Using Vogel’s approximation method to find the best delivery system for the “rice for a prosperous people” (RASTRA) program (case study: Surakarta residency)

Abstract

Rice for a Prosperous People (RASTRA) is a governmental aid program. This program aims to reduce the burden of household target spending to fulfil basic food needs in the form of rice. In terms of maintaining the stability of food security for these poor and vulnerable communities, the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics (Bulog) acts as an operator that distributes rice equally throughout the country, so that rice can be accessed by all people at affordable prices. Therefore, good distribution management is necessary for this program. An efficient delivery method for RASTA can be found by creating a transportation model using Vogel’s Approximation Method. This method gives a flexible initial solution that is similar to or close to the optimal solution. This study aims to determine the delivery schedule by minimizing the total shipping cost while fulfilling the supply and demand constraints. Based on a calculation, it is found that the minimum transportation cost is Rp 340,175,800,000,000 if distributed to the district in accordance with the proximity and the amount of inventory in each warehouse. From Karanganom warehouse there are 19 districts, from Krikilan warehouse 9 districts, from Ngabean warehouse 18 districts, from Banaran warehouse 6 districts, from Telukan warehouse 9 districts, from Triyagan warehouse 12 districts, from Gedong warehouse 25 districts, from Meger warehouse 5 districts, and from Duyungan warehouse are 16 districts. With the allocation that is generated by the Vogel Method, the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics can reduce the transportation cost by as much as approximately Rp 2,000,000.