Why Retail Leaders Are Attending RILA LINK Conference 2026

Retail supply chains are under more pressure than ever. Costs remain high. Labor remains constrained. Service expectations continue to rise. At the same time, sustainability and safety have moved from initiatives to requirements.

RILA LINK 2026 brings together the leaders who are responsible for solving these problems at scale. Not with theory. With execution.

One of the clearest shifts shaping this year’s conversations is how retailers are rethinking yard operations, not as a set of services or a software layer, but as an operating system.

That shift is a big reason RILA LINK matters.

From Yard Management to Yard Operating Systems

For decades, yards have been managed through fragmented models. Separate labor providers. Leased equipment. Standalone yard management systems. Each piece optimized locally, rarely aligned as a whole.

The result has been predictable:

• Visibility without control

• Inconsistent execution across sites

• Hidden cost, safety risk, and service disruption

• Limited ability to scale improvements across the network

Retailers are now recognizing that the yard is not a side function. It is a critical control point between transportation and warehouse operations. When the yard underperforms, the entire network feels it.

At RILA LINK, more leaders are discussing how to move from managing yard tasks to running yard operations as a system.

Why This Conversation Is Happening at RILA LINK

RILA LINK is designed for senior retail supply chain and operations leaders who think in systems, not silos.

The conference creates space for discussions around:

• How operating models scale across dozens or hundreds of distribution centers?

• How to standardize execution without limiting flexibility?

• How data, labor, equipment, and process must work together to deliver consistent outcomes?

• How sustainability and safety must be embedded into daily operations?

This is exactly where Yard Operating Systems fit. They sit at the intersection of execution, visibility, and enterprise alignment.

The Yard as an Enterprise Performance Lever

Retailers attending RILA LINK are increasingly focused on questions like:

• How do we reduce variability across our network?

• How do we eliminate hidden dwell time and congestion?

• How do we improve safety while reducing cost?

• How do we connect yard decisions to transportation and warehouse planning?

These are not software questions. They are operating model questions.

A Yard Operating System addresses them by integrating:

• Workforce and training standards

• Equipment strategy and utilization

• Standard operating procedures

• Technology and real-time data

• Performance management and continuous improvement

When these elements operate as a system, the yard stops being a bottleneck and starts becoming a controllable, repeatable part of the supply chain.

Why Peer Conversations Matter More Than Ever

One of the strengths of RILA LINK is that the most valuable insights come from peers.

Retailers share what worked, what failed, and what changed when they shifted from fragmented yard management to an integrated operating approach. These conversations are grounded in execution, not vendor promises.

For leaders responsible for enterprise performance, this peer validation is critical.

Visit YMX Logistics at Booth 1628

If you are attending RILA LINK 2026, we invite you to visit YMX Logistics at booth 1628.

At YMX, we partner with enterprise retailers to deploy a true Yard Operating System. One that integrates people, process, equipment, technology, and data into a single operating model aligned with cost, service, safety, and sustainability goals.

At booth 1628, you can:

• Learn how retailers are standardizing yard performance across large networks

• See how an operating system approach reduces variability and hidden cost

• Understand how yard data connects to transportation and warehouse decisions

• Explore how safety and sustainability are built into execution, not layered on

If you are rethinking how yard operations fit into your broader supply chain strategy, this is a conversation worth having.

Learn more here.