- Transportation
Consumer demand for frozen products from The J.M. Smucker Company has grown dramatically over recent years, driving an evident need to increase total ship output. The overarching problem that we attempted to solve in this project was how to maximize the amount of a specific frozen product loaded onto trailers in order to increase total ship output by changing carton, case, and pallet packaging dimensions and orientations without increasing the total number of trailers used. Empirical research was performed and through TOPS optimization modeling techniques, we modified carton, case, and pallet dimensions for 4-count, 10-count, and 18-count products. Informational interviews and a facility visit were performed to identify and further explore stakeholder objectives and success criteria. Upon conclusion, we provided a series of recommendations to maximize Smucker’s shipping output per trailer for the given product to reduce their transportation costs while meeting all of the requirements outlined by the identified stakeholders.