SDCExec.com |

One of the reasons yard management and dock scheduling software has been slow to be adopted throughout the logistics world is the constant focus on ROI. Vendors, including ourselves, have been guilty of thinking only about the impact our software has on the tractors, trailers and shunters at work in the yard.

Yes, ROI is important. Yes, you will save money on shunters, driver and trailer detention and a host of other yard costs. Typically, for companies with a fleet over 100 tractors, YMS (yard management system) projects reach payback in under a year and generate strong direct savings. But those savings often aren't enough to drive a YMS purchase to the top of a C-level decision-maker's logistics priority list.

Maybe we haven't been including the right factors when we calculate ROI. It's time we started to think outside the yard. It's time to get beyond the narrow definition of ROI and look at the real impact YMS software can have on today's high-velocity logistics organizations.

The Yard — Where Cutting-edge Technology Meets Clipboards and Magnets

Your ERP system allows you to rationalize nearly every aspect of your business, from electronic data interchange (EDI) integration with suppliers and vendors to the most minute of purchasing details. Your warehouse management system (WMS) has allowed you to minimize inventory and cut costs. Your transportation management system (TMS) optimizes your routing and boosts the overall productivity of your trailer fleet. But what happens when a trailer full of merchandise hits the front gate of your distribution center?