What is the Yard Management System or YSM?

A Yard Management System or YSM is a dock management system that focuses on managing and optimizing yard activity in logistics centers.

The YMS helps to efficiently coordinate and control the movement and storage of vehicles and goods in the yard.

As we saw in the webinar “Optimize dock management collaboratively”, dock optimization is key because it reduces waiting times, increases productivity, reduces costs and improves customer satisfaction.

The ultimate goal of this type of solution is to achieve a flexible win-win scenario for all parties involved.

How does a YMS work?

A YMS works as a collaborative solution in which all agents involved in transport and logistics operations participate.

The main functions of a YMS include:

• Entry and exit management: Facilitates control of the flow of vehicles entering and leaving the yard, ensuring that they are assigned to the correct unloading or loading gates.
• Resource allocation: A YMS allows the optimal allocation of logistics resources according to demand, avoiding congestion and ensuring a smooth flow.
• Real-time visibility of yard operations, enabling operators to track the location of vehicles and assets, and make informed decisions to improve efficiency.
• Planning and scheduling: Helps to schedule loading and unloading tasks, minimizing vehicle downtime and ensuring resource optimization.
• Process automation: Many YMS systems include functionalities that automate processes, such as door assignment or communication between drivers and facility personnel, reducing manual intervention.
• Integration with other systems: A YMS often integrates with other logistics systems such as GSA, TMS or ERP to create a seamless flow of information throughout the supply chain.

Thus, a YMS makes it possible to book slots according to the actual situation of the route, to have exhaustive control of receipts and dispatches, to set up a notification system, to draw up reports based on KPIs and to improve communication between the different actors involved in the process.

Benefits of a YMS

All these functionalities translate into a series of benefits that boost the competitiveness of companies and strengthen the entire supply chain:

• Reduced operating costs: By optimizing the use of space and resources, waiting times are minimized and asset utilization is maximized.
• Improved efficiency: Facilitates vehicle traffic control and resource allocation, reducing delays and bottlenecks.
• Increased visibility and control: Provides a clear view of yard operations, enabling faster and more accurate decision making.
• Safety: A YMS can also improve safety by ensuring that only authorized vehicles and drivers enter the area and follow planned routes.

In the post Benefits of optimizing loading and unloading dock management we tell you more about the benefits of YMS.

YMS from FIELDEAS Track and Trace

FIELDEAS Track and Trace Supply Chain Visibility platform has a dock management module that, in a collaborative way, allows optimizing loading and unloading operations in logistics platforms.

This solution allows all partners to make dock reservation requests, access data or report delays or changes.

In this way, it functions as a collaborative solutionthat allows you to plan your logistics center in a structured way.

With this, the FIELDEAS Track and Trace spring management moduleallows:

• Perform dock reservations by the carrier with real-time information on slot availability and waiting times.
• Establish approval flows for each operation.
• Real-time planning follow-up.
• Establish a system of automatic alerts to detect any alteration of the initial planning in order to manage the incident in time.
• Visual supervision of waiting areas and control of downtime.
• Automatic dock reassignment, as well as waiting spaces in the dock area.

Likewise, the FIELDEAS Track and Trace dock management module allows to establish and monitor specific KPIs, which are then extracted and analyzed by the platform itself for reporting purposes.

KPIs such as waiting times, utilization rate, loading/unloading error rate and vehicle turnover, among others, stand out.

Integration of YMS with other management systems

In addition, the FIELDEAS Track and Trace YMS easily integrates with ERP, WMS and TMS systems to drive coordination between warehouse operations, routing and loading and unloading activities.

This integration facilitates real-time visibility of dock availability, resource allocation and synchronization with production and distribution demand.

It also helps automate processes, reduce manual errors and optimize the flow of goods.

With all of the above, the FIELDEAS Track and Trace dock management solution allows you to:

• reduce waiting times by 30%;
• increase order processing capacity by 15%;
• and improve by 20% the timeliness of deliveries to end customers.