SAP Yard Management and Cross Docking

The first and last place a distribution center sees product is in the yard. However, for most, the yard is a blind spot where time is wasted searching for the correct trailer and matching its requirements to the right resource at the right time. These delays can affect productivity, impact customer satisfaction and increase overall costs for both the yard and any warehouse that it supports.
In fact, most shipping delays are in the yard and not on the road.

SAP yard management system (SAP YMS) gives the visibility and control needed to simplify and accelerate all yard activities, extending warehouse management outside the physical walls of the warehouse.

While the SAP YMS is linked to the warehouse through SAP customization, it is a standalone product with the ability to function in both an inventory management and a non-handling unit environment. The solution was built upon the concept of handling unit management with vehicles being represented by virtual handling units assigned to an inbound or outbound delivery document. However, the solution lacks the logistics execution system (LES) effort of transfer postings, partner storage locations and packing or unpacking logic to make it user friendly and easy to maintain on a day-to-day basis. With the correct degree of activation in Lean WM, pieces from warehouse management, such as the rough workload estimate tool and radio frequency (RF) queue management, can be leveraged without the actual warehouse management functionality of transfer requirements and transfer orders.

Integration Points

SAP YMS is integrated with other LES modules along with Warehouse Management to improve productivity and increase efficiencies and visibility into processes. For example, the shipment document is updated upon completion of check-in, check-out, loading, and unloading activities. In the shipping module, the delivery is updated with SAP YMS actions of check-in and scheduling activities in relation to doors and staging areas. With the use of SAP-delivered business add-ins (BADI's), this process can be further simplified by connecting picking and post goods receipt and issue actions with SAP YMS statuses.

Appointment Scheduling

Scheduling activities can be based on either the rough workload estimating tool (warehouse management) or predefined work times/shifts and calendars (shipping). Scheduling profiles are configured and determined during automated appointment scheduling. Flexibility is available within configuration for multiple profiles per yard through the use of multiple vehicle types or the delivery type. Exceptions by day and time or even the specific function are also available for definition through the configuration.

Key Benefits

  • Increased ease-of-use for SAP yard management
  • Fast, accurate and simple allocation of trailers to desired docking areas 
  • Full real-time view of yard activities
  • Pro-active, informed decision-making in yard area
  • Increased efficiency and faster throughput in yard area