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Top Yard Management Goals at MODEX 2024

MODEX 2024, held in Atlanta, Georgia, was a great opportunity for professionals from across the supply chain, logistics, and material handling industries to come together, exchange ideas, and explore the latest innovations. This year at MODEX, we asked over 400 industry professionals what their top yard management goals were. This diverse group of industry leaders provided valuable perspectives on the most pressing challenges and priorities in yard management today.

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  1. Real-Time Visibility of All Trailers (84%)

    Real-time visibility of all trailers is crucial for maintaining efficient yard operations. With this goal being a top priority for 84% of surveyed professionals, it's clear that knowing the exact location and status of every trailer is essential for optimizing yard management and improving overall operational efficiency.

    Leveraging YMS To Achieve This Goal:

    Digital Twin: Our Eagle View feature provides a comprehensive digital twin of the yard, offering a detailed and dynamic map that replicates the yard’s layout in real-time.

    Real-Time Locations: With real-time tracking, users can see the exact locations of all trailers and assets in the yard, eliminating guesswork and improving operational oversight.

    Interactive Map: The interactive map allows users to drag and drop trailers, making it easy to manage trailer positions and movements intuitively and efficiently.

    Custom Alerts: Users can set customized alerts for specific conditions, such as detention thresholds or maintenance needs, ensuring proactive management of yard activities.

    Detailed Inventory Management: Integrating with a WMS provides detailed information on the contents of each trailer, enhancing inventory management and ensuring accurate data on trailer contents.

    The Impact of This Goal:

    Enhances Operational Efficiency: By having real-time data on trailer locations, operations can be streamlined, reducing the time spent searching for trailers and improving overall yard efficiency.

    Improves Decision-Making: Accurate, real-time data supports better decision-making, allowing yard managers to allocate resources more effectively and respond swiftly to any issues.

    Supports Better Planning: With precise data on trailer locations and statuses, yard managers can better allocate resources such as labor and equipment, ensuring optimal use of assets and minimizing waste.
  2. Eliminate Detention Fees (54%)

    Detention fees represent a substantial financial burden for many businesses, making their reduction a critical objective. In our survey, over half of the respondents highlighted the importance of eliminating these costs. Successfully addressing detention fees not only results in significant cost savings but also boosts the overall efficiency and effectiveness of yard operations.

    Leveraging YMS To Achieve This Goal:

    Automated Alerts: Our yard management system includes automated alerts that notify yard managers when trailers are approaching their detention limits and when they enter detention, allowing for timely action to avoid penalties.

    Real-Time Visibility: YMS provides real-time visibility of trailers approaching and currently in detention, enabling proactive management and swift resolution of potential issues.

    Reporting Features: Comprehensive reporting features provide detailed insights into detention occurrences, helping managers understand the root causes and implement preventive measures. Detailed reports also aid in challenging and verifying detention charges, ensuring accuracy and fairness in billing.

    Increased Efficiency: Making the yard run more efficiently through optimized processes and resource allocation helps prevent trailers from reaching detention in the first place, ensuring smooth and cost-effective operations.

    The Impact Of This Goal

    Cost Savings: Eliminating unnecessary detention charges can save companies substantial amounts of money, which can then be reinvested into other areas of the operation.

    Operational Efficiency: Streamlining the process of loading and unloading trailers ensures that operations stay on schedule, reducing the likelihood of incurring detention fees.

    Improved Carrier Relationships: Adhering to agreed timelines and minimizing detention helps maintain positive relationships with carriers, which can lead to better service and potentially lower rates.

    Employee Satisfaction: Reducing the need for employees to dig around and verify correct detention charges from carriers increases job satisfaction and reduces frustration, leading to a more productive and engaged workforce.
  3. Expedite Gate Processing (37%)

    Efficient gate processing is critical for maintaining smooth yard operations. 37% of the surveyed professionals highlighted this as a key goal. Enhanced gate processing minimizes wait times, enhances security, and prevents bottlenecks at the yard entrance, ensuring a seamless flow of operations.

    Leveraging YMS To Achieve This Goal:

    Pre-Loaded Appointment Data: Pre-loaded appointment data from the appointment schedule reduces time at check-in, making the process faster and more efficient.

    Automated Gate Kiosks: Automated gate kiosks streamline the check-in process, reducing the need for manual interaction and speeding up entry and exit times.

    Controlled Slot Times: Controlled slot times ensure that trailers arrive and depart at designated times, minimizing congestion and improving yard flow.

    Asset Verification: Ensures that trailers are verified as the correct asset leaving the facility, enhancing security and accuracy in yard operations.

    The Impact of This Goal:

    Error Reduction: By automating data capture and processing, our system significantly reduces the chances of manual entry errors, ensuring accuracy in gate records.

    Reduces Wait Times: Faster gate processing minimizes the time trailers spend waiting to enter or exit the yard, improving overall throughput.

    Enhances Security: Security is strengthened by verifying all visitors before they enter the facility and ensuring that assets cannot depart without proper confirmation.

    Minimizes Bottlenecks: Efficient gate management prevents congestion at the yard entrance, allowing for smoother overall operations.
  4. Increase Driver Productivity (32%)

    Driver productivity is essential for efficient yard management. With 32% of surveyed professionals identifying this as a top goal, it's clear that optimizing driver tasks and routes can significantly enhance overall yard operations, reduce idle time, and improve throughput.

    Leveraging YMS To Achieve This Goal:

    Driver Reporting for Productivity: Provides detailed reports on driver activities and productivity, helping managers identify areas for improvement.

    Idle Driver Alerts: Sends alerts when drivers are idle for too long, allowing for quick reassignment and better utilization of resources.

    Automated Move Assignments Based on Location: Uses advanced algorithms to assign moves to drivers based on their current location, ensuring efficiency.

    Automated Move Requests: Streamlines the process of requesting and assigning moves, reducing delays and increasing productivity.

    Clear Move Instructions: Provides clear, concise instructions for each move, reducing confusion and ensuring tasks are completed correctly and efficiently.

    The Impact of This Goal:

    Reduces Idle Time: By minimizing idle time through alerts and efficient task assignments, drivers can be kept consistently productive.

    Increases Throughput: Efficient driver management ensures timely trailer movements, increasing overall yard throughput.

    Enhances Resource Utilization: Effective use of drivers maximizes productivity without the need to increase workforce size, optimizing operational costs.

    Reduces Labor Costs: Improved driver productivity and streamlined dock door operations reduce labor costs associated with dock management.

    Improves Dock Efficiency: Dock personnel spend less time waiting for trailers, enhancing the efficiency of loading and unloading processes.
  5. Access to Current and Historical Data (31%)

    Access to both current and historical data is vital for making informed decisions and optimizing yard operations. 31% of surveyed professionals see this as a crucial goal. Detailed data analysis helps identify trends, improve efficiency, and ensure compliance with industry standards.

    Leveraging YMS To Achieve This Goal:

    Robust Reporting: Offers robust reporting tools that provide detailed insights into all yard activities, from trailer dwell times to gate processing efficiency.

    Configured Reports: Reports can be configured to meet specific operational needs, allowing managers to focus on the most relevant data for their decision-making processes.

    Dashboards: Provides intuitive dashboards that present key metrics and data in an easily digestible format, helping managers quickly assess yard performance and make informed decisions.

    The Impact of This Goal:

    Provides Operational Insights: Detailed data on yard operations helps identify trends, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement.

    Facilitates Data-Driven Decisions: With access to comprehensive data, yard managers can make informed decisions that enhance efficiency and productivity.

    Supports Compliance and Reporting: Accurate records of yard activities support compliance with industry regulations and facilitate easier reporting.
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Experience the Future of Yard Management with YMS

The discussions and insights from MODEX 2024 highlight the evolving priorities and challenges in yard management. As supply chain management continues to advance, Yard Management Solutions is committed to providing innovative, effective yard management services that address these key areas. Whether it's improving visibility, reducing costs, or enhancing overall efficiency, our YMS software is designed to meet the needs of modern yard operations and provide the best yard management system.

Ready to see the impact our solutions can have on your operations?

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