Producing
To produce cookies, the following stages of the batch processing system are to be completed: defining cookie types, making lists of ingredients, checking it, determining their amount with the help of a computer program, mixing a batch, checking its quality, shaping it into cookies, having ingredients sent automatically from storage silos to the plant, getting the ingredients into mixing machines, pouring the batter into cutting machines, dropping shaped cookies onto the conveyor belt, sending them to the oven, feeding them onto spiral cooling racks, and sorting them into boxes manually.
Production increasing
To increase production process efficiency, the company a) uses the heat escaping the oven to boil the water used for heating the building; b) switched from a manual to an automated mixing process to reduce the amount of waste. By increasing the length of the oven, the company increases the amount of heat produced and, therefore, can use the water in boilers to heat the building better. In addition, increased oven length allows for baking ore cookies simultaneously, which rationalizes the production process.
Packing
Packing cookies is another dilemma that the company is facing at present. On the one hand, using automated packing would make the production process even faster and, therefore, increase the revenues a few notches. However, with the introduction of machinery into the packaging process, the company will have to dismiss the people currently employed for packing the product. Since the population of the town is small, there seem to be no major employment options for the people in the community. Hence, by using automated processes, the company will contribute to increasing rates of unemployment in the community. The larger the company grows, the greater the threat to the community is.
Inventory
With the help of the few inventories that the company has, its employees can afford not to clean the premises every time that a new consignment of cookies has been produced. As the company managers put it, the given inventory “minimizes the downtime for cleaning” (Stevenson 2011, p. 68), and its availability is predisposed by such factors as the introduction of technologies into the production process. The increase in the production process speed and the opportunity for employees to take short breaks are the most obvious advantages of the given policy.
Conclusion
Weirdly enough, even with their specific texture, which predetermines a comparatively long shelf life of practically any cookies, the latter often include food preservatives. While they do not seem to have any obvious harm, it is preferable for a respectable company to abstain from their use. The given policy sets limitations in terms of retail – unless cookies are sold within a particular amount of time, their shelf life expires and they become inedible. However, the given policy also allows for an efficient marketing strategy with an emphasis on the care for consumers’ health.
The company puts emphasis on the quality of its services. In addition, the managers do everything possible to rationalize the process and use every resource available with as little waste as possible. In addition, the firm also tries to introduce new types of products to attract more customers and offer more diverse products.
Reference List
Stevenson, W 2011, Operation management, 11th edn, McGraw, New York, NY.