Improve Inventory Visibility with Yard Management Software (YMS)

Yard management software was designed to track inventory as it reaches your facility gate rather than the dock door. This provides an added layer of inventory visibility that can assist in activity planning and flow through. Having access to this information is critical to many 3PLs, warehouses and distribution centers because container and truck yards are areas where bottlenecks and lost inventory occur most frequently. The implementation of yard management systems help warehouse operators make better business decisions and become proactive about correcting inventory management inefficiencies. The most influential YMS feature is the ability to manage inbound and outbound trailers. Using this functionality users can see trailer location and status in real-time. This data can easily be transferred into warehouse management software to make the data accessible to all users. Appointment scheduling is also a critical feature of yard management software. Dock staff can prepare for and direct drivers to proper dock locations to increase loading and unloading efficiency. This data is most often collected by mobile devices such as barcode scanners and mobile computers and transferred directly into the YMS and WMS for reporting and inventory management purposes. YMS functionality also helps to facilitate more complex transportation strategies such as crossdocking and transloading. When the yard and dock operates at its greatest potential, your team can unload, combine and load shipments more effectively increasing shipping volume and velocity. These features and functionality allow 3PL, warehousing and distribution center operations to reduce labor requirements through process optimization, avoid penalties and fees related to untimely trailer processing and minimize inventory loss through improved inventory visibility. Accessing data in real-time and integrating with WMS and/or ERP systems allow users to make inventory handling data accessible and usable. This helps to improve decision making capabilities and customer service levels. To learn more about the benefits of yard management system implementation contact Datex experts today at www.datexcorp.com , marketing@datexcorp.com or 800.933.2839 ext 243.