Discipline

Business administration

Abstract

Timely delivery of farm products is vital to maintain product quality, ensure customer satisfaction, and protect farmers’ income. The National Cooperative Marketing Federation assists farmers in marketing and distributing agricultural products to buyers. However, delivery delays still occur, affecting product freshness, increasing costs, and reducing operational efficiency. These challenges highlight the need to identify the main causes of delays and improve delivery performance. This study used a quantitative descriptive research design to evaluate the Federation’s delivery operations. Twenty employees from the logistics, operations, finance, and administrative departments were purposively selected due to their direct involvement in delivery activities. Data were gathered through survey questionnaires and personal interviews. The information collected was analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and ranking to determine the major operational problems affecting delivery performance. The findings revealed that vehicle and transport availability is the most significant factor causing delays, including limited vehicles, breakdowns, insufficient drivers, and lack of backup units. Inventory management issues, such as poor tracking, inaccurate stock records, and weak planning systems, also delayed order preparation. Documentation processing and external factors like traffic, weather, supplier delays, and manpower shortages further contributed to delivery disruptions. The study concludes that improving vehicle management, inventory control, documentation procedures, and interdepartmental coordination can reduce delays and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Keywords

operational efficiency, inventory management, delivery operations, documentation processing, vehicle and transport availability, delivery delays