Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS)
Definition
An Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) uses cranes, shuttles, or robots operating in dense racking to store and retrieve pallets, cases, or totes automatically, without forklifts or manual reach.
In Practice
AS/RS designs range from unit-load cranes handling pallets in 100-foot-high racking to tote shuttles and cube-storage grids (like AutoStore) that deliver bins to pick stations. Because aisles shrink or disappear and height is fully used, AS/RS can store the same inventory in 40-60 percent less floor space than conventional racking.
For operations, the gains are density, accuracy, and predictable throughput: the system knows exactly where everything is, works around the clock, and thrives in environments people hate, like minus-25-degree freezers. The trade-offs are high capital cost, long design lead times, and dependence on the system. A crane fault can block a whole aisle, so redundancy planning matters.
Example: a frozen-food producer replaces a manual freezer warehouse with a pallet AS/RS, doubling storage on the same footprint while removing workers from the harshest environment on site.
Related Terms
Warehouse automation is the use of mechanized and robotic systems (conveyors, sorters, AS/RS, mobile robots, automated packing) to move, store, pick, and sort goods with less manual labor.
Warehouse Management System (WMS)A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software that directs and records all activity inside a warehouse (receiving, putaway, picking, packing, and shipping) down to the individual location and unit.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR)Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are self-navigating warehouse robots that use sensors and onboard intelligence to move goods around a facility, dynamically routing around people and obstacles without fixed guide paths.