Adaptive autonomous mobile robot tasking and management

An automated material handling system having a plurality of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for retrieving, transporting, and delivering items to and from locations within a material handling facility, said material handling system comprising:

• a plurality of picking stations, each configured for picking operations as part of order fulfillment activities in the material handling facility;
• and
• a common waiting area associated with at least a subset of said plurality of picking workstations, wherein said common waiting area is configured to provide temporary holding spaces for each associated picking workstation, wherein said common waiting area is configured to provide a temporary holding space for a first AMR of said plurality of AMRs when transporting items for order fulfillment activities at a first picking station that is not ready to receive the first AMR and its items;
• wherein the first picking station is operable to send a prompt to the first AMR when ready for the first AMR and its items;
• and
• wherein the first AMR is configured to leave said common waiting area and proceed to the first picking station when prompted by the first picking station.