From our bakery, the journey continues to 3,000 retail outlets where our bread and pastries are delivered. Each retailer has its own list of products they want to see on their shelves. And there is truly plenty to choose from: TM ‘Rumianets’ offers more than 100 SKUs in its assortment.
For bread and pastries, freshness is one of the key indicators of quality. Childhood memories often bring back the taste of a freshly baked bread crust, impossible to resist while running home from the shop with an aromatic loaf in your hands. For products in the fresh category, fast delivery is essential, which is why efficient logistics is a MUST for every bread brand.
Brief
At first glance, it may seem that logistics at a bakery is quite simple: fresh bread just needs to be delivered quickly from the production facility to the point of sale. In reality, however, the logistics of fresh products is one of the most complex business processes and requires extremely precise organization of the entire delivery chain.
To better understand the specifics of TM ‘Rumianets’ logistics, we suggest taking a closer look at the scale of the task.
We are currently delivering bread to 11 regions of Ukraine: Rivne region, Volyn, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernivtsi regions. In total, this includes 3,000+ retail outlets.
The main task of our logistics department is to organize deliveries so that whether you are in Rivne, or say in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, or any of the 3,000 locations, when you stop by the shop to buy ‘Rumianets’, you can always get it fresh.Once you look closer, the process becomes quite fascinating, doesn’t it?
So, let us introduce you to the work of the Rumianets Logistics Center. Let’s go!
Schematically, our logistics chain looks like this:
Production → Logistics centre: bread cooling → slicing & packaging → product placement arrangement → picking up orders → loading products onto delivery vehicles → delivery to the POS (points of sale) → return to the logistics centre.
Product packaging
During the cooling and packaging stage, our bread and bakery products go through different processes. Donuts, croissants, muffins, rolls, grissini, zavyvanets, and mini rolls do not require slicing and cool down faster, so they are packaged immediately at the production facility. These bakery products arrive at the logistics center already packaged.
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For bread, the process is slightly different. We collect the loaves while they are still warm from the production facility and bring them to the logistics center. There, the bread goes to the packaging area and remains until it has fully cooled. Hot bread cannot be sliced, as it is quite fragile, and warm loaves must not be packed, as this would speed up spoilage. Once fully cooled at the logistics center, the bread is sliced and packaged.
After the packaging area, the bread is moved to a warehouse equipped with a specialized computer racking system from Pcdata company (Netherlands). At this location, orders are picked and the products are loaded onto vehicles for delivery.
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Order picking
Getting back to 3,000+ retail points of sale where our bread and other bakery products are delivered. Each retail shop has its own list of products they want to see on their shelves. In addition, we have a big range of goods to choose from, as TM ‘Rumianets’ offers more than 100 SKUs in its assortment.
It is clear, without modern technological solutions it would be impossible to efficiently process such a large number of individual orders every day. To ensure maximum accuracy and speed, we rely on the modern Pick to Light logistics automation solution by Pcdata company (Netherlands).
After packaging, all products are placed on special shelving racks, where each SKU has its own designated slot. Each slot is equipped with a sensor and a small display.
First, the customer’s order is uploaded into the electronic system. The sensors on the racks then signal to the pickers which products and in what quantities need to be prepared for that specific order.
This picking model is widely used by bakery manufacturers across many European countries. The high level of computerization simplifies and speeds up the process, while also minimizing picking errors. Even with a large number of customers, we ensure pick-and-pack accuracy of over 99%.
Product delivery
In addition to the well-organized work of the logistics center, when delivering fresh products we pay great attention to proper route planning.
For example, a store that opens at 7:00 a.m. wants to have fresh products on its shelves even before opening. This is an important aspect of bread and pastry logistics. If delivery routes or the order of stops are planned incorrectly, it may cause inconvenience for both retailers and consumers.
Even in bakery logistics, it is important to remember that a personalized approach to customers is the backbone of the business. Going the extra mile to exceed customer expectations indicates the high level of service provided by the brand.
Today, more than 100 vehicles operate along carefully planned routes. Each of them is equipped with a GPS tracking system, which allows us to monitor the vehicle’s route during delivery and respond quickly if any issues arise. GPS navigation data also enables us to monitor routes and adjust them when necessary.
This picking model is widely used by bakery manufacturers across many European countries. The high level of computerization simplifies and speeds up the process, while also minimizing picking errors. Even with a large number of customers, we ensure pick-and-pack accuracy of over 99%.
Logistics 24/7
The work of our logistics center is truly running 24/7, without exaggeration, as the production of bread and baked goods at ‘Rumianets’ is a continuous process. Slicing and packaging take place around the clock, while deliveries on most routes are carried out at night or in the early morning hours.
That is why whether you are in Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk or Kyiv, when you stop by a store in the morning to buy ‘Rumianets’, you can always be sure it is fresh.
