Argentina Depot Digitizes Operations with Cloud CTMS/CYMS
In just four weeks a mid-sized depot near Buenos Aires replaced fragmented legacy tools with a unified cloud platform—slashing turn-times, eliminating manual errors and gaining full yard visibility.
The container-logistics landscape in the Southern Cone is racing toward full digitalisation. A standout success story comes from Argentina, where a mid-sized inland container depot near Buenos Aires replaced fragmented legacy tools with a unified Cloud-based CTMS/CYMS. The project shows how modern software can cut costs and unlock new capacity in a market long constrained by manual paperwork.
Challenges Before Migration
Before adopting CYMS, the depot struggled with:
- Slow gate-in / gate-out cycles (average > 12 min per truck) due to paper forms
- No real-time yard visibility—planners relied on phone calls and walkie-talkies
- Standalone spreadsheets for billing, inventory and repair estimates
- High IT overhead maintaining an ageing on-prem server farm
Why Choose a Cloud-Based CTMS/CYMS?
Depot management issued an RFP for a platform that could deliver:
- Live yard map with stack/row/tier drill-down
- Out-of-the-box EDI (CODECO, COARRI) for lines such as MSC and Hapag-Lloyd
- Mobile workflows for gate clerks and reach-stacker operators
- Fast rollout (< 1 month) with no local servers
- SaaS cost model that avoids CapEx in a volatile FX environment
The team selected CYMS/CTMS for its modular design, Argentine-Spanish UI and transparent €/TEU pricing.
Implementation & Outcomes
🚀 Timeline to Go-Live:
Kick-off to production took just 4 weeks, including data migration from Excel.
🔍 Core Modules Deployed:
- Digital Gate Control with automatic number-plate & ISO-code recognition
- 2D/3D Yard Dashboard with drag-and-drop repositioning
- Train Formation module for Rosario-bound block trains
- Integrated Tariffs & Billing with ARS ↔ USD FX handling
- Customer Self-Service Portal (Spanish / English)
📊 Key Results after 60 Days:
- -33 % average truck turn-time (from 12 min → 8 min)
- -70 % manual data errors in gate records
- 100 % container traceability with live GPS & stack coordinates
- EDI connectivity established with Maersk, Hamburg Süd and Customs Ventanilla Única
- Real-time KPI dashboard for dwell-time, crane moves and revenue/TEU
Conclusion: Digital Ambition Made Real
By moving to cloud CTMS/CYMS, the Argentine depot eliminated gate bottlenecks, gained end-to-end transparency and future-proofed its IT stack—without the currency-risk headache of new hardware. The rollout now serves as a playbook for depots across Argentina and the wider Mercosur region.
