Can warehouse space be “on demand”?
Yes it can according to FLEXE, which has created a cloud-based marketplace that connects organizations in need of additional warehouse space with organizations that have excess capacity.
The company’s network consists of more than 80 warehouses across 20 markets throughout North America.
The cloud-based platform includes search and discovery tools that find facilities matching company’s specific distribution needs. The same system also provides inventory delivery and goods handling management, and 24/7 inventory visibility, tracking and reporting.
The company said their service “helps businesses monetize the space they don’t use when inventory levels are low and, conversely, to add more space when inventory levels are high,” as reported by Steven Goldsmith of the Puget Sound Business Journal.
The listing captures each warehouse’s capabilities, specifications and features, as well as operating hours, available capacity and types of materials they can’t accept. Listings also include prices for storage and materials handling, which are set by each warehouse partner.
Using a combination of buyer requirements and warehouse capacity, capabilities and price, the system allows for transactions to occur immediately rather than over the typical extended period of time it takes to source and negotiate space. The platform also incorporates a zero-integration, cloud-based pallet tracking system.
