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Equipment configuration is optional, but when enabled it provides an additional layer of scheduling accuracy beyond docks and zones.

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How Equipment Works in Yardo

Yardo supports equipment at three distinct levels:
  1. Equipment Types – Define categories of equipment used for planning and tracking
  2. Location Capacity – Define how much of each equipment type is available at a location
  3. Door Requirements & Assets – Enforce equipment usage at specific docks and optionally track individual units
Equipment rules are evaluated during scheduling to prevent over-allocation when required.

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Equipment Types

Equipment types define what kind of equipment is used in your operation. Examples include:
  • Forklifts
  • Pallet jacks
  • Conveyors
  • Yard tractors
Equipment types are organization-wide, meaning they can be reused across multiple locations.

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Planning Modes

Each equipment type supports one of two planning modes:
  • Pooled – Capacity is managed as a shared pool (for example, forklifts)
  • Asset-based – Capacity is derived from tracked individual assets (for example, specialized machinery)
The planning mode determines how availability is calculated during scheduling.

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How to Create an Equipment Type

To create an equipment type:
  1. Navigate to Equipment Management → Create type
  2. Enter a name and category
  3. Select a planning mode
  4. Save the type
Once created, the equipment type becomes available for capacity configuration and door requirements.

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Location Equipment Capacity

Location capacity defines how much of each equipment type is available at a specific location. Capacity can include:
  • Tracked assets (for asset-based types)
  • An optional untracked pool to represent shared or uncounted equipment

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How to Configure Location Capacity

  1. Open Equipment Management for a location
  2. Click Edit capacity
  3. Set the site limit for each equipment type
  4. Save changes
If no capacity is configured, the equipment type is not enforced during scheduling.
Location capacity acts as an upper bound on equipment usage across all doors at the facility.

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Door Equipment Requirements

Door requirements specify which equipment types are required for appointments at a given dock door. When a door has equipment requirements:
  • Appointments scheduled at that door reserve the required equipment
  • Scheduling checks ensure sufficient equipment is available

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How to Configure Door Requirements

  1. Open a dock door’s details
  2. Select Manage equipment
  3. Add required equipment types and quantities
  4. Save changes
If no requirements are set, appointments at that door do not consume equipment capacity.

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Equipment Assets

Assets represent individual units of equipment assigned to a specific location. Assets are used when an equipment type is configured for asset-based planning and enable more precise availability, utilization, and maintenance tracking. Examples include individual forklifts, conveyors, yard tractors, or other uniquely identifiable equipment.

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How to Add an Asset

To add a tracked asset:
  1. Navigate to Equipment Management → Assets
  2. Click Add asset
  3. Select the location and equipment type
  4. Provide an asset tag or identifier
  5. Optionally enter serial number, make, model, and year
  6. Set ownership and current status
  7. (Optional) Assign a home zone or home door
  8. Click Create asset
Assets become immediately available for planning unless marked otherwise.

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Asset Fields

  • Asset tag – A unique identifier used throughout the system
  • Serial number / Make / Model / Year – Optional reference details
  • Ownership – Indicates whether the asset is owned or otherwise managed
  • Status – Controls availability (for example, available or unavailable)
  • Home zone / Home door – Preferred assignment for planning only
Home zone and home door are preferences, not hard constraints. If one is set, the other is cleared automatically.

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Equipment Maintenance

Maintenance allows you to schedule downtime for equipment assets and automatically block their availability during the specified window. Maintenance windows are evaluated during scheduling to prevent assignments that would exceed available equipment capacity.

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How to Schedule Maintenance

To create a maintenance work order:
  1. Navigate to Equipment Management → Maintenance
  2. Filter by location or asset as needed
  3. Select the asset
  4. Enter a title and reason
  5. Define the scheduled start and end time
  6. Add optional description or internal notes
  7. Click Create work order
During the maintenance window, the affected asset is excluded from availability calculations.

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Maintenance Reasons and Notes

Maintenance records can include:
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Repairs
  • Inspections
  • Other operational downtime
Descriptions and notes are intended for internal reference and do not affect scheduling logic beyond capacity blocking.

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Dashboards, Conflicts, and Utilization

The equipment module provides visibility into:
  • Current and upcoming equipment utilization
  • Scheduling conflicts caused by insufficient equipment
  • Maintenance or downtime impact (when configured)
These views help operators identify bottlenecks before they affect dock operations.

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Best Practices

  • Start with pooled equipment for common shared resources
  • Use asset-based planning only when individual units matter operationally
  • Configure door requirements only where equipment is truly constrained
  • Review utilization regularly to validate capacity assumptions

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Summary

Equipment management adds an additional layer of operational realism to scheduling. When combined with locations, zones, and dock doors, equipment rules help ensure appointments reflect true resource availability and reduce execution-time conflicts.