This is a fourth edition of a work first published in 1983. It contains the same number of chapters as the third edition, published in 1990. However, it has a substantial amount of new material. Major changes in warehousing in the last seven years have caused appropriate changes in the content of this text. Nearly three decades have passed since our first published writing about warehousing. The goal of our early writing was to develop a better understanding between the third-party warehouse operator and the user of these services. Today the emphasis has changed to a work that provides the tools that every warehouse manager needs. This book intends to be a comprehensive handbook consisting of everything we know that would help the manager of warehouses. Much of the information is based upon materials previously used in Warehousing Forum, our monthly subscription newsletter. While the work is designed primarily as a handbook for manag ers, it also serves as a guide for students. It is based upon my experience, both as a warehousing manager and executive, and later as a management advisor. The work is designed as a management reference for anyone involved in operating, using, constructing, or trading in industrial warehouses."

This is the third edition of a book first published in 1983. It con tains two new chapters. One of these deals with the growing use of "just-in-time" techniques and their effect on warehousing. A second new chapter covers specialized warehousing and three types of special storage - temperature control, protection of hazardous materials and "fulfillment" warehousing. Major changes in both materials handling and information processing and transmitting have caused appropriate changes in the contents of this book. For over two decades, the author has been involved in writing about the warehousing industry. Earlier writings were oriented to ward users and operators of public warehouses. The goal of this early writing was to develop a better understanding between the third party warehouse operator and his consumer, through a common apprecia tion of technical problems. Since that time, the number of information sources on warehous ing has increased. A professional society, the Warehousing Education and Research Council did not even exist when we first started writing about the industry. Today it provides an important source of informa tion in the field. Both private and third-party warehousing have grown in vol ume. More importantly, public awareness of warehousing as an in dustry in itself has increased.