The contactless, digital, automated and optimized yard as an integral part of the supply chain (part 1/3)
In many cases, the term yard management is equated with truck handling on a plant or yard site. However, the use cases in practice are much more complex and include not only yard handling for trucks, but also various combinations and other means of transport such as rail or inland waterway vessels. The processes are also very different due to the goods to be transported (e.g. liquids, packaged goods, containers, hazardous goods, etc.). All of this must be taken into account when processes in yard management are to be considered or optimized.
8 trends that will shape the yard of the future
In addition to the process-related view, the integration of processes in warehouse and transport systems, the integration of hardware or business partners, eight future topics are currently coming into focus, which we would like to present to you in this three part blog series.
- The corona pandemic not only has an impact on all of our daily lives, but also on the handling of yard processes. Contacts and encounters between truck drivers and gate and logistics personnel should be avoided as much as possible. The focus here is primarily on app-based applications and automation technologies.
- The planning of loading and unloading processes with the aid of real-time data and the integration of hardware or process participants via app or telematics: The need to link time slot information for loading and unloading planning with real-time data is becoming ever greater in the increasingly tight logistics market.
- Automation of yard processes: Identification of resources and means of transport, as well as condition monitoring of locations, is increasingly being synchronized automatically. It will be exciting to observe whether registration terminals can be replaced in the medium term by apps in combination with OCR cameras and IoT technologies.
- Yard management is increasingly no longer viewed as a monolithic system alongside WMS and TMS. Processes are increasingly viewed holistically and thus modern applications integrate seamlessly into existing process and IT worlds.
- Real-time and data-driven yard processes: Performance is not lost or gained in gate processing. Only in the synchronization of loading point planning, the current daily schedule and real-time data from all process participants do the desired benefits emerge. As a result, processes can be synchronized, utilization can be increased and waiting times can be reduced.
- How long do my processes take in the yard? Today, much is done on the basis of guesswork and experience. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), process throughput times can be interpreted and evaluated. This makes it possible to schedule specific throughput times and better predict and plan slot and occupancy times.
- The days of elaborate and complex training are over. Software in 2021 must be simple and intuitive. User Experience and User Centric Design have also arrived in Yard Management. On the other hand, all functions must cover process-related requirements and also be flexibly adaptable. Apps, map-based interfaces and control tower functions are now and will be in the future integral components of a modern yard management solution.
- High individuality and short project runtimes must no longer be mutually exclusive. Yard processes must be easy to implement and also to extend, since processes can change very quickly, especially in today's world. Many participants are rarely involved in the processes, which is precisely why processes, user interfaces, information and onboarding must be as simple as possible. In the best case, self-explanatory!
Contactless, digital, automated, optimized - smart solutions for the future
leogistics has already taken up these future trends in its product development and implemented them in four key yard management variants. The focus is on “contactless”, “digital”, “automated” and “optimized” yard management. Of course, none of these approaches is to be considered exclusively, excludes the others or forms a monolithic construct. Rather, individual requirements and experience determine which approach is the right one for the current challenge. An extension or combination is possible at any time.
Outlook
In the upcoming article, we will discuss the possibilities of contactless yard management and the extended form, digital yard management. For us, these two forms of yard management are the basis for efficient processing in the yard of the future.
Have we aroused your interest? We would be happy to support you with an implementation! If you have any questions about this or other topics in the blog, please contact blog@leogistics.com.
André Käber
CEO leogistics GmbH
