Fax Machines- this is similar to e-mail, but the information is already on paper in the form of text or images. The information is read by a fax machine, converted into audio signals, and sent down a telephone line to another fax machine. The machine then converts the signals into text graphics.
Mobile phones-Are mainly used by the marketing or sales department because they some times work outside of the factory and move around a lot. Urgent messages can be sent and received immediately. For example if someone from Cadburys marketing department or sales department were out doing a research and the department came up with a new idea that will make it easier for them to persuade the public to buy Cadburys products, a mobile phone will be a good method of Communication for the department to use, because unlike other methods of communication the staff that’s out doing the research will be easier to contact and also they can actually have a conversation on the mobile phone right there and then.
Videoconferencing- allows individuals to see each other on monitors with the use of cameras and talk to each other via telephone lines. This means that people at different locations may be linked by both sound and vision so that they can hold meetings. It may be necessary to meet in specially equipped rooms, although it is possible to for Cadburys to hire mobile transmitter vans which will allow the conference to take place from Cadburys own premises. Teleconferencing is where many people are linked together through telephone lines, it will mean that each person can talk to all others as if they were in the same location.
The advantages of Ict upon communication internal and external communication at Cadbury are:
- Fast (compared to other methods such as writing a letter)
- Can be more accurate (easier to correct errors)
- Allows people to use the information quickly and efficient
- Can get access to a wide range of information easily
- Easy and cheap to store information
- Can access information where ever you are in the world (and can communicate with people where ever they are)
- Often cheap to access
- Quality of information can be better
Disadvantages:
- Messages can be misunderstood
- Can take time to clarify misunderstanding
- Chance that messages can be sent to the wrong people
- People can be unfamiliar with the system
- Employees may need training (costly)
- Employees may feel de-motivated/ stressed by new technology
- Messages can be held up due to technical problems
- Lack of visual communication can hinder the quality of communication
- Employees can suffer from information over load
Ways to avoid some of these disadvantages are by
- Training staff
- Use face to face communication (maybe through the performance management system)
- Make sure employees feel they can get to see their manager
- Have technical support
- Help employees, by satisfying their social needs e.g. through social club
- Make sure employees are only given training that will be useful.
ICT affected Cadbury’s workplace international as a company because it has made communication much simpler and easier; Jobs that took a lot of time, effort and money are a lot simpler now with technology, like the Internet.
Cadbury uses ict as a mean of external communication, when it wants to cummunicate between the organistion and the outside world. Cadbury has a public image and this conveys a message which affects everyone who has dealings with it e.g. cutomers, shareholders, suppliers, compitetors, government, communities, international agencies, enviromental groups. Cadbury being able to provide a positive image through external communication creates a better external environment. Successful manipulation of public relations convinces others that Cadbury is worth dealing with ,buying its products (and might provide it with a considerable strategic and competitive advantage). Cadbury has open information for example it has a website that gives members of the public formal (none sensetivte ) information about the business.
On Cadbury’s website you are able to find information on cadbur. The information are set out in topics then isues for example one topic is Cadbury today it has market information,information it has for schools and third party links which give you more information that you might need. It also has topics such as cadbury’s learning Zone , this is where you learn about cadbury and now more aboout its history, your able to contact them asking them any questions relating with cadbury.
Cadbury uses ict as a mean of internal communication, when it wants to communicate between members of the organistaion. The reason why cadbury uses internal communication is to transfer information or intiate some action. Cadbury uses a software package called Lotus smart suite internally, this software package is like a personal organiser that allows the majority of staff to book in all important dates and information. Using this lotus program makes arrangement of meeting simpler and easier, to see if other members of staff are free. Cadbury as an internal business can uses this program to find out any information worldwide, for example if a member of staff that works for Cadbury in Britain wants to find information about another member of staff that works for Cadbury somewhere else in the world, they can.
In cadbury internal communication may flow:
Downward- from higher to lower levels. Say for example the managing director wanted to speak to Clerical support assistance to change the style of work.
Upwards- from lower to higher levels. E.g. Clerical support assistance gives suggestions to senior manger. (Refer to the incident of the Curly Wurly and squiggles).
Horizontal-between people and department ate the same level
Multi directionally- in all directions (quality circle).
They also use internal communication so that they can communicate restricted information that is sensitive to Cadbury (the business) for example regarding a new chocolate bar that Cadbury is creating. This is so that member of the public and competitors are restricted to the informal information.
The production process
Production involves converting inputs in outputs using a production system. This is a table showing how Cadbury uses the production system.
In detail this is what Cadbury does to produce chocolates.
When the sacks of beans reach the chocolate factories, they are sampled to confirm their quality. They are then removed from the sacks and stored in large silos under carefully controlled conditions of temperature and humidity.
The inside of a chocolate factories such as Cadbury, they are quite an extraordinary sight. The beans are moved and processed using very large industrial machines.
The first step in processing is cleaning. The beans are brushed, vacuumed and filtered to remove all extraneous materials. Some types of beans are roasted first and then cracked open to extract the cocoa particles (commonly called nibs). Others are cracked open first and then roasted. The roasting continues until the water content is reduced to less than three percent.
The nibs are then ground. The grinding process produces enough heat to cause the fatty portion of the nibs to liquefy. The liquid part is called cocoa butter; the dry part is cocoa powder. Actually, during this part of the process, the powder is coated by the butter to form a pasty mixture called chocolate liquor. The word "liquor" is just chocolate manufacturers' jargon; there is no alcohol at all in this liquor. This mixture is then pumped through heated pipes to heated holding tanks before it is further processed.
The next step is to separate the powder from the butter. This is done in huge heated hydraulic presses. By controlling the temperature, hydraulic pressure and duration of the process, the desired amount of fat is squeezed out. The remaining cocoa (still containing some fat) is extracted in the form of hard round disks about two inches thick and resembling the wheels of a railroad train.
The liquid cocoa butter is filtered to purify it and is then allowed to cool into yellowish blocks. Some of it will be blended back into the chocolate later to achieve the desired texture and taste.
The solid chocolate is then ground up and treated with an alkali to neutralise the acidity. The processed chocolate is then again ground up, this time into a finer powder.
At this point, various ingredients are added, depending on the type of chocolate desired. These include:
Unsweetened or baking chocolate made from the chocolate liquor that is allowed to cool.
Increasing amounts of sugar are added depending on whether the end product is to be extra-bittersweet, bittersweet or semisweet. Some cocoa butter is also added back into the chocolate at this stage, depending on the flavour and texture desired. Small amounts of vanilla are added to enhance flavour.
These different types of chocolate can be made into milk chocolate by adding varying amounts of milk solids or powder.
White chocolate is produced by adding milk solids or powder to the pure cocoa butter.
Lecithin (an extract from soybeans) is usually added in very small quantities to make the chocolate uniform and pliable.
Sometimes finely ground roasted hazelnuts and/or almonds are added to produce a form of chocolate called gianduia.
The next step is conching. This is a stirring and kneading process performed with large mechanical devices in large vats - up to several feet in diameter. Depending on the outcome desired, this process might go on for several hours or as many as five days. Obviously, the longer it goes on, the more expensive the process. As you might expect, the less expensive products are more likely to have a shorter conching period. At appropriate times in the process, additional cocoa butter may be added to the mix to control the texture, the melting temperature and the taste of the chocolate. One of the main effects of the kneading action is to reduce the size of the crystals embedded in the chocolate. Short conching period’s result in chocolate with crystals which, although small, are still noticeable if you pay attention to the feel of the chocolate on your tongue. The longer the conching, the less likely you are to notice that slightly rough feel. The finest chocolates feel totally smooth on the tongue.
When the conching is completed, the molten chocolate is cooled down slowly to prevent re-crystallisation. Sometimes the chocolate’s temperature is elevated for a short period of time and then cooled further to minimise the reformation of crystals. This process is called tempering. Finally, the chocolate is poured into large moulds and cooled until it becomes solid. The most carefully conched and tempered chocolates with the highest cocoa butter content are usually selected to be used as the coverings (referred to in the industry as couverture) for high quality chocolate candies.
Depending on how the chocolate is to be used, further processing is performed in a variety of ways.
This is a diagram to illustrate main process in Cadbury s chain of production. The diagram illustrates pictures of the production with an explanation describing it.
The raw materials are transported to the mixers. By means of a computerised weighing installation the different recipes are composed. The main raw materials are sugar, cocoa powder and cocoa butter, cream. After a specified mixing time the dough is transported to the extruding department.
Extruding the chocolate
When the dough leaves the mixers, it is transported to the extruding department. A whole battery of extruders alters the dough to long strings of chocolate. The chocolate has to be cooled down
Into the cooling tunnel
After the extrusion of the chocolate dough, there are two things that need to be, cooling the strings of chocolate and breaking them into little pieces.
In the cooling tunnel the product is cooled down. During the transportation of the cooled strings, the strings are broken into smaller pieces. The chocolate is still rather dim. It needs to become shiny and attractive, which is done during the glazing of the.
The chocolate is then packaged
Expedition
When the product is packed, it is time to distribute the products to the place where at the time our clients want them to be. Transportation and warehousing of a natural product like chocolate are done under specified conditions. These conditions can be found on the level of this site concerning the different ranges of products.
These are requirements that Cadbury use:
1. Temperature
The most ideal temperature to store and transport is between 18ºC and 22ºC.
2. Handling
Although the packaging is designed for regular transport, careful handling must be used to prevent the occurrence of damage.
3. Humidity
The ideal humidity to store and transport is less than 65%. Do not store in areas with a high humidity. In any case try to prevent direct contact of water with the cardboard packaging and our products. Do not expose to wet environments.
4. Sunlight
Over-exposure of chocolate products to sunlight is fatal for the quality. Do not expose cartons to direct sunlight.
5. Storage conditions
Dust
Though the cartons are sealed, exposure to dust and other contaminates is possible. This is why Cadbury try to avoid storage of any cartons in dusty conditions.
Cadbury adds value to chocolate products, in three procedures:
- Producing a physical change
- Creating a service
- Meeting the requirements of customers
After each procedure the value of the output product increases than what the inputs where. So every step that is taken to produce the chocolate (product) adds value to it from its original value.
Producing a physical change
In order to produce a physical change, there are four components (that Cadbury) take in account:
Land: which is the place or site where Cadbury will operate the business
(Finance, Production, Human resources, Marketing, Administration and Research and Development)
Labour: are the members of staff (human actions either by hand or brain) that help to operate the business as an overall
Capital: is the machinery, tools, equipment, buildings, transport.
Enterprise: is the risk taking Enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment of introducing the chocolate (product) in the market. It’s the innovation, provided by the entrepreneur (manager).
Refer to the diagram that illustrates main process in Cadbury, page 30-32 every step they adds value to the chocolate (product).
Creating a service
Value is added by creating a service. What I mean by this is that the service and effort put in production, the precision and expense of capital and the amount training needed for Cadbury staff to produce these efforts add value, packaging made chocolate.
Customers have a choice in Cadbury products – all in different sizes.
Meeting the requirements of customers
The features of the chocolate (product) that are important to customers and satisfy them are:
- The product identity which is the Cadbury
- Quality Product performance and reliability- produces good quality chocolate
- Aesthetic- the appearance of the chocolate (product)
- Price- the chocolate price is within the price ranges of competitors and sometimes its cheaper for example the
- Cadbury dairy milk is 30 pence in normal retail stores while galaxy the chocolate bar is 35 pence
Quality
Quality refers to features of a product that allow it to meet customers expectations. A product is often refereed to as a good quality if it is “fit for purpose”.
To ensure good quality, Cadbury requires:
- Quality raw materials
- Quality production process
- Quality design
Through these stages Cadbury adds value.
Cadbury uses many processes to achieve quality. It uses quality assurance, control and total quality management to make sure that its quality standards are met. All of these quality processes tie in together.
Quality assurance places great emphasis upon the seller to deliver goods of appropriate quality, so that the receiving organisation is saved the time and trouble resulting from defects.
Quality control is inspecting or testing the quality of the product at various points in the manufacture of a product or delivery of service.
Total quality management is a method of establishing production faults through a philosophy of continuous improvements in every process of planning, production and service.
In order for Cadbury to achieve quality assurance, it must achieve:
- Product perfection, It does this by taking samples from various batches of chocolate and analyses them, to find out if they meet quality standards. If they do not, the whole batch is brought back and not sold, it is further on analysed, in order to find the fault.
- Process quality, it does these by regularly checking that all the production processes (machines) are working efficiently.
In this stage Cadbury uses quality control by inspecting or testing the quality of the product at various points in the manufacture of a product or delivery of service.
- Human resource quality, Cadbury insures that it trains all of its staff to be aware of quality issues and to work towards quality improvements, (to give any suggestions for improvement, e.g. Curly Wurly example)
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Consumer satisfaction, Cadbury does this by get results from primary and secondary research. Before releasing a new chocolate to the market, Cadbury further on analyses its chocolate by getting numerical members of the public to set a process called testing, which is putting these members of the public in a room to eat the new chocolate. Then specialists analyse the members of the public’s reaction to the chocolate and also the members of the public fill in a form, analysing the chocolate. Then these information’s gathered are apart to sum a result, if the new chocolate will satisfy the consumers.
Cadbury using quality assurance and control covers the total management quality. Total, as involving everyone (members of staff) and all activities in Cadbury. Quality, as in meeting customers requirements. Management, as in quality is always managed continuously.
Every step that Cadbury takes for quality adds value top the product. If Cadbury never used any of these quality processes faults in the product will occur and will give the company a bad reputation.
Benchmarking involves Cadbury to carry out research to discover the best methods of production and adopting them.
There are five main steps involved in the benchmarking process:
- Identify the aspect of the production that are most important
- Choose a business that is really good at it
- Carry out research in to their practices
- Work out how their practices can be used in Cadbury
- Implement them
Cadbury manages to improve quality by benchmarking. Cadburys benchmarked walkers for the packaging. Cadbury used to package there chocolate in two layers, foil then paper. Now they package it in airtight foil packing. This is an advantage because it keeps the chocolate fresh, protects it dust and it keeps the flavour for a longer period of time. Plus using only one layer it is more money efficient and it means they are environmentally friendly because they don’t use paper for packaging only cardboard boxes which the use to transport the products to customers (stores).
Quality circle is a group of employees who met together regularly to identify quality problems and come up with solutions.
Quality circle is workers who are involved in carrying day-to-day jobs. In Cadburys case, in chocolate manufacturing, employees working on the production line could be members of a quality circle
What I would suggest the key to improving quality in Cadbury is to improve processes that define, produce and support products.
All people work in processes.
People
- Get processes "in control"
- Work with other employees and managers to identify process problems and eliminate them
Managers and/or Supervisors Work on Processes
- Provide training and tool resources
- Measure and review process performance (metrics)
- Improve process performance with the help of those who use the process
The effects that that’s these strategies will have on processes must be managed and improved! This involves:
- Defining the process
- Measuring process performance (metrics)
- Reviewing process performance
- Identifying process shortcomings
- Analysing process problems
- Making a process change
- Measuring the effects of the process change
- Communicating both ways between supervisor and user
TQM Compared to ISO 9000
ISO 9000 is a Quality System Management Standard. TQM is a philosophy of perpetual improvement. The ISO Quality Standard sets in place a system to deploy policy and verifiable objectives. An ISO implementation is a basis for a Total Quality Management implementation. Where there is an ISO system, about 75 percent of the steps are in place for TQM. The requirements for TQM can be considered ISO plus. Another aspect relating to the ISO Standard is that the proposed changes for the next revision (1999) will contain customer satisfaction and measurement requirements. In short, implementing TQM is being proactive concerning quality rather than reactive.
