Published on September 22, 2020 – Thore Holst, Consultant SAP Yard Logistics at Westernacher
SAP YL standard covers many requirements to digitize yard processes and enable customers for mobile scenarios. The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted how important it is that a supply chain is agile, efficient and resilient at the same time. But how could this be achieved? How can you integrate these aspects in your daily logistics and even in your yard management?
To cover specific requirements we offer project accelerators, which speed up the daily activities in your yard and ensure minimal enhancement efforts are needed in projects where extensions to the standard are required. Moreover, you get a chance to find the bottlenecks in your yard management to improve your site logistics.
Eliminate delays with streamlined scheduling.
With the standard SAP Dock Appointment Scheduling within SAP Yard Logistics a user can book appointments at a predefined time for every loading point in the yard. The SAP Dock Appointment Scheduling of a yard is always connected to a docking location, which has one or several loading points symbolizing the doors in the yard. To establish close collaboration with carriers and other business partners, the Westernacher slot management and carrier web portal for Yard Logistics gives your freight forwarder the chance to book their own time slots within a few seconds. The portal shows the specific number and opening hours of the ramps that can be booked in every single yard.
After completing the time slot booking, the freight forwarder receives an appointment number with which he can identify himself at the relevant checkpoint of the yard for entrance. Identification is also possible with a generated QR code from SAP YL, a transport number from SAP ERP or with integration of OCR-scanning of the license plate of the truck.
Self-check-in made simple.
SAP Yard Logistics offers a self-check-in application for drivers to register at the yard. The application supports several languages and guides the driver through the registration process where order information such as the driver name or license plate can be captured. Authorization at an inbound checkpoint via reference documents or a Yard Order Number is possible. For more enhanced mobile or self-check-in processes our Westernacher Self-Check-In application can be utilized. The application is available in 13 languages, so the driver can be guided through the process in his native language. Further information such as the payload or remaining driving time can be recorded and considered in the commodity flow, as well.
PDF documents for the code of conduct in your yard or safety documents that the driver needs to sign can be inserted in the Westernacher Self-Check-In application and the information stored in an SAP Yard Order. Location determination, e.g. for the parking spots or the loading points, to streamline the process flows can be integrated. For easy check-in processes – when the registration is performed at the shipping office, for instance – we offer our simplified YL Check-In application.
Eliminate hefty fines for heavy trucks.
Overweight trucks or other means of transport can lead to penalties. With our Porter application, you can monitor loads and ensure trucks are not overloaded. Moreover, the pager assignment can be done quickly. In the Westernacher Self-Check-In application these process steps are executed by the driver.
No blame or claims for pre-damages.
Pre-damage of containers or vehicles also results in high costs for customers due to potential claims and regressions. By performing a Vehicle Inspection you are able to mark damages in a FIORI application on a mobile device. Some questions, for example, could guide to the rejection of a truck driver and prohibit further entrance to the yard. For that reason, we can ensure that our customers only have to pay for the defects and damages that their own workforce is responsible for. A similar process can be established for the inspection of railcars.
Proof that goods are in the best hands.
Another huge liability area is around whether the commodities are stored correctly. With the camera of handheld equipment, photographs of the secured loading can be taken and saved to Yard Logistics, where they are stored. Moreover, questions with a background workflow logic could be answered in the YL Secure Loading application to ensure that the flow of goods in your yard is optimal. The driver and the Yard Operator could be asked to sign for handover purposes, as well.
With these applications we have identified a huge potential to automate the processes in the yard and save costs. Contact our experts to discuss any further concerns or questions and let us show you how SAP YL can take your business to the next level. We can connect to other relevant SAP solutions such as TM, ERP, EM, GTT or EHS – with the standard interfaces and extended interfaces, too.
Move your business towards the future by digitizing your supply chain with Westernacher.
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