Adopting Tech-Centric Yard & Dock Management Strategies

Critical Roles of Dock & Yard Management

As the complexities of running domestic and international supply chains increase, and as customers demand faster deliveries and even higher levels of visibility, the dock and yard will play critical roles in the success or failure of these supply chains.

The companies that insist on using manual processes to manage this aspect of their distribution operations will face steep challenges, while those that embrace modern, automated technologies will come out ahead.

Focused on meeting customer needs and demands, and all with limited resources, logistics professionals will increasingly be turning to technology to help them do their jobs while maintaining profitability and shoring up the organizational bottom line.

Achieving these goals isn’t easy in any business environment, but it’s particularly onerous in our e-commerce, omnichannel distribution world.

The companies that invest in technology and include their docks and yards in those investment decisions will be best positioned for success now, and well into the future.

Addressing the Major Pain Points

Rising freight costs are a primary concern for supply chain and logistics executives who are also worried about:

• The persistent driver shortages
• Lack of truck capacity
• Being able to get shipments to customers quickly
• Securing carriers
• Becoming shippers of choice for preferred carriers
• Scheduling dock appointments in an efficient and effective manner
• Tracking assets in the yard

To address these problems during the upcoming months, freight operations managers will be focused on gaining better control over costs; reducing shipping errors; improving inventory management and planning; leveraging better analytics; meeting delivery timelines; and refining dock throughput.