Services Provided

• Process Analysis & System Requirements
• Process Improvement & Lean Management
• System Implementation
• Systems & Process Development

First Milk: Identifies Milk Management Improvements

First Milk, a wholly British farmer-owned dairy co-operative, has c.800 farmer members and produces award-winning cheddar, regional cheeses and dairy ingredients and markets fresh milk through collaborative milk sourcing and supply chain management services.

Davies & Robson successfully completed a process redesign project with First Milk and were subsequently retained to support the implementation of the new Milk Management System (MMS).

The company has implemented a series of improvements in recent years as part of its company-wide strategy to use technology to work smarter, including an upgrade of its ERP system and development of a comprehensive mobile app for members.

Davies & Robson undertook a detailed review of all administrative processes relating to collection, testing and distribution of milk produced by their farmers and milk payments to those members; supply of milk to third-party customers and First Milk’s own creameries; and coordination of transport optimising activities and brokerage activities. The objective was to document the current state and design a future state to promote process efficiency and optimal use of technology to work smarter, not harder.  The process redesign would then inform a requirements specification for the selection of a new MMS.

More than 100 processes were reviewed and redesigned, identifying opportunities to retire one bespoke system and semi- or fully automate c.50 offline activities within a comprehensive Milk Management System.

First Milk opted to conduct this process redesign prior to launching a competitive tender, which was a commendable approach, to focus on their requirements and not be constrained by known system capabilities / limitations.

The resultant professional tender for a new Milk Management System included detailed functional requirements and business process descriptions, informed by the process review and redesign. This attracted a high standard of proposals, that were scrutinised through careful evaluation and proof of concept, from which a system that could meet all of First Milk’s requirements, out of the box, was selected.

First Milk retained Davies & Robson to coordinate the transition to the new system.