The Ultimate YMS Software Buyer’s Guide

Efficient yard management is crucial for a smooth supply chain, yet many facilities struggle with delays, lost shipments, and operational bottlenecks. YMS software provides the solution by offering real-time visibility, automation, and seamless integration with WMS and TMS to optimize yard operations. But with so many YMS software options available, how do you choose the right one?

Yard management is often overlooked in supply chain optimization, but without the right YMS software, inefficient processes can lead to long dwell times, misplaced shipments, and slow operations. Many facilities still rely on outdated methods, excessive paperwork, and manual tracking, which only increase the risk of errors.

A Yard Management System (YMS) bridges the gap between warehouse management systems (WMS) and transportation management systems (TMS), ensuring smooth coordination of inbound and outbound logistics. Selecting the right YMS software is essential for optimizing your yard operations and adapting to future advancements, such as smart warehouses and AI-powered logistics.

This guide covers the key features, benefits, and important factors to consider when choosing the best YMS software for your facility.

CHAPTER 1: Why YMS Software Is Essential for Supply Chain Optimization

So, what exactly is a YMS?

Let’s start with warehouse management systems (WMS), a staple in the logistics industry. These systems automate warehouse tasks and streamline processes, making them indispensable to operations.

Another key player in logistics is transportation management systems (TMS), which optimize both inbound and outbound shipments. Shippers rely on TMS software to predict transportation needs and improve efficiency.

This is where YMS software comes in. A Yard Management System bridges the gap between WMS and TMS, offering visibility across the entire operation. Rather than being a black hole, a yard equipped with advanced, integrated YMS software can connect these systems seamlessly.

Key features of YMS software include dynamic scheduling, digital check-in, automated yard workflows, dock door management, reporting and analytics, support, APIs, and a product roadmap.

1. Dynamic Scheduling: Carriers can book appointments, create reminders for drivers, as well as change/modify appointments on the fly.

2. Digital Check-in: Drivers can check-in via SMS without having to get out of the cab.

3. Yard Workflows: Automate processes and organize your yard for maximum visibility and efficiency.

4. Dock Door Management: Sync your dock door operations with the rest of the yard for smooth sailing.

5. Reporting and Analytics: Know what’s working and what isn’t with reporting tools that let you make informed decisions to improve the state of your yard.

6. Support, APIs, and Roadmap: An experienced YMS service vendor will have your back with quick communications, continuous API updates, product roadmaps, and more

CHAPTER 2: What Is YMS Software and Why Is It Important?

First, picture a traditional, non-digitized yard management process:

Lawless inbound and outbound shipment processes. No one actually knows if a shipment will enter or leave the yard on time (because, in most cases, everyone is too busy to constantly communicate). That is if the yard even knows where the shipment is in the first place.

Unsightly or missing shipment documentation. Paper documents such as the bill of lading (BOL) are a sea of confusion, mistakes, and unhappiness. Drivers and yard workers don’t always have the time to process BOLs correctly — and nobody blames them because it’s impossible to try and do everything at once.

People Management Complications. If someone calls in sick, you have a guard shortage, or there are too many hands on the same documents, something goes wrong. It could be just one missed shipment — but then — you have a cascading effect that causes bottlenecks and lack of visibility.

Unnecessary dwell and detention times. To the point where police would have handed out tickets for loitering if they could. It’s often due to inaccurate time estimates, asset management issues, and gate delays.

How Do You Know It’s Time To Ditch Traditional Yard Processes?

If your yard is anything like what we just described, then it’s time to bring your yard up to speed. Other key indicators that YMS platform would help your yard include:

• Bad Google reviews of your facility
• Frequent dwell time fees
• High guard and welcome center employee turnover
• Endless boxes of paperwork
• High theft rates
• Lack of yard visibility

If it’s obvious that your yard needs management, you aren’t alone. In the State of the Yard Report, 75% of respondents reported not having yard management software at most of their facilities.

Challenges of Traditional Yard Management

Before digitization, yard management relied on manual processes that created inefficiencies, including:

• Unstructured Inbound & Outbound Shipments

• No real-time tracking of truck movements.
• Poor coordination between drivers, guards, and warehouse teams.
• Paper-Based Documentation Errors

• Bills of lading (BOLs) are often misplaced, misfiled, or delayed.
• Manual data entry increases the risk of errors and inefficiencies.
• Labor & People Management Issues

• High guard turnover and staff shortages impact security and efficiency.
• Communication gaps create confusion and bottlenecks in operations.
• Excessive Dwell & Detention Times

Unclear processes result in fines, shipment delays, and unhappy partners.

Inefficient scheduling leads to unnecessary delays at the yard.

Signs Your Facility Needs a YMS Software Solution

If your yard faces challenges like frequent delays, high labor costs, or poor operational visibility, it’s time to consider upgrading to a YMS solution. Key signs that your facility could benefit from YMS software include:

• Negative online reviews from frustrated carriers or customers
  
• Frequent dwell time fees and detention charges
  
• High employee turnover at security gates and check-in stations
  
• Overwhelming paperwork, leading to lost or misfiled documents
  
• Increased security risks, such as misplaced or stolen shipments
  
• Lack of real-time visibility making it challenging to track assets and shipments
  

If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone. According to the State of the Yard Report, 75% of respondents reported that most of their facilities still lack yard management software, highlighting a significant opportunity for improvement.

A modern YMS solution can address these challenges by automating workflows, enhancing security, and providing real-time analytics. Implementing the best YMS software will help transform your operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and ensure seamless supply chain coordinator operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and ensure seamless supply chain coordination. 

Why Do I Need a YMS if I Have a WMS?

Yes, a WMS can help with inventory management, packing, shipping, and more. Some WMS software even have a yard management module that can be added on for extended benefits. So why bother with full-fledged YMS platform?

Trying to pretend that a WMS with an extra module is the same as a YMS is like trying to pretend your now room-temp coffee is an iced latte. It’s just not the same. The best standalone yard management software will have the following additional benefits:

• Real-time notifications and alerts
• Increased communication throughout the yard
• Trackable KPIs
• Streamlined and automated processes
• Digitized documentation
• Real-time yard visibility

What Do You Want To Achieve With Your YMS?

You can’t reach your goals with a YMS if you don’t know what your goals are. Do you want to reduce transportation costs, improve supply chain visibility, squeeze more capacity out of your existing network, or something else?

When you have a basic idea, you can create SMART goals to identify and track benchmarks on the way to yard management happiness. And yep, with most yard software, you’ll get analytics and reporting tools to see your goals progress!

How Will You Prioritize Must-have Features?

Based on your goals, you can create a list of features that a YMS must have to benefit your yard the most. See the checklist below for capabilities that deserve a coveted spot on your list.

• Dynamic Scheduling
• Digital Check-in
• Yard Workflows
• Dock Door Management
• Reporting and Analytics
• White Glove Service
• APIs
• Roadmap

The risks of Operating Without a YMS Solution

A YMS platform can help prevent:

• Excessive dwell times
• Excessive detention rates
• OTIF penalties
• The cost and delays of hiring/onboarding high turnover positions like guards and welcome clerks

You’ll also reduce the amount of lost or underutilized trailers, and have a better chance at positive Shipper of Choice ratings. How will that impact your rate negotiations with carriers?

Well, you probably can imagine. Lower costs and a positive customer experience mean a more efficient, profitable, and pleasant yard. Who knows, the changes might morph bottlenecks into actual drinks clinking in celebration (one can only hope).

Exploring Alternative Tools: Are RFID and Drones the Right fit?

You may be curious about tools such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and drones. And let’s face it, flying a drone is fun as long as it doesn’t glitch and smash to pieces.

That’s just it though, isn’t it. Drones are pricey and get easily damaged (or obliterated). Plus, you would need several in order to get accurate on-the-ground information since one little drone can’t supervise all areas of your yard at once.

RFIDs could be useful. However, RFID-enabled documentation can’t be read more than 30 feet away — oops. A completely software based solution is not only the most cost effective, it makes it even easier to manage and simplifies the process without additional hardware.

CHAPTER 3:  Evaluating YMS Software: Ensuring It Meets Your Needs

If you have your list of must-have capabilities ready, awesome! Take that list and compare it to what is possible within these features of some cloud-based YMS platform:

Dynamic Scheduling

Change appointment schedules based on actual arrival times and view the schedule as it happens. Drivers will automatically receive updates — and so will you if a driver requests changes.

Digital Check-in

Drivers can share check-in data with the click of a button. No more physical handoffs, kiosks or decades old vacuum tube systems. Drivers can take a picture of their documents, share via SMS or even pre check through a simple mobile app.

Yard Workflows

See what’s going on in your yard without the need for manual checks and allocate resources appropriately. You’ll know where trucks are in your yard, their status, and more. Warehouse personnel can be notified of what trailers need to be moved and where to prevent bottlenecks and keep the supply chain moving.

Dock Door Management

Real-time tracking and visibility let you see if arrival is late, on time, or early so you can make adjustments and improve the efficiency of your yard and maximize space. This is like cold medicine for your yard — it reduces congestion for clearer dock door management.

Reporting and Analytics

Time-tracking data and other analytics can be used to improve continuous yard management. This information can identify patterns and opportunities for optimization from check-in to check-out.

APIs

APIs allow you to integrate with other software and hardware systems you already have in place to make the experience more seamless for shipping clerks and drivers. Information can easily flow from one system to another, reducing manual data entry for everyone.

Roadmap

A product roadmap gives you insight into the YMS software’s current and future features and capabilities. It usually includes a timeline so you know what to expect and when.

White Glove Service

From onboarding and deployment to customer success and ongoing support, purchasing software is purchasing a partnership. Pick a partner that offers white glove service rolled into the subscription to ensure they are accountable to your facility’s success.

CHAPTER 4: How to Choose the Best YMS Software Vendor for Your Needs

Once you know what you want, it’s time to identify potential YMS
vendors and evaluate their reputation and experience. Don’t settle for less than what you need.

1. Assess Customer Reviews and Case Studies

We’ve all seen client reviews and have probably written a few of our own. A company testimonial about a YMS is an important consideration; companies willing to invest their time in creating reviews have strong feelings about the benefits of the solution.

2. Ask Essential Vendor Evaluation Questions

Here are some questions to ask a potential YMS vendor:

• How many customers are using your YMS?
• How many of those customers have a yard of yards view across all of their facilities?
• Typically, how long does it take to get a facility operational?
• How long does it take for the ROI pay back?
• What is my total cost of ownership and time to value?
• How much does support cost?
• How much should I budget for onboarding in addition
  to the software costs?

3. Request a Demo or Free Trial

Sign-up for product demos and trials. Throwing money at a company and hoping they can provide what you need is just bad business. Look for a company that will let you try a demo to see YMS capabilities for yourself. Some companies offer yard audits and will help you build a business case and even commit that you hit specific achievable ROI metrics.

4. Prioritize Scalability and Future-Readiness

Ask how often the company releases updates and new features. A stagnant YMS is not a good thing. A YMS with an open or public API may give your business more room to grow as you can create new ways to manage your data without being stuck in preset lanes.

5. Compare Costs vs Long Term Savings

Do your homework by researching how much other companies have been able to increase their efficiency and reduce costs and pit that against the cost of the YMS service to see the value. Remember to consider the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for your existing technology and evaluate the savings of working with a vendor who can either integrate the YMS into your current management infrastructure or help you eliminate the use of separate applications for a more efficient management system.

Remember to evaluate the ease of implementation and cost effectiveness, too! Will taking the time to get everyone on board really be worth it? Will this prevent a costly mistake like losing a trailer? The right vendor can explain the implementation process and what areas of operation you can expect to see positive results (and a nifty timeline wouldn’t hurt).

CHAPTER 5: Effective Strategies for a Successful YMS Implementation

Just like shipping overseas, data migration onto your new YMS platform doesn’t happen instantly. And of course, integration with your current software applications is a bit more complex than flipping a switch. A YMS vendor who puts their customers first will handle all of the grunt work, but you’ll need to know how long it will take so you can plan for a smooth process.

Training and Change Management Strategies

Even if the vendor has data migration and integration under control, you’ll still need to know what training materials they provide so you and your team can make the most of your shiny new software. If you are given additional training materials, schedule training times proactively and make it fun so your team actually tries! Create handy cheat sheets with detailed instructions and best practices to reduce user error and give your team confidence around using the product.

Incentives for attending training are nice, but you could also throw a party or make training days “wear your fave shirt” days too.

Post-implementation Support and Optimization

Find out if the vendor you opted for offers training and continuous support. Some vendors will never charge you for implementation, training, and ongoing support — others will hit you with additional fees that ultimately outweigh the cost of the original product. If you know ahead of time how your vendor can and will support your organization going forward, you can plan for success.

Prioritizing Time to Value (TTV) for a Faster YMS ROI

Time to value (TTV) means the time it takes for your YMS to actually start paying off once it’s fully functional. This is a crucial point to evaluate because you must also let the other execs know what’s up.

So, what do you look at when talking TTV? The YMS vendor is just as important as the software itself. A delayed onboarding process — or no real onboarding process at all — can really wreck your plans.

Ask the vendor about their onboarding plan, experience working with facilities of comparable size, and what hiccups they could see arising and how they would handle them. Lastly, make sure the cost of professional services — like onboarding — isn’t adding additional costs that impact your TTV.

Collaborate With IT and Stakeholders

Keep everyone updated so expectations can be set and met on time. Key stakeholders expect results, so make sure you share the TTV and progress toward your SMART goals so they keep smiling

Discover How Vector YMS Software Can Optimize Your Yard Operations

Upgrading to a YMS platform is a wise choice, but partnering with a vendor that genuinely supports your needs is essential. With Vector YMS software, you can access all the vital features you need today, along with exceptional customer success, training, and ongoing support.

Ready to see why leading enterprises trust Vector? Contact us today to schedule a demo and discover how Vector YMS software can elevate your yard operations and optimize your logistics processes.

Frequently Asked Questions About YMS Software

• What is YMS software and how does it benefit my yard operations?
  
  A Yard Management System (YMS) optimizes the movement and storage of goods within your yard. It provides real-time visibility, automates processes, and integrates with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Transportation Management Systems (TMS) to streamline yard operations, reduce delays, and improve overall efficiency.
  
• What’s the difference between WMS and YMS?
  
  While Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) focus on managing inventory inside the warehouse, Yard Management Systems (YMS) handle the operations in the yard, bridging the gap between WMS and TMS. YMS software offers features such as real-time tracking, automated workflows, and integration with other systems to effectively manage trucks, trailers, and dock doors.
  
• Increased communication throughout the yard
• Real-time notifications and alerts
• Trackable KPIs
• Streamlined, automated processes
• Digitized documentation
• Complete visibility across yard operations
• Optimize yard functions, offering comprehensive tools that a WMS module can’t fully replicate.
  
  
• What does YMS stand for in logistics?
  
  YMS stands for Yard Management System, which is software used to manage the movement and storage of goods within a yard, ensuring smooth coordination between inbound and outbound logistics.
  
• What is WMS in logistics?
  
  WMS stands for Warehouse Management System, which is software used to control and track inventory and goods within a warehouse. It automates tasks such as receiving, storing, and shipping goods, helping businesses improve efficiency and accuracy in their warehouse operations.