Yard management services are essential to any distribution center’s operations. It’s like the glue that holds it all together.
Strategies are put in place to meticulously manage and track the movement of vehicles, containers, and processes within the yard, which can get complicated since hundreds of shipments are moving in and out of a single yard daily.
The pressure is real, since time and money are on the line. There just can’t be delays! Logistics professionals utilize advanced software, equipment, and communications systems to keep up with the demand. A yard is one big system of operations, broken down into multiple main components.
That’s precisely what we cover in this blog post, to give you a thorough understanding of the complexities of yard management.
Yard Design
Adept yard management starts with the design of the facilities, including the layout and way operations flow in and out of the yard.
Safety, efficiency, and security are of the biggest concern. Yards are set up to ensure nothing gets misplaced and traffic can move about easily without accidents or damages occurring. It’s all about full visibility.
Yard Load Planning
This component centers around orders that come in and go out throughout the day. The challenge here is that every order is different, with unique needs and priorities. It’s important to establish a plan that schedules orders in the most time efficient manner possible.
Gate Management
A yard is a place of transit. You have numerous vehicles and containers flowing in and out. These are large vessels that need to be carefully monitored. Access to the yard is also important, but must be managed in a way to keep the supply chain flowing smoothly.
Yard Slotting
This concerns inventory and ensuring everything is organized, grouped, and stored in an efficient manner. Space is of the essence, so the goal of management is to utilize space in the best way possible so inventory is easy to locate and can be safely stored without risk of damages.
Yard Labeling
Labeling is pretty self explanatory. Without it, how do you know what goes where or what belongs to who? Labeling improves yard visibility and accuracy of operations.
Yard Automation
This is the use of technology to enhance yard optimization. There are numerous advanced software platforms that allow yard operators to swiftly communicate, send real-time updates, and track vehicles/containers with clarity and ease.
Yard Performance Monitoring & Security
This is classic human oversight of all yard operations, also accounting for security to ensure all inventory is where it needs to be at all times. There is surveillance and security software that can be utilized to minimize damages and risk of theft.
