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Kathleen Swinford
Week 2 Assignment
While it is true that warehouses and distribution centers are very similar, they are not as
interchangeable as some may have thought. Warehouses and distribution centers both store
goods, can provide more value in the shipping process, reduce costs, and provide customer
service. Distribution centers possesses a myriad of responsibilities and are extremely beneficial
to large businesses.
Customer service is extremely prevalent in a distribution center. They offer a variety of
services to customers such as retail, wholesale, and ecommerce. Distribution centers offer large
variety of products. In turn, distribution centers must have larger, more advanced technology,
such as forklifts, inventory computer software, conveyer systems, sorting systems, and scanning
devices. Similar to warehouses, distribution centers are also used for storing goods and
products; however, warehouses are more likely to store goods for a longer period of time than
distribution centers. Additionally, distribution centers generally supply goods to much larger
retail stores than a warehouse, such as Walmart or Target. Distribution centers store goods for
a shorter period of time, because it is expected that they go through the products quick.
Distribution centers can send products to stores (again, like Walmart or Target),
warehouses, wholesalers, or directly to the customer. Distribution centers, unlike warehouses,
are the foundation of the supply network (different than the supply chain), due to the fact that
it allows a single location to stock a variety and large number of goods and products. In
addition, distribution centers can be co-located, meaning that some operate retail distribution
