Five years ago, Bealke says, he was one of a handful of people who were marketing YMS software. Now there's more competition as vendors respond to demand from shippers wanting to integrate supply chain partners into their operations. "A lot of DC managers are starting to look at the space outside of the warehouse's four walls, particularly as [return on investment] models have started to improve," he says.

Such attention to external issues presages a "new frontier" for YMS, says Eric Lamphier, director of product management at Manhattan Associates in Atlanta. "Warehouse management focuses mainly on internal processes, and the next step is the management of dock doors, appointments, and the yard itself," he says, adding that the one- to two-year return on investment for most YMS packages is another draw. "Due to these factors, YMS is definitely growing in both popularity and focus," he adds.

AMR's Banker concurs that YMS is a fast growth segment. In his opinion, one of the most important reasons is that it can help shippers bridge the gap between internal and external operations. "Yard management is a very necessary solution in order to make the WMS and TMS play well together," Banker says. Accordingly, he foresees YMS sales accelerating in the next few years. "More and more companies are starting to think in terms of suites of supply chain execution solutions," he says. "When you start thinking that way, YMS is a natural."