehousing

Our shared-user facilities are designed to meet the needs of organisations of any size. Currently, we provide shared-user services to leading manufacturers and retailers of medical supplies, consumer products, industrial equipment, chemicals and technology.

Through sharing of DHL's resources, such as space, labour, equipment and transportation, customers benefit from synergies that considerably reduce supply chain costs.

This environment returns significant value to a small business requiring distribution operations without long term lease or capital commitments, or a large enterprise handling a new acquisition, product launches or seasonal overflow.

Campus Solutions

We pioneered the campus model to provide regional customers with a flexible solution designed to capitalise on similar distribution channels, minimise labour costs, and increase specialised equipment utilisation.

Campuses are strategically located at key distribution points in North and South America, Europe and select locations in Asia, allowing for expedited transit times to large concentrations of consumers.

For more information, please go to Consumer

Distribution to Stores Management

Our distribution to store solutions are focused on helping retailers create efficient and flexible supply chains to deliver product to retail outlets at high levels of service.

These solutions are built from several core services including warehousing: chilled, frozen and ambient distribution centres; composite distribution centres; hanging garment facilities; automation and sortation; bonded warehousing; cross-docks; multi-user warehousing; seasonal warehousing; intake quality control; value-added services; pre-retail services

For more information, please go to Retail

Store Logistics

Our store logistics solutions are focused on helping retailers bring logistics disciplines to in-store logistics operations in order to improve cost efficiency and on-shelf availability.

We help retailers increase productivity by applying warehouse management disciplines to the store environment.

For more information, please go to Retail

Special Warehouse Solutions

Vendor Hubs
Warehousing and delivery of OEM service parts, based on demand pull. Vendor hubs are usually located in close proximity to the manufacturing facility.

Reverse Centres
Specially designated facilities for the receipt and handling of returned parts for repair, recycling or disposal.

Bonded Warehousing
Bonded warehouses provide secure environments in which customers' products can be held without immediate payment of local duties and taxes.

Outsourcing Projects

DHL takes over and manages your warehouse activities, either in dedicated or multi-user sites.
Download our Warehousing Distribution PDF (710 KB)

Contact us

If you would like to know more about logistics solutions, please use our on-line contact form or speak to your regular DHL contact.

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