YMS: The missing piece to the puzzle 

The main goal of Logistics and supply chain management is to ensure the flow of resources, between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. This process involves the integration of information to help manage and organize the data to keep operations running smooth and up to date.  Because of this, companies have implemented technological solutions such as Warehouse Management Systems and Transportation Management systems, but continue to overlook an intricate piece that completes this process; an efficient Yard Management System.  

A yard management system (YMS) is a system that is designed to oversee the movement of trucks and trailers in the yard of a manufacturing facility, warehouse, or distribution center. YMS is a tool which can help prioritize shipment arrivals, identify trailer contents, manage yard jockey activity, standardize yard processes, reduce the time needed to allocate vehicles to loads, and avoid unnecessary vehicle movements.

The Warehouse Management System (WMS) market saw significant growth in 2011, increasing by 10%, according to data from Dedham, Mass.-based ARC Advisory Services. Transportation management systems (TMS) came on the supply chain scene in 1980s and as fuel costs continue to rise there has been a significant increased in usage even in the last few years.  In contrast, as of 2012 more than 60% of yards in America are still conducting their operations manually on paper.

Jon Donchey, COO of Exotrac explains his experience in the field of Yard Management:

“Working in this industry over a decade ago entailed walkie-talkies, clipboards, extended time spent by yard jockeys physically locating trailers, not to mention the documents that were misplaced or weather damaged, all of which, in turn made me realize there was a strong need to have an automated, paperless solution implemented in the yard.”

As technology advances it’s important for companies to keep up with the times and we now find that having automated systems is the best way to minimize human error and increase efficiency. That’s why Exotrac has developed  a real-time, cloud-based yard management software system. This advanced technology can perform field-based functions that can remotely manage items, events, and actions, where information can be viewed real-time on customized reports via the web.

 Show me the money!

Some companies say they don’t feel YMS is a priority or it doesn’t fit in their financial plan mainly due to already having implemented costly ERP’s that have pushed them way over budget. But they are also failing to recognize that with a YMS they see a positive ROI in just a few months due to savings on administrative costs, time reduction and increased employee productivity. Implementing a YMS can often boost a yard's productivity by up to 30 percent.

Another financial incentive for 3PL and Trucking companies is offering Exotrac’s YMS as an add-on service that will provide new opportunities for cross-selling. The companies that have the necessary information systems in place to participate in the market for high-end transport solutions should offer their customers methods for tracking and tracing their cargo.  These companies can capitalize when their customers use Exotrac’s YMS in their yards.

Who’s watching your yard?

In addition to better management of yard operations no company should dismiss the importance of tightening the security of a yard.  With Asset Management we can now plot the real-time asset location on a map and closely monitor movement and operating status. Exotrac’s YardTrac provides better visibility with Graphic displays of  an entire facility including Trailer Location and Status. Without yard management systems companies can lose visibility from the time goods leave the warehouse and arrive in the yard to the time they are unloaded. A system such as YardTrac gives a company visibility throughout the entire process.

Companies that hesitate in implementing a Yard Management System and invest primarily on WMS and TMS are overlooking an intricate piece of the puzzle. Integrating a Yard Management System is usually the missing piece that completes a company’s operations.

Comparisons among Yard Management Systems

We wanted to investigate the space of Yard Management and provide an analysis to demonstrate the differences in Pricing, Implementation, Scalability, Customer Base and Support:

Other leading Yard Management                Systems		EXOTRAC
Price	- Agent based operation that can lead to more expenses. - More bent towards big businesses so  services provided are expensive and lack flexibility	Affordable as the services provided are flexible to client’s requirement with optimum use of resources.
Implementation	- Many only support Microsoft and J2EE  environments. - Some prefer its products from “the    ground up” and might have    problems  with adapting.	Adaptable and Integrates easily with all systems to create a single coherent framework.
Scalability	- Programs designed more    particularly for large businesses.	Have programs to fit every business size with utmost attention irrespective of the client type and size.
Customer Base	- Focus more on Retail, Grocery,      Manufacturing etc.	Does not discriminate between small and big clients as it has programs to fit every business size.
Support	- Online assistance that involves filling out forms and lacks customer service on personal level.	24/7 support availability by trained professionals via web portal.

           

                        Exotrac’s state-of-the-art, yet cost effective suite of yard management software solutions provide real-time logistics information, which effectively makes the task of management of yards smooth, easy, and efficient.

Exotrac’s solutions leverage cutting edge wireless, cloud software, and hardware technologies. While being best of the breed, Exotrac’s solutions are the most affordable and comprehensive yard management solutions among similar solutions available in the market today.

With its timely and superior customer service, Exotrac strives to ensure complete customer satisfaction. Exotrac is available 24/7 for its customers, aiding in smooth operation of its solutions and taking care of any issues promptly.

Exotrac’s competitors in the YMS space use different technologies which makes their solutions much more expensive. Therefore one of the most distinct features of Exotrac solutions is affordability.

Another point that sets it apart from its competitors is the scalability of its solutions. Its solutions are scalable from the smallest of facilities to the largest, customized for each customer’s unique needs. So customers need not buy the whole solution – they can only buy the portion they need, effectively saving them money.

Exotrac’s solutions would be the best deal for customers, as they can obtain superior advanced technology at a cost effective price point.

In the end, Exotrac’s solutions are true turn-key solutions that can launch in weeks unlike other companies that take months.

Exotrac's NEW Revamped Website!

Revamped Exotrac website! New Features! Free Trial!!

Exotrac, the leading name in Yard Management software, is proud to announce the launch of their redesigned website – http://www.exotrac.com.   Exotrac is dedicated to offering a high-quality product line of innovative Yard Management Systems (YMS) delivering high functionality and speed at an economical price point.

Exotrac wanted its site revamped to have a professional look and feel.  Even more, making sure it was easy to access with mobile devices including Android devices, iPads and iPhones.       

The new site organizes information in a clear and logical manner making it easier for visitors to quickly find what they are looking for. The information presented is up to date and concise.  Moreover, social networking (e.g. Facebook, Twitter etc.) integration is provided in the site as well.

One of the prominent features of the site is that users can see the mobile handheld screens, enabling them to view, play with visual maps, and actually make simulated move requests.

“Highly Usable”

The new site is highly user friendly. The slides in the home page offer snapshots highlighting the salient features of the technology, solutions and products of Exotrac that set it apart from their competitors. The mouse driven main menu at the top of the site gives a clean and uncluttered look.  The links to all the pages in the site logically grouped in the bottom part of every page gives the user freedom to jump to any page with a single click, making the user feel in control.

In addition, links to submenu pages in the same page hierarchy displayed in a side navigation bar gives the user visual cue as well as the ability to go to the respective pages. The “Back to the top” button that appears on scrolling down on the bottom right of the pages makes it convenient to return to the top of the page.

Jon Donchey, CEO of Exotrac, says “I have already seen the benefit since we have received an abundance of inquiries through visitors of the new site.”

The information architecture of the new site is logically structured which helps users to easily navigate to related topics. For example, services offered by Exotrac such as: Customer Support, Training, and Implementation are all grouped under “Services” tab; Exotrac products that serve as solutions are listed under a “Solutions” tab; and  information related to the company are listed under a “Company” tab.

Try it for free!

Users will find the link to view a demo of the software as well as the links to download an Exotrac brochure and Case Study on every page, making it quite convenient and accessible. The ROI calculator provides the potential customers a way to estimate the potential savings Exotrac solutions would provide.

To give potential customers the ability to experience the YMS solution, there is a free 30 day trial for YardTrac Lite.

For inquiries or a free 30 day trial on one of the key products, YardTrac Lite.

Please go to http://www.exotrac.com/ContactUs.aspx or call us at (212)-989-0171.

Android Technology goes YMS

As the continuous progress of Android technology grows and becomes more mainstream in business applications, it is important to be on top of the newest developments and be keen on what technology your competition is using.

Perhaps no other segment of the U.S. workforce is more reliant on mobile technology than today’s 3.2 million over-the-road truckers. In fact, a survey of transporters confirmed truckers’ growing dependence on mobile phones, apps and wireless services… Nearly 6 in 10 truckers are conducting more of their business through mobile phones this year compared to 2010.*

Although we assume that transport and logistics today have evolved into a high-technology industry, there are still a great number of facilities that conduct yard operations manually. Distribution is no longer about moving cargo over road, water or via air from point A to point B. It is now a complex process based on intelligent systems for sorting, planning, routing, and consolidating that supports faster transportation, different transportation modes, fallback scenarios in case of failures, added value services such as time sensitive deliveries, and tracing of assets throughout the supply chain or transport network-All of which can be easily managed by applications installed on an Android phone.

A perfect example of this is proven by Exotrac, a company dedicated to offering a high quality product line of innovative Yard Management System (YMS) delivering high functionality and speed to obtain unprecedented real-time logistics information in yard management. (www.exotrac.com) Its newest advancement, YardTrac lite, based on Android, combines cutting edge, cloud-based technologies with a turn-key, on-demand software provided as a service (SAAS) and offers cost effective solutions with a monthly subscription pricing model to bring, real-time, current information.

Exotrac’s  COO, Jon Donchey, says, “As the continuous progress of Android technology grows and becomes more mainstream in business applications, Exotrac is utilizing specific adaptations for market driven needs and wants for businesses that aren’t large enough yet for a major roll-out but still desire a cost effective system of accountability.”

In the end, anticipating future development and the continuous need for customization for a business to grow its profits and maintain a streamlined operation, the smart functionality and flexibility of Android technology is the best platform to build upon.

Sources:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/uship/mobile-app/prweb8922386.htm