No one likes traffic congestion on the highway, sitting behind a wall of vehicles and red brake lights. Horns honk and tempers flare as impatient drivers, many on a tight schedule, powerlessly try to move things along. Trucks and cars spew fumes as they idle. It’s the same thing on a smaller scale with yard congestion.
Yard congestion refers to the potential for facility yards at warehouses and manufacturing operations to become backed up, overcrowded, and inefficient. Trucks sit idling and backed up at the gate, waiting for clearance to enter the yard; trailers, containers, and chassis are left out of place or not tracked properly; and queues also form at the loading dock bay doors and again at the exit gate.
The significance is considerable, as each arriving truck is carrying a load expected and needed that day and hour by a warehouse operations manager, production line supervisor, or inventory specialist.
Some common causes of yard congestion include poor gate processes to clear and admit vehicles and drivers; a lack of automation and asset visibility; poor coordination between gate and docks; inadequate synchronization and integration (yard management system, warehouse management system, transportation management system); a bad yard layout; ineffective scheduling and appointment systems; ineffective coordination and updating among yard staff, carriers, and drivers.
Beyond the facility itself, yard congestion has effects that ripple up and down the supply chain. It results in increased transportation costs, missed delivery deadlines, and a lack of efficiency and productivity. Addressing it, therefore, is essential for maintaining a smooth, efficient supply chain.
Assessing Current Yard Operations
The first step in addressing yard congestion is to assess current conditions. Targeted solutions can’t be developed until chronic bottlenecks and areas of congestion are identified.
Identifying Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks typically occur at the gate, the loading docks, and parking areas. Identifying them involves analyzing the flow of vehicles and other assets (trailers, containers, chassis) and pinpointing areas where delays and congestion frequently occur.
Tools and Techniques
Doing a workflow analysis and developing KPIs are two ways to identify yard congestion issues. Workflow analysis involves mapping out yard processes to identify inefficiencies. KPIs such as average dwell time, throughput, and asset utilization give managers quantitative data that can be used to measure the effectiveness of yard operations.
Evaluating Current Processes
Examine check-in and check-out procedures, scheduling systems, and loading/unloading processes. Identify areas that clearly need improvement as a prerequisite to developing targeted solutions.
Implementing Technology
A yard management system (YMS) is specialized software designed to manage yard operations. Features include tracking of various yard assets (trucks, trailers, chassis, containers), gate access control, and dock scheduling and appointments. These features help reduce yard congestion by providing greater visibility and control.
Automated gate systems streamline check-in and check-out procedures, reducing wait times and congestion. Efficient scheduling and appointment tools help manage vehicle flow, reducing the potential for congestion.
A YMS provides a centralized platform to manage all yard activities, enabling better coordination and reducing delays. Automation reduces the need for manual interventions, speeding up operations and reducing errors. Data and analytics help identify bottlenecks and optimize yard layout.
A YMS is a great tool for all of this, but it typically lacks the ability to access and analyze real-time data. When augmented with third-party technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI), yard operations can be more closely synced with production and transportation processes.
Integrating an AI-enhanced YMS with TMS, for example, optimizes load planning and shipment sequencing by analyzing data on vehicle capacity, delivery schedules, and transportation constraints. Enhanced visibility into transportation schedules, routes, and availability provides tighter coordination with inbound/outbound logistics.
In addition, advanced yard operations software equipped with optical character recognition (OCR) powered by AI can capture and decipher a number of unique identifiers across asset types, sizes, and configurations. This includes truck, trailer, chassis, and container numbers, US DOT numbers, and license plates.
Vehicle access control, a feature of today’s YMS, enhances security by preventing unauthorized access, improving traffic management, automating entry and exit processes, and monitoring and logging vehicle movements for auditing and compliance. Traditional systems use automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to capture and analyze vehicle tags.
VAC augmented by AI, using data feeds via OCR, is a significant improvement over traditional systems using ANPR. It can capture over two dozen vehicle and trailer identification markers, including truck number, trailer number, container and chassis number, USDOT number, and license plate. This enhances security and efficiency, setting a new standard by processing and analyzing multiple identifiers simultaneously.
Predictive Analytics for Congestion Management
Predictive analytics can be used to forecast congestion based on historical and real-time data. This helps in planning yard activities and scheduling to avoid peak times and reduce congestion.
Utilizing Data for Continuous Improvement
Data analytics can identify areas for improvement. Continuous monitoring ensures that yard operations remain efficient and adapted to changing conditions.
Process Optimization Strategies
Strategies to streamline yard operations include improving gate check-in and check-out procedures, optimizing scheduling systems, and making load and unload processes more efficient.
Check-In and Check-Out Procedures
This is a primary area for reducing yard congestion. Automating documentation and gate access systems speeds up vehicle clearance and reduces the need for manual intervention and staffing.
Scheduling and Appointments
An AI-powered YMS optimizes scheduling and appointments, reducing congestion and creating smoother flow. Yard operations teams can better manage vehicles and other assets and reduce wait times. Drivers are assigned specific time slots prior to arrival, reducing wait times and improving efficiency. Vehicles are processed quicker, reducing the likelihood of congestion
Scheduling appointments during off-peak times ensures a smoother flow, minimizing delays and improving efficiency.
Load and Unload Optimization
This involves prioritizing tasks based on urgency and capacity, and improving dock assignment procedures, reducing congestion and enhancing productivity.
Enhancing Communication and Collaboration
Effective communication among yard staff, carriers, and drivers is crucial for smooth yard operations. This includes providing regular training and briefings and upgrading external communication with carriers and drivers.
Internal Communication
Regular training and briefings can ensure that staff are well-informed and equipped to handle their tasks effectively. Clear communication channels and real-time updates can enhance coordination and reduce delays.
External Communication
Collaboration with carriers and drivers is crucial for smooth yard operations. Providing real-time updates and notifications can help manage expectations and reduce wait times. Effective communication with external stakeholders ensures that yard operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Keeping carriers and drivers well-informed reduces wait times and ensures that yard operations run smoothly. Providing real-time updates and notifications ensures they can respond quickly to any changes in schedules.
The Case for Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is essential for maintaining efficient yard operations and adapting to changing conditions. This involves regular monitoring and evaluation, feedback mechanisms, and flexibility in processes and systems.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Regular audits and assessments are crucial for identifying areas for improvement and ensuring that yard operations remain efficient. Monitoring KPIs and conducting evaluations provides valuable insights into operational performance.
Regular Audits and Assessments
This ensures that yard operations remain efficient and effective, by identifying areas for improvement and implementing targeted solutions.
Feedback Mechanisms
Feedback mechanisms allow yard operations teams to gather input from staff, carriers, and drivers. This feedback provides valuable insights into inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
Flexibility in Processes and Systems
Flexibility in processes and systems ensures that yard operations can adapt to changing conditions and remain efficient. This includes updating technology and adjusting workflows as needed.
Tackling Yard Congestion Takes A Holistic Approach
To deal with yard congestion — and the many pain points it causes — organizations need to assess current operations, optimize processes, and enhance communication. Root cause analysis will identify what needs to be fixed to ensure smoother operations and greater supply chain efficiency.
Implementing innovative technology is an important step in easing yard congestion, enhancing productivity, and reducing operating costs. Look no further than EAIGLE, a pioneer in applying AI to yard operations in warehouse and manufacturing scenarios. Its groundbreaking technology leverages real-time data captured from security cameras to optimize vehicle flow and manage yard assets. EAIGLE’s platform seamlessly bridges the gap between TMS and WMS systems and augments rather than replaces a legacy YMS.
EAIGLE’s OCR software collects and instantly analyzes data from existing cameras to speed up gate security, reducing delays and dwell time. This same system optimizes dock scheduling, yard routing, and vehicle flow, as well as the location and status of all yard assets.
Systems for gate management (AVAC™) and yard operations (YardSight™) are designed to improve operations through faster, more accurate yard asset management, improved gate access, and more efficient bay scheduling and queueing. To find out more, request a demo today.