Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
Stephen L. Parsley · 2000
Automated storage and retrieval systems were initially introduced in the late 1960s, and rose to popularity between the early 1970s and early 1980s. Their primary use and justification was in the control and automated handling of pallets or tote pans of material. The goal was to minimize product damage, free floor space, control and track the inventory—protecting it from pilferage or unauthorized disbursement, and minimize the cost of material handling labor. Systems were large, and new systems were often simple extrapolations of requirements based on current inventory levels without first determining if the process would actually require the inventory levels this method projected. Perhaps the biggest reason for the decline of the industry is the fact that material handling and, more specifically, storage, have always been regarded as cost adders to the overall distribution process. As a cost factor, the limit of our interest has been to minimize the cost.