Milk Run System in Logistics

In businesses today, individuals work out to transport goods from one place to another through systems and technology. In our changing world today, individuals work together as a team to accomplish several tasks; therefore, more ideas and thoughts were spread. Milk run system is one of the advance systems in logistics (usually at the end of the productivity line) that deals with transportation. Milk run system often improves a business’s performance in transportation management because its concepts were of high standards. Milk run delivery is simply a delivery service a business has to make within daily or regular schedules planned. The transportation vehicles will carry numbers of products at a time and delivery them, dropping them off at several places to meet orders along with fixed dates. A milk run system often starts from a barn or a farm. Farms will send trucks and vehicles to transport goods in the morning to several different locations. A milk run management and production system is usually run by huge corporations that produce finished goods and products. They have to order raw materials and equipments from other companies in order to complete their operations. A milk run management system has to greatly rely on logistics and its components because it has to deal with transportation within and out of the productivity line.

There are several factors that lead to an efficient milk run system in logistics which generally include the following :
1. Cyclic rotation- a milk run system has to have ongoing cycles or rotations of products and goods transportation. It is very important for the transportation of goods and products to be flexible.
2. Short-lead time- a milk run system has to make sure all parts of products are made on time, are made accurately, and are all well-furnished as instructed or as customers order.
3. High loading efficiency- It is critical and needed for all milk run systems to have high loading efficiency. Transportation systems must be strong enough to carry loads of products as well as have high efficiency in travelling place to place without damaging products and goods loaded.
4. Flexibility- a milk run system needs flexibility. The ability to change, to adapt, and to move place to place is indeed a must in logistics management. Flexibility in transportation and in product distribution will lead to better adaptations to situations in business. Milk run system also collects information of suppliers including essential information and data like dates, costs, amount of purchase, locations of product, and others. Information and data collected will then be transferred to producers or corporations to go on with their further productions. Also, managers will have to make schedules and plans to receive orders of products.

Milk Run System for a Business’s Real Success
To lead a business to success, a lot of work will be required, real lot. Employees, workers, and individuals in a business must all cooperate with each other and do work accurately and correctly as much as possible. The following are the important factors that will lead a business to success through a milk run system.

1. Employee management- There should be management between employees. The two types of employees are physical employees who would work physically and indirect employees that work out on plans and developments. Work and duties of these two styles or types of employees are different. Like their names, physical employees work physically to accomplish tasks. Indirect employees though, often work indirectly through plans. They make plans and developments by using their brains and multi-tasking techniques to accomplish tasks smartly.

2. Packaging design- Packages of products have to match with product sizes and transportation types. Space needs to be calculated correctly and accurately since it will be essential for loading and packaging. Quality of products will be enhanced due to good packaging and right sizes.
3. Technology and equipments- Latest technology in a milk run system will make orders, loads, packaging, and managing easier. With the help of internet and computer-based software, information input and output will enhance accuracy and speed of production. The intranet system and the EDI or Electronic Data Interchange will be used to exchange information and data between suppliers and raw material producers.

Benefits of a Milk Run System
With a milk run system, a business can reduce its inventory costs and stock for big producers and suppliers. Expenses and costs of stocks and inventory will be minimized; therefore, all benefits will go to buyers and producers. Materials and equipments will be transported from place to place accurately and timely.