Smart Yard (SY) Prototype

Live Prototype: https://smartyard.streamlit.app/

The Smart Yard (SY) prototype is a web application developed to help improve trailer yard management efficiency at logistics sites. It was designed for Ekkinox as a proof of concept to streamline trailer movement tracking, yard visibility, and performance analytics for shunters and yard controllers.

Note: This project was a prototype and was not deployed in production. It documents the concept, existing functionality, and potential next steps.

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Overview

At logistics sites such as Drakkar’s yard, efficient trailer movement and tracking are critical.
Currently, yard controllers rely on Google Sheets (called Shunt Sheets) to log trailer movements — a process that is time-consuming, error-prone, and difficult to visualize at scale.

Smart Yard (SY) addresses these issues by offering:

• A centralized dashboard for trailer locations
• Automated data processing from existing Shunt Sheets
• Visual insights into trailer movements and shunter performance
• A foundation for future yard planning and optimization

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Stakeholders

Role	Description
Ekkinox Managers	Evaluate adoption and provide development feedback
External Stakeholders	Gain an understanding of the app’s purpose and features

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Terminology

Term	Definition
Yard	Trailer parking area at the Drakkar site
Shunter	Driver responsible for moving trailers between yard and loading docks
Yard Controller (YC)	Employee who tracks trailer locations (traditionally via Google Sheet)
Shunt Sheet	Google spreadsheet logging trailer movement requests
Shunt Request	Job entry describing a trailer move (includes trailer ID, origin, destination, timestamps, etc.)

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Problem Statement

1. Inefficient trailer locating

• Shunters waste time finding available parking spots or specific trailers
• Yard Controllers struggle to keep trailer positions updated in real time

2. Data overload and lack of visibility

• Shunt Sheet interface is cluttered and difficult on mobile devices
• Managers lack visibility into:
  • Trailer movement anomalies (e.g., trailers moved excessively)
  • Worker performance metrics
• Shunters see more data than necessary, increasing confusion

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Current Features

• View Trailer Movement History
  Look up all past movements of any trailer number mentioned in the connected shunt sheet.

• View Latest Trailer Locations
  Displays a table showing the latest known location for each trailer.
  When a shunter specifies an updated location (e.g. Yard Lot B) in the “Dropoff Location” column of the sheet, this is automatically reflected.

• Submit Shunt Requests with Validation
  A built-in form allows users to submit new trailer move requests.
  Requests for trailers with incomplete shunts in the sheet are automatically denied.

• Live Shunter Performance Charts
  Generates real-time visualizations of shunter performance metrics from the connected sheet.

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Planned / Next Steps

• Live Yard Map — Continuously updated view of trailer locations
  Example columns:

  • Door locations
  • Yard zones (e.g., A/B for empty trailers, C/D for loaded trailers)
  • Location status (MT for empty or trailer ID)

• Planning Assistant — Suggests optimal yard spots for new trailer moves based on congestion and urgency.

• Mobile Optimization — Simplified layout and filtered views for shunters.

• Comment Sentiment Analysis (prototype)
  Highlights notes from shunters using sentiment scoring to help Yard Controllers scan hundreds of rows efficiently.

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