Yard management systems make up an overlooked area of supply chain operations. Some warehouse management systems (WMS) may offer minor yard management systems’ functions. However, the value of yard management systems extends across both WMS and transportation management systems (TMS) alike, providing better insight and visibility into a company’s asserts and products.
As explained by Deborah Catalano Ruriani of Inbound Logistics, yard management systems are about more than just monitoring who comes in and goes out the gate; they provide an invaluable resource for boosting security, reducing theft, increasing visibility and optimizing your entire supply chain. In fact, think about the top benefit reasons it may be time to start thinking about implementing a yard management system.

Yard Management Systems Can Integrate and Boost TMS and WMS Simultaneously.

Yard management systems (YMS) are not necessarily key to TMS or WMS use, but they can provide insight into areas where the WMS and TMS fall short. In addition, integrability between the YMS and existing systems can create a more holistic, connected and strategic supply chain network. Furthermore, most YMS have broad configurability, meaning they can be designed to be as complex or simple as you prefer.

Automation in Management of Yard Operations.

Automation is the new standard in supply chain efficiency, and today’s YMS solutions can trigger automated, preliminary notifications when a driver enters, leaves or sits in the yard of your company. More importantly, this leverages data to identify ways to optimize routes, and when paired with systems in drivers’ hands, like mobile apps and devices, it can be used to automatically send route instructions, delivery schedules and bills of lading. This simplifies the entire shipping, loading and unloading process.

Inventory Management of Inventory in Trucks.

There has always been a troubled cloud over the visibility in trucks’ specific locations, delays and other factors. Traditional operations have simply hoped for the best, but the electronic logging mandate is also set to provide greater clarity into where trucks are and are not located and when they are moving. But, imagine the possibilities if every movement and activity within a truck was clearly documented and managed by a YMS up to the point before the truck gets on the road. Consumers would know almost immediately if there was a shipping delay, and route optimization could be revolutionized.

Manual Yard Management Is Costing Your Organization Money.

It may not seem like much, but yard inventory can lead to great losses for a company. According to Bridget McCrea of Logistics Management, equipment and assets, which may be worth thousands, could be laying in the yard, waiting for their demise at the elements. An effective YMS can also track assets, like equipment waiting for service, forklifts and heavy machinery forgotten in the yard, but only 8.3 percent of supply chain companies are currently using YMS solutions today, so there is clearly money to be made.

It IS Time to Implement a YMS Today!

Stop trying to manage your yard manually, with a pen and paper, and use technology to open new revenue streams and stop hemorrhaging profits now.