Interview with Ms. Martina Fink (Forwarding Manager Automotive and Operative Project Management Yard Management at Geis in Nuremberg)
Ms. Fink, cadis Yard Manager was introduced at the largest Geis site in Nuremberg. How many halls, gates and shunting vehicles do you have in Nuremberg?
Geis Eurocargo GmbH manages a total of 4 freight forwarding and logistics terminals with around 30,000 m² of hall space at the Port of Nuremberg, three of which now operate fully with cadis® Yard Manager. A total of 162 gates are served by 4 shunting vehicles.
What system did you use for yard management before?
No specific system or yard management tool was used, just MS Excel lists in conjunction with our existing shipping software.
As a result of the introduction, what experiences have you had?
We had very, very excellent experiences! Several accompanying tasks that in the past had cost a lot of time are no longer necessary. For example, the shunting driver no longer needs to manually enter
the shunting orders into a separate to-do list. At the control station, it is no longer necessary to merge all relevant information from e-mails, phone calls, and individual files; it is now simply displayed within cadis® and is available to everyone in live mode. The immediate and automated transfer of information leads to “super fast” reaction times. This becomes visible, for example, after the completion of loading and unloading operations at the gates, when the swap body or trailer is removed by the shunting vehicle with only a minimal time delay.
What were the reasons to change to cadisYM?
The various MS Excel lists required a lot of time and effort to maintain, and the overview was not available in a single tool. The control center had to gather all the information from the many lists and files and pass it on to the departments. The varying data collection was the one thing, but the compilation from different sources was the other – both cost a lot of time.
So we needed a system with a common database that would relieve us of the burden of collecting and merging data and deliver all the information for the operational yard processes to all the participants without any significant delays. At the same time, we hoped for greater transparency. Due to the successful deployment in other, smaller Geis sites, we were confident that the cadis® Yard Management System would also be able to meet the more sophisticated requirements of the Nuremberg site. In the end, we were convinced that if the implementation of cadis® were successful, the entire branch would benefit, because the information about incoming and outgoing transports as well as movements and inventories in our yard is of great importance for all departments.
Can you name some highlights of our product from your point of view?
The most significant points for me are:
- Availability of a variety of live information (current gate occupancy, loading status of swap bodies, etc.) for all users
- Freely definable views (perspectives) with individual filtering options for different tasks or questions, e.g. view of national transports, local traffic arrivals, etc.
- The user friendliness of cadis®: Each user can use predefined views as well as his own views, which he saves after their generation under a freely chosen name.
Would you please give us a practical example where cadisYM has helped you in a tangible way?
Recurring tours (regular tours) can be stored in cadis®. This significantly facilitates the incoming registration of the vehicle at the gate. In addition, the cadis® Yard Manager provides the preliminary information for the dispatcher, who can access the already registered vehicle and loading units. All this important information no longer has to be distributed laboriously, it is now immediately available at the click of a mouse.
Has cadisYM led to an increase in efficiency? If yes, in which area and how big are the effects?
The efficiency gain is clear even after a short time! The biggest improvements we could see immediately were in the transshipment hall, in the control station and among the shunters.. In addition to reducing administrative expenses, we were also able to reduce waiting times and transhipment times enormously thanks to the immediate availability of information.
Due to the clarity of all information, the drivers can pull the closest orders for completion, which has led to a reduction in the distances traveled. The departments and responsible area managers also report advantages in time or quality or work facilitation due to the information available in live mode.
And what do your colleagues think about the new system?
The system has been very well received throughout all departments. Our shunting drivers are particularly pleased with the reduction in company radio announcements, on which they had to additionally concentrate while driving. In addition, the intuitive and very simple operability of the app is very well appreciated by the shunting drivers. The control center employees express themselves positively about the significantlylower noise level in the office rooms, as the many internal telephone calls and company radio announcements have been drastically reduced. The elimination of many e-mails in connection with the creation of the planning lists is also viewed very positively by colleagues. The information is now simply there and no longer has to be compiled in a laborious manner.
How long did it take until the coworkers were able to work autonomously with cadis Yard Manager?
What is your feeling now after the launch?
Relieved and happy, but above all proud of all our colleagues who have cooperated so well and who, thanks to everyone involved, have made a smooth and trouble-free transition to the system possible. After going through all the work shifts on the first day, I could already take a deep breath. It was a wonderful experience to see how the employees got to grips with the new system in record time and really enjoyed working with it.
