Outdoor yards are a core part of building materials distribution—but they’re also some of the hardest spaces to manage. Traditional inventory tracking methods (clipboards, spreadsheets, manual counts) often fall short in open, weather-exposed, and oversized storage zones.
Enter drones.
Once seen as futuristic, drones are now a practical, accessible tool that can make inventory tracking faster, safer, and more accurate—especially in large yards where material movement is constant and space is hard to control.
If you’re new to the concept, here’s a beginner’s guide to using drones for inventory tracking in outdoor yards.
Why Drones Work So Well in Outdoor Yards
Before we get into the how, let’s understand the why.
Outdoor yards are typically:
Spread over large areas with uneven terrain
Filled with oversized items like timber, rebar, and concrete products
Exposed to weather and subject to layout changes
Difficult to scan using traditional handheld tools
Drones can fly over these spaces, scan barcodes or RFID tags, capture visual data, and update your ERP—all without interrupting operations or requiring extensive labor.
✅ Result: Faster counts, fewer errors, and more visibility with less effort.
What You Need to Get Started
You don’t have to build a drone program from scratch. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- A Drone Suited for Inventory Scanning
Look for:
Camera resolution high enough to scan barcodes or QR codes
Stability features for wind and elevation control
Compatibility with RFID scanning (optional but powerful)
- Inventory Tags That Can Be Scanned From the Air
You’ll need durable labels that are:
Weatherproof
High-contrast and visible from above
Consistently placed (top or front-facing for visibility)
- ERP or Inventory Software That Can Accept Drone Data
This is key. Your ERP must be able to:
Accept inventory scans from drone systems
Match scans to your SKU database
Flag variances, updates, or missing items
Many systems offer API integrations with drone platforms to support seamless updates.
How Drone Inventory Tracking Works (Step-by-Step)
Here’s how a typical drone-based inventory scan works:
Step 1: Pre-Flight Planning
Define which zones in the yard need scanning. Most systems allow you to create flight paths for:
Aisles
Open zones
High-volume SKUs
Seasonal materials
Step 2: Flight and Scan
The drone follows the path and:
Captures barcode/RFID data
Takes photos of inventory stacks
Records GPS coordinates for each scanned SKU
Step 3: Data Upload
The scan data is uploaded to your ERP:
Quantities and locations are matched to expected stock
Discrepancies are flagged
New tags or misplaced items are identified
Step 4: Review and Reconcile
Your warehouse or yard manager reviews the data and takes action on:
Missing or extra inventory
Inventory that’s in the wrong location
Aged or stagnant materials
What Drones Can Track in a Yard
Palletized materials (e.g., bricks, cement)
Pipe bundles and steel lengths
Bins or totes for hardware
Racked materials in vertical cantilever systems
Seasonal or overflow stock
What Drones Can’t Do (Yet)
Scan items stored indoors or under heavy covers
Detect materials without scannable tags
Replace human decisions about handling, safety, or delivery
Fly in severe weather conditions or crowded airspace without risk
But they can take a big chunk of repetitive manual inventory work off your plate—especially in large yards with a lot of movement.
Tips for a Smooth Drone Rollout
Start with one section of your yard and expand
Use clear signage and tag placement standards
Pair drone scans with cycle counts to verify data
Train staff to read drone scan results and act on alerts
Integrate with your ERP to minimize manual reconciliation
Final Thoughts
Using drones for inventory tracking isn’t just about cutting-edge tech—it’s about solving real operational challenges with a smarter, faster, and more reliable solution.
If you’re managing large yards and struggling with inventory accuracy, it’s time to look up. Drones offer a scalable way to modernize tracking without the cost of full warehouse automation.
🚁 Curious if drone scanning makes sense for your operation? Let’s explore how it can integrate with your ERP and improve your visibility across all yards.
