Modern supply chains are, on the whole, efficient and effective, despite being complex. This is evident from the fully stocked shelves we see at our retailers and wholesalers. But a host of extenuating circumstances can very quickly throw a spanner in the works of these interconnected distribution lines. Droughts, airstrikes, worker walkouts, and power outages have all affected global logistics in recent years.
Nevertheless, it’s imperative for buyers, sellers, shippers, and handlers that assets reach their destination in good condition; delays cost time and money and can lead to fines and reputational damage.
For a supply chain to function effectively, the main players – warehouses, yards, transport companies, and distribution centres must communicate with one another. However, the old-school ways of managing these sites persist and silos of data are created, especially in yards.
Often, yard managers will use pen and paper, radios, and clipboards to keep track of and direct drivers and vehicles in their yard. But staff can leave, and paperwork with important information can get lost. A traffic accident on the approach to the yard could leave drivers in a jam, and then too many can arrive at the gate at the same time without forewarning. This can lead to a backlog at the entry point and a shortage of loading bays. These are just two examples of data siloes, both of which can lead to delays and fines.
Innovation in the yard
The yard is low-hanging fruit as a space to improve the performance of supply chains, even though it has often been overlooked in favour of warehouses and transport companies. Moving yard management from manual to digital with a yard management system (YMS) means real-time communication and analytics, and therefore a more productive yard.
Having access to a YMS can vastly improve oversight and facilitate last-minute changes that are inevitable in such a dynamic environment. It allows yard managers to be proactive instead of reactive. According to Derek Pedersen, senior technical product manager YMS at Kaleris: “Knowing as much information ahead of time is going to empower [customers] to understand what [they] need to action and when [they] need to action it, as opposed to having to deal with everything that pops up.
“There are a few key areas that we typically tend to focus on to guide our customer,” says Pedersen. “Door utilisation, dock dwell time, dock turn time, spotter productivity, switcher productivity, and the average amount of time it takes to do moves. Our system allows us to track that and provide that visibility.”
Pedersen and Duncan McLeod, VP of business development at Kaleris, recently sat down with Suzy Swindle, the company’s director of communications, to discuss how the value of this information can be supercharged by integrating the YMS with a transport management system (TMS). Watch the conversation here.
Complex supply chain solutions
Kaleris is a leading provider of cloud-based supply chain execution and visibility technology solutions, including yard and transport management systems. Its YMS offers unique capabilities for real-time location systems, automated gate check-in, task automation, and more, eliminating manual workflows and improving operational visibility for accelerated supply chain execution.
Its TMS, meanwhile, streamlines the planning, execution, and optimisation of freight operations, enabling smarter carrier selection, route optimisation, and real-time tracking, to help reduce costs, improve delivery times, and enhance visibility across the entire supply chain.
Together, YMS and TMS create an effective yard and transportation management plan that optimises dispatch efficiency, connects inbound and outbound logistics to better serve stores and customers, increases backhaul profitability, saves money on yard and transportation costs and reduces losses from spoilage, and accelerates store network replenishment.
With 640 clients across 80 countries, the global logistics market leader is trusted by its customers to help them create a connected, visible, and reliable global logistics ecosystem. To find out more, download the report below.
