Gate management is the process of coordinating all activity at your warehouse gates, including deliveries, workers, and equipment. Gate management involves many moving parts, which often leads managers to rely on manual tracking for accuracy and safety.
However, the belief that gate management must be a manual process to be correct is outdated. Modern logistics technology now enables automation across key processes, improving how you manage traffic, personnel, and equipment at your gates. In most cases, automation increases accuracy and safety while reducing administrative workload.
In this post, we’re going to outline the ten ways that automating gate management will improve safety and security at your facility. Our goal is to help warehouse managers and supply chain directors understand the value of automation tools to help meet or even surpass performance goals.
10 Ways Automation Strengthens Security
Below are ten pivotal ways that gate automation benefits the overall safety and security of warehouses.
1. Verifies Driver Identity Automatically
Gate security entry management tools often come with ways of verifying identities of drivers, trucks, and deliveries. This makes it easy to view the logistical information of new arrivals, ensuring transparency and accuracy before a dock door is even opened.
2. Monitors Gate Access in Real-Time
Automated gate management tools tend to include real-time monitoring of new arrivals. This ensures you, supervisors, and warehouse staff are kept aware of the flow of traffic at your warehouse gates throughout the day. Some tools even let you monitor whether gates are locked or unlocked to help keep access secured.
3. Tracks Vehicle Entry and Exit
Automating your gate management allows you to monitor the arrival and departure of vehicles in real-time. This is useful for day-to-day management but can also provide data on dwell times and turnaround times which can be utilized to optimize your operations. An Orange Labs survey of senior supply chain executives shows that 45% of respondents use real-time data insights to inform their decision making, with another 44% planning to launch similar real-time data initiatives.
4. Flags Unauthorized Access Instantly
Automation can send instant alerts when unverified vehicles arrive or gates are accessed unexpectedly. These notifications allow teams to confirm whether the activity is legitimate and take action immediately, ensuring that only approved vehicles and carriers enter the facility.
5. Maintains Digital Security Logs
Gate management tools automatically store logs in the case of events such as arrivals and departures. This allows you to track logistical information in the case of a notable event, which can be used to troubleshoot or verify occurrences at your facility. Maintaining centralized digital records also eliminates the need for manual logbooks.
6. Integrates With Camera and Sensor Systems
Some gate management tools have features that can integrate directly with existing surveillance at your facility, including cameras and sensor systems. This can be used to monitor arrivals for visual confirmation of identities and freight delivered.
7. Alerts Staff to Security Concerns
In the case of unverified arrivals or access to gates, automated gate management tools can send alerts to necessary staff. This can include supervisors, workers, or even on-site security, allowing workers to ensure gate safety and integrity of equipment and deliveries.
8. Controls Dock and Yard Access Remotely
Being able to integrate automated gate management systems with your existing technology can include remote control of warehouse gates. After verifying identities, you can allow arrivals to load and unload at your warehouse dock doors with just the click of a button.
9 Supports Compliance With Regulatory Standards
Automated gate management supports compliance by maintaining accurate records for audits and safety inspections. Digital logs track driver information, times, and deliveries, helping facilities stay compliant and reduce errors.
10. Reduces Human Error in Security Procedures
By automating data entry, monitoring, and verification, facilities can reduce the risk of misidentified drivers, missed appointments, or incorrect dock assignments. Automation ensures consistency and frees staff to focus on higher-value tasks that require judgment and oversight.
Ensuring Safer Yards with DOT and OSHA
Automated gate management tools also help you ensure safer warehouse yards by enforcing compliance with rules set by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
DOT Considerations for Gate Check-In
The Department of Transportation does not issue specific rules for warehouse owners and their use of logistics security solutions. However, they do set standards for delivery drivers, including carrier reports, receipts and bills, and general employee safety. Automatic gate management tools can directly verify adherence to such standards. Additionally, with increased dwell times directly linked to greater accident rates, automatic gate management software allowing for streamlined loading and unloading of freight can help improve safety for all.
OSHA Considerations for Gate Check-In
OSHA sets numerous rules for warehouse managers and staff to follow to ensure safety. Part of these rules include clear communication of handling hazardous materials and tracking usage and status of equipment such as forklifts. These are aspects that gate management software makes easier thanks to the increased transparency while handling deliveries. This improves your ability to allocate resources and communicate staffing and equipment needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gate Management Safety
While these benefits show how automated gate management tools improve safety, you might still have a few questions. Below are a few common queries that warehouse managers have while considering integrating an automated gate management tool into their workflow. These questions cut right to the heart of why these tools are worth investing in.
How Does Automation Prevent Unauthorized Access?
Automation prevents unauthorized access at your warehouse gates by requiring delivery drivers to verify their identities. Automation can also integrate with camera systems to provide visuals and can send notifications of a new arrival to relevant supervisors and warehouse staff.
What Role Do Digital Records Play In Incident Tracking?
Digital records play the role of creating logistical breadcrumbs that can help identify causes of any incidents. This includes tracking truck dwell times, equipment used to load or unload freight, and identification of drivers and employees present during an incident.
Why Is Safety Linked To Better Gate Management?
Safety improves with better gate management, as it ensures compliance and protects workers and equipment.
Strengthen Security with Automated Gate Management
Eager to make use of automated gate management at your facility? Opendock is a powerful dock appointment scheduling software that comes with a gate management add-on to quickly verify drivers. Make use of QR codes, geolocations, and real-time alerts to manage both planned and unplanned arrivals at your warehouse. Request a demo to see how Opendock automates gate management and strengthens security.