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This paper discusses the methodologies for balanced transportation problems and their solutions, focusing on efficient and cost-effective distribution of goods from multiple sources to various destinations. The study highlights the importance of maintaining supply and demand balance and explores systematic approaches such as initial solution methods—North-West Corner, Least Cost, and Vogel Approximation Method—and the optimal solution technique, Stepping Stone. An illustrative case involving a company with multiple factories and markets demonstrates the application of these methods, resulting in minimized transportation costs. Additionally, the process of fertilizer allocation and cost analysis is examined, emphasizing the use of the Stepping Stone method to achieve cost minimization. The findings underscore the effectiveness of combining initial heuristics with iterative optimization to attain optimal transportation solutions, thereby enhancing logistical efficiency and reducing operational expenses.

Product distribution is a crucial element of the supply chain system that ensures the smooth flow of goods from producers to consumers at minimal cost and with high reliability. Distribution efficiency not only reduces operational costs but also improves customer satisfaction, market competitiveness, and business sustainability. In the context of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), distribution efficiency becomes even more critical due to limited financial, human, and infrastructural resources. This study aims to analyze the product distribution efficiency of UMKM Kerupuk Jaya Pesona, located in Cinanggung Village, Serang Regency, Banten Province, by applying two classical transportation methods: the North West Corner (NWC) and Least Cost (LC) methods. Both methods were used to determine the allocation pattern that minimizes total transportation cost across three destination regions: Serang, Cilegon, and Pandeglang. The data include three couriers (as supply sources) and three market destinations (as demands), totaling 18,000 product units per distribution cycle. The results show that both NWC and LC methods yield the same total transportation cost of Rp 358,000,000, although their allocation patterns differ. This indicates that the supply–demand and cost structure of the UMKM’s logistics system is balanced. This research concludes that simple optimization methods such as NWC and LC can serve as practical decision-support tools for MSMEs without requiring complex computational models. The study also recommends the application of the Modified Distribution (MODI) method to verify the optimality of the solution and highlights the importance of logistics efficiency in strengthening MSME competitiveness in the digital era.