Cadbury: From Production to Consumption in 4 Months - Essay Sample

Introduction

Cadbury is the second-largest confectionery company in the world. The company's milk is loved by many and is among the best chocolate consumed in more than 60 countries (Scully, 2017, p15). The supply of Cadbury's chocolate milk starts at the production and concludes at the consumption by the consumers of the product. The entire process is a continuous task, and it takes about four months to complete (Brown and Kraft Foods, 2016, p12). The dominant process in preparation for Cadbury Chocolate Milk is the production. The supply chain of Cadbury Chocolate Milk entails four main processes; production, manufacturing, distribution, and retailing (Vaman et al., 2015, p19). Additionally, the production of the product involves three main ingredients which are processed separately. The three components used in the processing Cadbury Chocolate Milk are milk, cocoa, and sugar. This paper aims at analyzing the supply chain of Cadbury Chocolate Milk.

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The production process of the Chocolate Milk is likely to be associated with many risks and costs if the correct procedure is not adhered to. In case the process is not as per the requirements, then the manufacturing of the milk will not be possible. However, Cadbury has extensive and varied choices of suppliers to their three essential ingredients, cocoa, sugar, and milk. The company has developed durable and long-lasting relationships with the suppliers of their milk's constituents (Kasirye et al., 2020, p20). The first and primary component of Cadbury Chocolate Milk is milk. The major suppliers of Cadbury's milk are dairy farms distributed across Europe. The farms also supply fresh milk to consumers from the region. The cocoa used by the company is mainly procured from Ghana (Vigneri and Kolavalli, 2017, p17). However, the company also obtains cocoa from other countries, including India and Indonesia. The sugar used in the manufacture of the Chocolate Milk is from extracted sugarcanes from factories across Europe. After the acquisition of the components, they all go through different processes.

The milk from dairy farms is the first constituent to be processed. Firstly, acquired milk is refrigerated for two days. The milk is then sent to processing factories, whereby it would be standardized and pasteurized. The refrigeration of the milk is also done in the factory. After the first three processes are completed, the milk is condensed and sent to the company where it is processed. The second ingredient to be processed is cocoa. The component is usually obtained as cocoa beans, which are used to extract cocoa pods. Once the cocoa pods are derived from the beans, they are then dried and collected in stacks (Oracz et al., 2015, p21). After the piles are all collected, they are sent to processing plants across Europe. In the processing factories, the cocoa stacks are processed and used to extract cocoa butter, mass, or powder. The sugarcane used to produce sugar is first cut down to small pieces known as billets, which are then sent to processing factories. The billets are processed into sugar, which is then sent to Cadbury for the manufacturing process of the milk. After the ingredients are all ready and at the Cadbury processing plant, the manufacturing process of the Chocolate Milk kicks off.

The Cadbury Chocolate Milk is processed and manufactured at Cadbury Manufacturing in Bourneville. The cocoa butter, mass, and powder from the cocoa pods, in addition to milk and sugar, are received at Cadbury Manufacturing for processing. At the manufacturing plant, the sugar and cocoa are all added to the condensed milk. That procedure results in a creamy chocolate-rich liquid. The liquid is essential in the manufacturing of Cadbury Chocolate Milk and regular chocolates as well. The liquid is first evaporated using a pin mill to obtain chocolate crumbs. Next, the cocoa liquid and butter are mixed with chocolate flavors. In making chocolate bars, the emulsifiers used should be as thick as the chocolate to make shaped blocks. However, the thinner chocolate liquid is used in the manufacture of Chocolate Milk. The milk and chocolate go through further processing before the final product is realized. The production processes include tempering and conching of the two essential ingredients of Cadbury Chocolate Milk.

The conching process involves liquid chocolate being beaten and mixed to improve flavor while removing and reducing the particle size. Tempering, on the other hand, requires the melted chocolate to be cooled and mixed. The process is done cautiously and under controlled conditions to ensure that the chocolate crystallizes fats and in a stable state (Windhab, 2017, p19). For this process, the chocolate goes through a piece of sophisticated and specialized machinery designed for the procedure. Tampered liquid chocolate could then be used to produce different types of products. Consequently, the tampered liquid chocolate can be used to manufacture regular chocolate bars by pouring it into molds that are shaken and then cooled (Windhab, 2017, p18). Once they are cooled, the resulting blocks are transferred to packaging plants for packaging. Cadbury Chocolate Milk is, however, by mixing more milk with some of the tampered chocolate. The resulting product is packed at the manufacturing plant and sent to warehouses for distribution.

Cadbury controls all the costs involved in its supply chain in several ways. Firstly, the company employs specialized staff. The expert personnel would help facilitate the production of excellent and quality products to the consumers. The demand for Cadbury Chocolate Milk is high during seasonal times, and this pushes the company into employing more temporary employees to maintain the supply of the product. Additionally, the extra workforce during annual periods will ensure that the Chocolate Milk produced meets the requirements of the consumer (Setiawati and Arisya, 2018, p15). Once everything is in order, the packed product is distributed locally and exported to other countries based on the product's demand. The technology utilized by Cadbury in the supply chain is the adoption of web-based software and internet communications (Bell, 2017, p22). Communication between retailers and consumers allowed for timely updates, which has proven key in reducing Cadbury's backward and forward inventories without compromising the quality of Chocolate Milk. In addition, Cadbury has saved significantly on the refrigerating warehouse.

References

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Brown, R.J., Kraft Foods R&D Inc, 2016. Method for the preparation of a chocolate product. U.S. Patent Application 15/102,515.

Kasirye, F., Radwan, H., and Kreya, M., 2020. Assessing the 2014 Cadbury controversy through the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Oracz, Joanna, Dorota Zyzelewicz, and Ewa Nebesny, 2015. "The content of polyphenolic compounds in cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.), depending on variety, growing region, and processing operations: a review." Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 55, no. 9, pp. 1176-1192.

Scully, Z., 2017. Global Top 100: Candy Industry's Exclusive List of the Top 100 Confectionery Companies in the World![Electronic resourse]-Candy Industry.

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Setiawati, L., and Arisya, A., 2018. Optimization of Production Planning Using Goal Programming Approach at Chocolate Factory. In MATEC Web of Conferences (Vol. 248, p. 03016). EDP Sciences.

Vaman, S.K., Pearson, S.J.P., Norton, C.R.T., and Elleman, C.J., Cadbury UK Ltd, 2015. Confectionery and methods of production thereof. U.S. Patent 8,993,020.

Vigneri, M., and Kolavalli, S., 2017. Growth through pricing policy: The case of cocoa in Ghana. Background paper for UNCTAD-FAO Commodities and Development Report.

Windhab, E.J., 2017. Tempering. Beckett's Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use, pp.314-355.