Why Automotive Manufacturers Need an Automated Yard Management Software System

The automotive supply chain is a network of suppliers working together to manufacture cars, trucks and other vehicles with the help of automation and robotics. Minimizing costs and ensuring parts are tracked and arrive on time is just one of many challenges of automobile manufacturers. How exactly can you ensure parts arrive on schedule? How many are there, and where are they located? The global nature of the automotive industry makes this particular industry very complex and several software systems are necessary to manage the end to end process.

Below we dig deep into how a yard management system (YMS) helps solve critical problem areas in the automotive supply chain.
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Visibility

With so many suppliers moving and delivering parts from one manufacturing plant to the next, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. On-time delivery, shipment information accuracy and the electronic shipment of data from the supplier (ASN) are critical for efficient operations. A yard management system provides visibility into the yard so there is never a question as to where parts are located, how many there are and if there are more scheduled.
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Recurring Scheduling

Repeatable processes including the ability to minimize human intervention and the ability to measure and report on those processes needs to be quick and automated. At the same time, there is still flexibility that may be needed when parts are damaged or get forgotten and another shipment needs to be scheduled. A yard management system easily allows you to plan out and create reoccurring, automated schedules for inbound and outbound shipments. We know you’re on a tight schedule and maintaining an autonomous flow in the yard will allow you to keep up with your operations.
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Integrate with Any System, Big or Small

Regardless of how many other software systems are being used and how intricate, the integration of data to or from a yard management system is no problem. The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) or the transfer of data is easily achieved with a YMS.
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Alignment of People, Processes, and Technology

Some of the largest mistakes occur as a result of miscommunication or lack of communication. The integration of YMS into other processes assists in the alignment of your team, operations and other platforms keeping everyone accountable and on the same page.
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Real Time Dock Turn Performance

Do you know how long it took to unload and load your trucks? A yard management system can tell you every day how quickly your turn times are and highlights opportunities where it may be lagging.
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Tracking of Dunnage, Racks, and Out to Supplier Runs

Reusable dunnage streamlines the process from part manufacture to final assembly as long as the design works for the supplier line, manufacturing line and final customer. A yard management system easily tracks your trailer contents and location so the right amount of dunnage and racks arrive at the right location to get filled with parts and on an outbound.
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KPI’s to Provide Insight on Where to Improve and Gain Efficiencies

Reporting is easily achieved through YardView’s software and the best part – they can automatically get created keeping you in the loop on how your operations and team performance are doing, further highlighting where to improve.

We understand the challenges that occur in the yard and staying organized is critical to success. Learn more about YardView’s software features today to make an impact on your bottom line tomorrow.