Chocolate Manufacturing Business (Research Proposal Sample)

Chocolate manufacturing Business
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Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u INTRODUCTION PAGEREF _Toc99993323 \h 3LIST OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PAGEREF _Toc99993324 \h 3OVERALL SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS PAGEREF _Toc99993325 \h 5Breaking down the chocolate supply chain (Who gets what) PAGEREF _Toc99993326 \h 6SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT DESIGN PAGEREF _Toc99993327 \h 8PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT PAGEREF _Toc99993328 \h 10Trading Cocoa PAGEREF _Toc99993329 \h 10Other chocolate industry stakeholders PAGEREF _Toc99993330 \h 12DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT PAGEREF _Toc99993331 \h 13Distribution channels PAGEREF _Toc99993332 \h 13CUSTOMER SERVICE PAGEREF _Toc99993333 \h 15REPORTS AND DATA ANALYTICS PAGEREF _Toc99993334 \h 16Data proposal towards optimization, automation PAGEREF _Toc99993335 \h 20Development of Standardized definitions and metrics PAGEREF _Toc99993336 \h 20Improving first-mile traceability PAGEREF _Toc99993337 \h 20Transparency of and minimum requirements for the indirect cocoa supply chains PAGEREF _Toc99993338 \h 22CONCLUSIONS PAGEREF _Toc99993339 \h 23REFERENCES PAGEREF _Toc99993340 \h 24
INTRODUCTION
Every business aims to manage the supply chain and create value for customers at an affordable cost. And managing the supply chain has been a real challenge for many business professionals. Every business professional aim to have a holistic overview of the business processes and be in a position to understand the pulleys and levers that guarantee maximum profit. Boy or girl, kid or adult, almost everyone likes chocolate. The origin of chocolate comes from the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations in Central America. Many individuals across the globe enjoy chocolate; the adoration for the chocolates doesn't rely upon age, orientation, socio-monetary status, and geological area. It is one such fuel that many individuals across the globe adore. The arrangement of chocolates is essentially cooked and ground cacao seeds made in a type of fluid or glue that can be utilized as enhancing fixing. The enhancement comes from the seeds of the cacao tree as it has an unpleasant taste, and these seeds are additionally aged for the chocolate-making process. Bitter chocolates contain cocoa solids and cocoa margarine, minus any additional adding sugar. Powdered baking Cocoa contains more fiber; what's more, it can be handled with salt to shape Dutch Cocoa. Today, the majority of the chocolates are polished off in a type of sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, dull chocolate, and unsweetened chocolates.
LIST OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
All products of chocolate manufacturing are hand-made and prepared with passion and love. Chocolate has the best ingredients, with sincere motivation and enthusiasm. The taste is to cater to the most capricious of tastes. Besides the business-to-consumer products, the chocolate manufacturers are very open to cooperating with small local and large international businesses. The motivating factor behind the manufacturing of chocolate is the belief that each piece of art for chocolate is created for individual edible pleasure.
According to Cocoa and chocolate market size, trends, and share (2021), Chocolate manufacturing services include a variety of possibilities for customer product customization. This can take the form of an accompanying company logo, the motive of the product, or any customer preference, such as adding a personal message or designing stickers, among other customization ideas. This service brings a unique combination to chocolate manufacturing and adds its character.
The health benefits of chocolate are a major motivation for using and choosing this business. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are believed to reduce or delay certain diseases from infecting an individual. This perceived health strength has been driving growth and growing markets for chocolate manufacturing. For instance, the United States chocolate industry has the largest part of $34.5 billion in revenue. This has been on the increase every year.
Also, the availability of chocolate is a factor that increases its chances of consumption. Across the United States, chocolate is available in grocery stores, drug stores, club stores, value dollar stores, mass merchandise outlets, confectionary stores, and convenience stores. This is proof of its availability which confirms its ready market.
Another driving force behind this product is its customers. Chocolate lovers are among the most loyal customers. Despite its pricing and availability, customers continue to cause traffic in this business. This is attracted to efficient customization, services, and offers given by providers of this business (Trkman, Budler & Groznik, 2015). For instance, there has been a growing trend in the customer buying pattern in North America over many years. This is further projected to increase by 2027. Therefore, the motive behind the consumption of chocolate goes beyond its taste to market views and health benefits.
Fig. 1: Cocoa/ chocolate Market size forecast
OVERALL SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS
Americans consume about 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate every year. That translates into about 10 pounds of chocolate per person, which is only about half the Swiss consume every year. It takes about 400 cocoa beans to produce a single pan of chocolate. And these cocoa beans get grown in very warm climates. But the sales of chocolates happen in the winter months, given the holiday season. So let's take a step back and unravel what it takes to bring the chocolate from the cocoa bean fields to your tastebuds.
The key ingredient in making chocolate and cocoa beans was grown in various parts of Latin American countries like Brazil, but most recently, most cocoa beans. Three-fourths of the world's cocoa beans come from four countries in Africa, namely the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Production of cocoa beans is extremely labor-intensive, and it grows in about 3 million small farms all around the world, employing over 14 million workers. Even though most of the cocoa beans get grown in parts of Africa. Most of the production of chocolates happens in countries like Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and the U.S. A typical cocoa bean traveling from Africa to a plant, let's see, in the U.S., travels for about 5000 miles. And it takes about 50 to 85 days to make that transit once the chocolate is produced; distributing it to millions of consumers worldwide has its complexities.
Chapters are very, very sensitive to temperature. The optimum temperature to store chocolates or transport chocolates is about 50 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 to 18 degrees Celsius. Chocolates are also very inconsistent and dependent on packaging elements of order in the surrounding area. So moving chocolates and storing chocolates as the perishable item is fraught with complexities. The first known consumption of chocolates was about 4000 years ago, and the demand for chocolates has been growing ever since.
In fact, in 2024, it's projected that the global chocolate market will be worth $140 billion. And there are all kinds of shifts that are happening in consumer preferences. For example, there's a growth in the per capita consumption of chocolates in the developed markets in emerging markets. There's a greater trend toward healthier varieties, particularly dark chocolates, and looking at alternatives to sweetness. So there are all kinds of shifts in consumer preferences in various segments of the chocolate markets. We have Llamasoft and are working with some of the largest shopping manufacturers worldwide. And as you think about the journey of chocolate from the fields of cocoa beans to your fingertips. I'd like to encourage you all to take the gift of chocolate and share it with a loved one to brighten their lives as the final leg of the supply chain.
Breaking down the chocolate supply chain (Who gets what)
Without farmers, the cocoa and chocolate industries will likely suffer from shortages, with domino effects on higher