OPTIMIZING TRANSPORT OPERATIONS WITH YMS FOR A MULTINATIONAL LOGISTICS PROVIDER

Handling 200–300 vehicle movements per day at peak, our customer needed a faster, more transparent way to coordinate vehicles across the gate, yard and loading docks. Smartlog extended Smartlog Transportation Management (STM) into a highly customized Yard Management System (YMS) tailored to the customer’s warehouse operations. Mobile check-in, geo-fencing, OCR cameras, automated barriers, speaker integration and real-time dashboards were connected into one operating flow. Following go-live, the project achieved 100% automation at the gate and dock based on acceptance criteria, while more than 13,530 trips have been created and managed through the system.

ABOUT OUR CUSTOMER

Our customer is a large multinational 3PL logistics provider, delivering warehousing and transportation services for FMCG companies.

At the implementation site, daily operations involve dispatchers, security teams, warehouse staff, drivers and multiple transport partners. Peak traffic reaches 200–300 vehicle movements per day, making close coordination between the gate, waiting yard and loading docks essential.

OPERATING CONTEXT

Before the project, most yard activities were handled manually. Drivers registered at the gate with physical documents, security staff recorded information in logbooks and called vehicles using speakers, while warehouse teams assigned docks through direct communication and operational experience.

At the end of each day, dispatch teams still had to collect documents, enter data and consolidate Excel reports.

As traffic increased, this fragmented process made it difficult to know exactly where each vehicle was, which dock was available or where waiting time was building up.

KEY CHALLENGES

Manual gate control

Paper-based registration and manual logbooks increased processing time and created a higher risk of incomplete or inaccurate vehicle and driver information.

Disconnected gate, yard and dock operations

Vehicle calling and dock assignment depended heavily on communication between teams. Drivers had limited visibility into waiting times or assigned docks, increasing the risk of congestion during peak periods.

Limited real-time visibility and traceability

Vehicle status, images and entry/exit timestamps were not centrally captured, making historical tracking and bottleneck analysis time-consuming.

SMARTLOG’S APPROACH

For this project, YMS was developed on top of Smartlog Transportation Management (STM) as a specialized transportation solution for managing vehicle movements within warehouse premises.

Rather than applying a standard TMS configuration, Smartlog deeply customized STM to match the customer’s actual yard workflow, connecting software, people and physical equipment into one coordinated process.

Mobile check-in and automated gate control

Drivers check in through a mobile app, while geo-fencing limits registration to the designated warehouse area. OCR cameras automatically recognize license plates, record timestamps and connect with barriers to control vehicle entry and exit.

Connected gate, yard and dock coordination

Vehicle and dock statuses are centralized in the YMS, allowing security, dispatch and warehouse teams to work from the same operational data. Speaker integration also supports vehicle and driver calling on site.

Real-time yard visibility

Dashboards consolidate vehicle status, images and processing times in real time, while automated reporting replaces daily manual Excel consolidation.

RESULTS

Following the implementation of Smartlog YMS:

• 100% automation at the gate and dock was achieved based on project acceptance criteria.

• More than 13,530 trips have been created and managed through the system.

• Gate registration moved from paper-based processes to mobile check-in, OCR and automated barriers.

• Vehicle status can be monitored in real time, supported by images and timestamps.

• Daily Excel reporting was replaced by automated dashboards and system-generated reports.

BUSINESS VALUE

The value of the project goes beyond automating individual gate activities. Smartlog YMS brings the entire gate – yard – dock flow onto one connected data stream.

Operations teams can monitor vehicle status in real time, trace movements using image and timestamp data, and reduce reliance on manual communication between departments.

The project also demonstrates the flexibility of Smartlog STM as a highly customizable transportation platform. From conventional transport management, STM was extended into a specialized Yard Management System that connects vehicles, physical equipment and warehouse operations within one workflow.