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5 Key Benefits of Implementing Time Tracking in Yard Operations

Effective yard management is essential for optimizing operations in logistics and supply chain industries. It involves the management of various resources, including vehicles, trailers, containers, and personnel, to ensure efficient and effective operations. With so many moving parts, it’s easy to see why things can go awry. And when that happens, they go badly wrong.  The primary goal of yard management is to optimize the flow of goods and materials in and out of the facility’s yard, while minimizing costs, maximizing throughput, and improving overall operational efficiency. When that doesn’t happen, it costs time and money. And time equals money. There are, however, tools that can greatly enhance yard management and keep it on track.  One of these tools is time tracking. By implementing time tracking systems, organizations can gain valuable insights into their yard operations and make data-driven decisions to improve efficiency and overall performance.  In this article, we’ll explore the key components of a yard and the key benefits of implementing time tracking for efficient management. Let’s get going. 

Key Components of Yard Management

To better understand how time tracking can optimize yard management, consider the different components of the yard that need to work together to keep the supply chain intact and logistics moving forward:

  • Yard Layout and Organization:

This involves designing the yard area to accommodate the storage and movement of different vehicles and equipment. It includes establishing designated areas for parking, loading and unloading, and storage of trailers or containers.

  • Inventory Control:

Yard management involves keeping track of the inventory within the yard, including the number and location of trailers, containers, or other assets. It may involve using technologies such as barcoding, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), or GPS (Global Positioning System) to monitor and track inventory in real-time.

  • Vehicle and Equipment Scheduling:

Efficient yard management requires planning and scheduling the movement of vehicles and equipment within the yard. It involves coordinating activities such as trailer or container movements, loading and unloading operations, and vehicle maintenance to minimize idle time and maximize productivity.

  • Yard Operations Optimization:

Yard management aims to streamline yard operations by optimizing processes and reducing bottlenecks. This can involve implementing automated systems for check-in/check-out procedures, prioritizing the movement of trailers based on operational requirements, and utilizing data analytics to identify areas for improvement.

  • Collaboration and Communication

Effective communication and collaboration among different stakeholders are crucial in yard management. This includes coordination between yard personnel, drivers, warehouse staff, and transportation carriers to ensure smooth operations and timely movement of goods.

The Benefits of Implementing Time Tracking

Now that we’ve outlined all the moving parts, implementation of time management already seems like a no-brainer. But you might not have thought about the full picture. Let’s look at the ways time tracking can influence your yard management for positive outcomes.

1. Enhanced Resource Allocation

Time tracking enables organizations to understand the utilization of various resources within the yard, including personnel, vehicles, and equipment. By tracking the time spent on different tasks and activities, managers can identify resource overutilization or underutilization. This information allows for better resource allocation and planning, ensuring that the right resources are available when and where they’re needed most. When you’re trying to maximize performance in the yard, speed is everything. Products need to be packed and unloaded at a similar speed so that vehicles are not standing still for too long. Moreover, different products often have different time requirements depending on the product that’s being moved as well as the delivery services on option. Some customers have priority, and ensuring their priority is respected is the yard manager’s duty. 

2. Improved Performance Measurement

Time tracking provides a means to measure and evaluate performance metrics related to yard operations. By tracking the time taken for activities such as loading, unloading, or trailer movements, managers can assess the efficiency and productivity of yard processes. This data serves as a basis for setting performance benchmarks, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing process improvements to optimize overall performance. Time tracking allows you to display and interpret data in almost every process taking place in the yard. The more attention you pay to this data, the faster problems can be identified and solved. Running a yard without time tracking is essentially like driving blind. 

3. Real-time Visibility and Coordination

Time tracking in real-time provides visibility into the current status and location of assets within the yard. By utilizing technologies like GPS or RFID, managers can monitor the movement and dwell times of trailers, containers, or vehicles. This real-time visibility enables better coordination and decision-making, allowing managers to allocate resources efficiently and schedule tasks effectively. Implementing an employee time clock also improves visibility and streamlines yard coordination. It helps to ensure that hours, breaks, and overtime are monitored and structured in the most efficient way, and that the yard is not under-or-over staffed at any time. 

4. Identification of Delays and Bottlenecks

Time tracking helps in identifying delays and bottlenecks that hinder yard operations. By comparing planned versus actual times for various activities, managers can pinpoint areas of inefficiency or delays. This information empowers them to take corrective actions, such as reassigning resources, adjusting schedules, or redesigning processes to minimize delays and improve overall flow. Bottlenecks can be the most frustrating part of any supply chain. Monitoring your time data can allow you to not only find the root causes of various bottlenecks within the supply chain, but also predict when and where they could happen. 

5. Data-driven Continuous Improvement

Time tracking data serves as a valuable source for analysis and continuous improvement in yard management. By analyzing historical time tracking data, organizations can identify patterns, trends, and opportunities for optimization.  This data-driven approach supports continuous improvement efforts, allowing organizations to optimize workflows, implement process enhancements, and make informed decisions to drive efficiency and effectiveness.

To Sum It Up

Implementing time tracking systems in yard management offers several significant benefits to organizations. It enhances resource allocation, enables performance measurement, provides real-time visibility, identifies delays and bottlenecks, and supports data-driven continuous improvement.  By leveraging time tracking, organizations can optimize yard operations, reduce costs, improve customer service, and enhance overall operational performance in their supply chain and logistics processes. Embracing time tracking as a tool for yard management can drive efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness in today’s dynamic business environment.
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