What is meant by the term interim storage?

Interim storage is needed when the completion of production in one stage and the start of the next stage are not aligned. As a result, orders or products wait in a queue between steps. One reason could be that adjacent production stages operate at different speeds.

In job shop manufacturing, interim storage arises due to specific order combinations or sequences. It can also result from non-continuous transport systems, where goods are batched before being transported. Additionally, unexpected downtimes in subsequent stages may lead to temporary storage needs.