Radio-Frequency Identification can provide a new level of enhanced visibility into asset location on operation yards. This solution can streamline automation processes and reduce tasks associated with the various locations and movements of large assets. Unfortunately, that's really where the benefits of RFID end for yard managers. There is so much more that a yard manager needs that RFID can't provide them. Utilizing a YMS software is the best and most efficient tool for your yard operations, as it is constantly evolving and adapting to new technology, customer demands, and industry challenges. Plus, the information gathered from RFID or GPS is just a small part of what YMS software can do. By the end of this article, you will understand the advantages and disadvantages of RFID, and why you should just go with a full yard management software solution if you are considering an RFID or any standalone RTLS implementation.
Why is RFID Still Used if Yard Management Software is Available?
By deploying Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, yard managers can achieve real-time visibility into the location, exit, entrance, and intra-yard movement of valuable assets for which they’re responsible. RFID systems can be beneficial for businesses of all shapes and sizes by allowing them to rapidly improve efficiency and reduce expenses through process automation and the effective utilization of assets and quality. RFID’s asset tracking technologies allows yard managers to reap the following advantages:
- Track multiple assets at any one time
- Eliminate the need for human intervention
- Collect data in real-time
- Improve their asset visibility
- Identify and locate lost or misplaced assets
- Maximize accuracy on current inventory
- Cost – The issues you are aiming to solve might not justify the cost of RFID technology. Your problems could be solved without the additional cost and complex process inherent with an RTLS feature. Typically, real problems get fixed with real process changes, not by expensive technology. If your personnel or OTR drivers are not doing what they are told, it is important to keep in mind you cannot program around a single person or consistently bad decisions.
- Tag Management – Hundreds of RFID and expensive GPS tags can be tough to manage. In our experience the operations with buckets of tags, double sided tape, magnetic strips, zip ties, and other necessary tools had a whole different set of challenges now that they are tasked with managing them, affixing them, retrieving them, the expense of losing them and figuring out what to do when any of these steps break down.
- Relying on Imperfect Information – If the tag reading device does not come within range of the tag, it is not read and therefore the position is not known. So, if an OTR driver miss-drops a unit, it may be lost for hours or days, depending on when a reading device passes near enough to register it. The worse they drop it, the more likely it will not to be read anytime soon. Physical lot checks are often the process that catches badly placed units regardless of other technology.
- Accuracy – In the drop yard, it might be fine to know the general position of a trailer or asset. But how about at the dock door? RTLS systems typically can tell you within 2 or 3 dock doors where the trailer is but not exact positioning. This can be costly if you are relying on the information to load units with very different destinations.
You’re probably wondering, why choose to go with a full YMS solution if RFID seems to be working just fine? For some, it is due to its more affordable upfront costs. For others, some operations only aim to solve the problem of where a particular unit is located, and RFID does exactly that. This problem mostly occurs when the unit is initially dropped on the yard by and OTR driver who might not put the unit where it is directed to be placed. This “First Drop Issue” can be solved without the extra cost of RFID. Additionally, if a business is working with a smaller inventory, only utilizing RFID technology would make more sense in the beginning. We have found that 99% of all YMS benefits can be realized without an RTLS (Real-Time Location System) component such as RFID and GPS. Ultimately, the best choice for long-term success would be to implement a full yard management system solution because YMS does what an RTLS can do and so much more.
The Evolution of Yard Management
First, the need arose for some form of warehouse management. Believe it or not, warehouse management was put into effect during ancient Egypt as people discovered ways to manage grain gathered from crops, which helped them prevent famine during peak drought seasons. As time moved on, the growing demands of logistics weren’t being met, so transportation management systems arose to satisfy the need for planning, executing, and optimizing the physical movement of goods for inbound and outbound shipments. Since then, many operations realized that they were missing out on a key part of the supply chain which happened to be the operations yard where units are placed before and after trucks bring the shipment to a warehouse. Yard management systems, and technologies like RFID, were developed to manage that blind spot and control the process of directing trucks, shipments, and personnel as they move around the operations yard. Yard management systems have come a long way since it’s early days and is now a game-changing solution for many operations across a large variety of industries.
The Benefits of a Full YMS Software
The unique benefits of having a yard management system help with real-time visibility expands beyond just the dock, the warehouse, or yard. Visibility can take on several shapes and sizes, including seeing incoming trailers, containers, and vehicles in the yard, incoming product including raw materials and finished goods, reviewing employee performance, and reviewing data and reports. The more visible your YMS is, the more efficient your processes will be for your dock management system. When there are multiple beginning and ending points within a yard, having proper communication is key. When a yard management system is integrated with a dock management system, warehouse management system, and any other integration, both parties can communicate efficiently between each other, ensuring a seamless process from start to finish. That way, you will know what is available on the yard, where is located at that specific moment, where it is going, and when it will depart. Simplified for you, YMS offers additional benefits that come in handy:
- Enhanced real-time visibility across every angle of the yard
- Automated dock scheduling
- Effective and accurate inventory management
- Gate efficiency for inbound and outbound logistics processes
- Real-time locating of valuable assets to prevent loss of inventory
- Updated alert systems to minimize errors in the future
The Future of Yard Management Software
For yard management, the future is bright. With technological advancements becoming more pertinent than ever, contactless, and digital communication are one of the key influences for streamlining yard processes, making it become essential for influxes of inventory to occur across multiple industries. The future of yard management systems will continue to provide software assurance through continuous updates and system enhancements, boost overall user accessibility for everyone in the yard, no matter how much or how little they’re trained on it, and its level of functionality of will. Utilizing and incorporating artificial intelligence has become a growing topic for leveraging predictive decision making, which would utilize big data, outside industry trends, and real-time inventory counts so we’ll know how fast product is moving and when to reorder it. Even with everything you know about YMS, migrating and fully implementing one from an RFID system with YardView is a piece of cake.
Yard Management Systems Do What RFID Does & So Much More
There are real benefits to be gained with the use of a Yard Management System that go past the reach of what RFID offers. RFID and GPS information is just a small component of the extensive features and functionality of any YMS. RFID and GPS may be a great fit for some operations, but they are not magic. Managing a yard requires a good team, easy access to information, processes that are simple and easily adhered to, as well as a continuous review of practices and procedures.
Our Yard Management Software delivers powerful, user friendly data and analytics on what’s happening on the market today. From providing deep analytics and information for many years, our team knows what to look for and delivers cutting edge solutions at the touch of a button. Choosing the correct YMS provider is just as important, if not more, than making the decision to migrate from RFID to a YMS. In addition, YardView’s best-in-class system includes, but not limiting to, 24/7 professional customer support that is available with just a click of a mouse within the USA, monthly improvements and enhancements that are driven by customer requests in advance of changing technologies, 100% complete transparency, and assistance during the implementation process. See the benefits in real-time by booking your demo today and testing out our YMS for yourself.
