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Both classes of solution make sense. A calendar is a different, correspondingly cheaper product, and trouble only starts when it is bought for a problem that needs a system.
Time slot calendar and YMS: a feature comparison
| Time slot calendar | Yard management system | |
|---|---|---|
| Booking a time | yes | yes |
| Carrier portal | usually yes | yes |
| SMS notification to the driver | sometimes | yes |
| Recognising the vehicle at the gate | no | yes, ANPR camera |
| Controlling barriers and traffic lights | no | yes |
| Log of entries and dwell time | no | yes |
| Site bans and warnings | no | yes |
| Weighbridge, people access control, security | no | yes, as modules |
| How it is priced | usually one product as a whole | a base package plus selected modules |
A calendar can cost more than the smallest configuration of a system, because it is priced as a complete product and you pay for everything it can do. TraxSystem is priced in layers, as a base package plus the modules you actually use. So a full configuration costs more than a calendar, but the entry point can be lower.
How to tell a calendar from a YMS with one question
Ask the supplier: “what does your product do at the moment a vehicle is standing at the barrier?” The answer immediately shows which class of solution you are dealing with:
- “Security can see on screen that it has a booking”: that is a calendar.
- “The camera reads the plate, the system checks the booking and raises the barrier”: that is a system.
Neither answer is wrong. But if your problem is the queue at the gate, the first answer won’t solve it, because vehicles will still be waiting for someone to look at them.
When a calendar is enough
A calendar is enough when the problem is purely one of planning: dock bookings clash, deliveries bunch up in the morning and nobody knows when there is a free slot. If entry itself runs smoothly and the only trouble is spreading deliveries over the day, a calendar will solve it and there is no reason to buy more.
It is also enough when there is no hardware at the gate and none is planned, because without a camera and a barrier connected to the system, most of the advantages of a YMS are out of reach. At a small site with light traffic, a few deliveries a day, automating entry won’t pay for itself in a reasonable time.
When a calendar is not enough
A calendar isn’t enough when vehicles are blocking internal roads, because then the problem lies in the moment of letting them in. It is solved by notifying the driver at the moment the site is ready for them.
Nor is it enough when you need to know who is on site. A calendar knows who was supposed to come; an entry log knows who is actually there, and in an evacuation that difference is fundamental.
The third case is further areas: the weighbridge, people access control, security patrols, health and safety inductions. Each one bought separately means another supplier, another contract and another log that doesn’t talk to the rest.
What TraxSystem does not do: warehouse, ERP and continuous camera recording
TraxSystem is not a warehouse management system. It handles the point where the warehouse meets vehicle traffic (time slots, docks, the day plan, transport documents), but it doesn’t keep stock levels, storage locations or picking.
It has no ready-made ERP connectors, so integrations are built on the API. Nor does it record camera video continuously: the stream is processed in memory, and what gets saved is photos and clips of entries, exits and passages.
Questions and answers
Can we start with delivery booking and add the rest later?
Yes. Modules are added to the base package, and extending the scope requires a new licence to be generated, which is why it is planned into the schedule.
Do we need an ANPR camera to use delivery booking?
No. Bookings work without a camera, because the driver checks in at the kiosk or security registers them, and the camera only shortens the moment of entry.
How much does the smallest configuration with delivery booking cost?
That is the Start base with the Bookings and warehouse module for up to two docks. The pricing configurator shows the amount for it, and for any other configuration, with both payment options.
See also: How to choose a dock scheduling system: seven questions to ask the supplier · What is a yard management system (YMS)? · How much does a dock scheduling system cost?