Modern day warehouses are technological wonders. Many function like autonomous spaces with superior brains controlling the functionality. Automated retrieval systems, robotics palletizers and radio frequency identification have created efficiencies in warehousing that would never have been imagined by those who first thought of the ideal place that could store food stuff and increase trade between nations. The history of the warehouse begins at the mouth of the River Tiber, and is an ever evolving tale of form and function improved over time to meet the needs of the day.
Ancient Rome
The earliest example of warehouses dates back to the mid-2nd century Common Era. Close to the current day city of Ostia was the harbor town of ancient Rome. The Romans located the city here at the mouth of the River Tiber because it was an excellent seaport for conducting trade.
Called a horrea, the concept of the warehouse was originally developed as a place to store grains. The earliest granaries (warehouses) were central to Rome’s need to feed itself. There were approximately twenty significant warehouses in the city, mostly for the storage of foodstuff, but others stored valuable goods collected from trading with or conquering neighboring nations.
Claudius and Nero
The Roman emperors that wanted to remain in power, like Claudius and his successor Nero, knew that well-fed people are happy people. They expanded the size of the granaries and developed logistical routes to transfer the stored grains up the river to the people. Their horreum’s were enormous, with the capacity to hold 150,000 metric tons of grain, which was the amount required to feed the Roman people for one year. This is the modern day equivalent of the Suzemax class container ship, which, stood on end, is almost as tall as the Eiffel tower.
European Explorers
Throughout history warehousing continued to play a significant role in storing grains for times of famine. As European explorers created shipping trade routes, warehouses grew in importance for the storage of products and commodities from afar. These warehouses also acted as distribution centers. The warehouse was perfect for managing the process of coordinating the incoming goods, the subsequent storage and tracking of the goods and finally, distributing the goods to their proper destinations.
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The Industrial Revolution and the Railroads
Warehouses built during the industrial revolution were architecturally significant. These warehouses became a dominant part of the urban landscape whose function became more specialized. As railroads expanded across the country, rail depots for the storage of goods and materials became necessary. The railroad companies had total control over the depots. However, the American Warehousemen’s Association, organized in 1891, challenged the hold that railroads had over freight depots.
President Theodore Roosevelt
President Roosevelt passed the Hepburn Act of 1906 which significantly strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission. During this time, commercial warehousing grew significantly as a result of the government placing restrictions on railroads and their control over warehouses.
World War II
World War II impacted warehousing in many ways. Warehouses increased in size and mechanized methods of storing and retrieving materials and products developed. The government used warehouses to store military supplies transported overseas from the homeland. As mass production grew, the needs for efficient and effective warehousing capabilities grew as well.
The Modern Warehouse
Always a building of function, the modern warehouse has adapted to mechanization and changes in the supply chain. While still an element that fulfills the same needs that the Romans had – storage and distribution – the modern warehouse transformed into a technological wonder. Some warehouses are completely automated and only need operators to work the controls. Others are purpose-built with pinpointed technological advances. Whatever the requirement for automation, the modern warehouse needs a robust warehouse management system to create efficient order pick, pack and ship processes. A WMS that also consists of customer relationship management, financials and ecommerce all accessing the same data source will allow your employees, vendors and customers visibility to their orders.
Aplicor’s Warehouse Management System delivers a powerful, scalable and flexible warehouse management system that helps boost productivity, reduce costs, shorten order fulfillment times, increase customer satisfaction and deliver a rapid return on investment.
Contact Aplicor today to learn how a warehouse management system can benefit your business.
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