Abstract
Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Storage and retrieval of objects is a process that is carried out in many ways for many purposes. A specific use of storage and retrieval, na mely, order-fulfillment, is a core process performed within virtually all supply chains, especially retail supply chains. Manufacturers generally store and retr ieve pallets containing cases of products within their distributions to fill ord ers for products placed by retailers. Retailers store and retrieve both the case s and the individual product items, or “eaches”, within their own distribution c enters in order to fill orders placed by their stores for case-quantities and le ss-than-case quantities of products. Increasingly, with the rise of e-commerce, retailers are also faced with the necessity of filling orders for eaches placed directly by individual consumers.
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