Yard Management Software was first invented in the early 2000s. Since then, about 20% of businesses use this software to help streamline yard processes. Many yards opt to not make the switch to a YMS system for various reasons: expensive upgrades, a steep learning curve, and the fear that the system will eliminate jobs have kept yard managers from pushing the higher ups to implement the software in their yards. But what if we told you that these concerns didn’t hold up? Below are four things about yard management your boss needs to know.1) Instant Return of Investment
On average, a company that switches to a paperless system could save $30,000 a year by decreasing their paper consumption. Companies will also notice a 95% decrease in demurrage and detention costs, a 99% decrease in management analysis costs, a 50% decrease in yard check costs, and a 30% decrease in trailer spotting and operational costs. This is because the yard management system has the ability to streamline most yard processes.
2) Helps to Automate Yard Processes
By automating yard move logs, your spotters will spend more time switching verses getting out of their cabs and manually writing down each trailer they are moving and their locations. The ability to automate yard checks will also eliminate the forms spotters have to fill out by hand, which will allow them to focus on other important yard tasks. Yard spotters will spend less time idling while waiting to accept requests from dispatch since all commands can be sent in real time.
3) Increases Yard Visibility
All of your assets are put on the clock. Through detailed reporting measures, yard managers will know where their assets and workers are at all times. Security is able to take images of the inside of every trailer to make sure that goods are tracked at every step of the process. Yard Managers have the ability to use Smart Dispatch, one of YardTrac Pro’s best solutions. Smart Dispatch allows managers to communicate with spotters through the application and to dispatch spotters by proximity. They can also send out Multi-Leg Dispatches, which alerts both local spotters and shuttles of when and where to pick up their assets. The amount of visibility you will have in your yard is endless and priceless. The best part is that all of this information is accessible in real time, meaning you no longer have to go through the paper trail to access the information you need now.
4) Fully Customizable
Most yard management systems, like YardTrac Pro, have the ability to integrate with preexisting WMS, TMS, CRM, and ERP systems and have many other customizable features. Some of the customizable features and reports offered through YardTrac Pro include: KPI Reporting, Detention Defender, Dispatch History, Employee Scan, Bob Tail, Arrival/ Departure Log, Dock Door Report, Exception Report, Auto Arrival Report, Yard Capacity Report, Aging Report, Turn Time Report, Multi-Point Security Questionnaire, CTPAT, Visitor Log, Carton Inspection, Custom Push Notifications, and Custom Security Checks. The ability to pick and choose which reports, security checks, integrations with systems, and types of notifications is what makes YardTrac Pro stand out from its competition, and is one of the main reasons why yard managers make the switch.
If you are still having trouble deciding if Exotrac is the right YMS system for you, download our latest case study by clicking here. Want to book a demo with us? Call us at 212.989.0171, or click the link below to send us your information at info@exotrac.com.
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3 Questions You Should Ask Before Switching to a Yard Management System