Mars chocolate supply chain process Essay Example for Free

Mars chocolate supply chain process Essay The chocolate supply chain involves everyone who plays a part in producing chocolate,from local governments to international certification organizations and multi-national manufacturers. To achieve sucess, all of these players must collaborate effectively and prioritize farmer benefit at origin over competitive advantage. By putting farmers first and training them , Mars is aiming to strengthen its supply chain as a whole and to move towards a more sustainable cocoa economy. Most of the cocoa imported by MARS is grown by individual cocoa farmers and their families on plots smaller than five acres (two hectares) in rural parts of West Africa, Asia and the America. Local buyers in these countries collect cocoa beans from many farmers, either after harvest or after they have been dried or fermented. Exporters then buy cocoa beans from a network of the local buyers and prepare them for international shipping and processing to Mars factories . The exporter can be a local marketing company, a global commodity trader, an international agricultural business, a cocoa processor or a government In Africa, Mars has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ivorian government for long-term collaboration and investment in cocoa. It is also working closely with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the Brazilian National Research Center (CEPLAC) and the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture to obtain better quality for chocolate manufacturing. Mars is the first global chocolate company to commit to sourcing all of their cocoa from certified sources by 2020. In 2011, they purchased 10% of their cocoa from certified sources, and in 2012 exceeded it to 20 percent and become the world’s largest user of certified cocoa. They currently buy cocoa certified by the Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified and Fairtrade. While consumer choices determine demand throughout the cocoa market, it is the manufacturer that meets this demand directly and so sets standards that affect the whole supply chain. Having such an influential role means manufacturers have a duty to ensure that the supply chain supporting their products operates in a responsible and sustainable way. Although Mars cannot have direct relationships with every individual farmer, by choosing to use certified cocoa in their products, the company aims to enable industry-wide improvements in productivity, incomes and sustainability. When the cocoa beans arrive at the factory they are processed into the cocoa products that can be used in manufacturing chocolate. These include cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Most processing occurs away from the countries where cocoa is grown because it is more efficient to process and manufacture the products close to where they will be consumed.. What happens during processing has a direct effect on the flavor and qualities of the resulting chocolate. The taste and texture of a particular chocolate product depends on the each recipie , which remains a guarded secret of the company. Mars uses different types and proportions of cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and other ingredients such as milk and sugar to make their products consistent with the brand. They use a mix of beet and cane sugar in our chocolate and confectionery products and source most of it within the region in which it will be used. For several years, they have worked closely with direct suppliers to ensure our sugar is responsibly sourced, while maintaining the highest levels of quality . They need a consistent and high-quality supply of peanuts for some of our most popular products, including SNICKERSÂ ® and MM’SÂ ®. Jointly funding the U. S. Peanut Resources and Efficiency Measures Report conducted by the independent research firm IHS Global Insight, which found major potential improvements in farming practices among U. S. peanut farmers as they are its major suppliers . Dairy ingredients are a critical component of many of our milk chocolate and caramel brands . These are obtained by collaborating with other consumer brand companies and suppliers throughout the local markets that comply with the companys supplier code of conduct . The finished chocolate product is then packaged. The packaging is made in the factory usuing materials such as metal , paper and plastics which is purchased locally. Their strategy is to reduce, recycle and rethink our packaging. This is not easy, as alternative materials that appear more sustainable in one respect often have a greater impact elsewhere. They use lifecycle assessment to ensure that they do not make progress in one area, only to undermine it somewhere else . For packaging they also work with suppliers, universities, other industries and expert partners to share learning and innovation. In Australia, Wrigley committed to the National Packaging Covenant in 2005, and has signed the updated Australian Packaging Covenant . The finished product is via the company owned transport local distributors. The distributors can be individuals , a private enterprise or the government which transport the chocolate to local stores and marts and also to exporters of the finished products . As one of the leading food manufacturers in the world, Mars has a significant international presence in more than 73 countries.

The Detective Story Genre Essay -- Year 10 GCSE Coursework

In this essay I will be analysing: The Speckled Band, The Red-Headed League, and The Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I will be showing and comparing the plots of all three stories, the settings, the structure, and language used, characteristics of Holmes and Watson, and my own conclusion. All three stories were written in the 1890s.Crime writing was very popular in the 19th century, people found it to be very entertaining. It all started with a man called Edgar Allan Poe, he wrote the very first detective story â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue†. Poe was a great inspiration to Doyle; he was the one who made Doyle what he is today. Doyle just loved Poe’s writing and he used Poe as a model when he set out to write detective stories himself. Detective stories then began in the middle nineteenth century when police forces organised in U.S., France and England. They were then published in magazines in instalments. The main plots of the three stories all have one thing in common and that is that they are all mysteries. The mystery for â€Å"The Speckled Band† is how and why Julia Stoner really died. The story starts with Holmes waking up Watson because a client (Helen Stoner) has arrived at 221B Baker Street early in the morning. Helen Stoner has a case for Holmes and she tells him that she is afraid because her sister Julia died in mysterious circumstances. Holmes and Watson travel to Stoke Moran, Surrey to solve how Julia had died and why there is a low whistle in middle of the night which had been the herald of Julia’s death. Holmes and Watson start to examine Julia’s bedroom and find that she was killed by a snake which Dr Roylott had been training for it to poison people to death. Dr Roylott is then ma... ...lmes methods, but as Holmes always points out he never observes. Overall I think that the 3 short stories: The Speckled Band, The Red-Headed League, and The Blue Carbuncle work as great detective stories because as you keep reading they seem to interest you more so you never out them down. The stories have become so great because most of the characters are based on real people who have a strong connection to the character. Between all three stories I liked The Speckled Band more because it seems more interesting and the case that needs to be solved is very mysterious due to the strange death. The title is even intriguing; it makes you want to read it. When you read up to the part where Holmes finds out who is killing everyone that just makes you ask yourself so many questions as to why that happened so its more exciting and you just have to keep reading.

Barriers to Communication Essay

The communication topic that I have chosen to write about is The Barriers to Communication in the in the workplace. My focus will be on the Apple Organization as well as other organizations that have had communications issues. My interest in this topic stems from the fact that I’ve encountered many barriers to effective communication while in the work place. I understand personally how ineffective communication by all levels of an organization can lead to the decrease work morals, productivity etc. I am also interested in this topic in that as a Business Management major I would like to be as affective in my communication with the organization I will join as well as with the individuals that will comprise the company. Based on a research done In July 2011, a Maritz Poll, an annual employee attitude survey conducted by Maritz Research, reported that 25 percent of employees indicated having less trust in their management than they did the previous year. Bad communication breaks down trust. Barriers to communication in the work place can be very detrimental to the sustainability, longevity and success to the organization. There are numerous barriers that effect communication in the work place. According to skillsyouneed.com, these barriers range from nonverbal communication, lack of feedback and cultural differences. These barriers to communication may and can occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message. References Barriers to effective communication. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html Duggan, T. (n.d.). Communication problems in a business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/communication-problems-business-2828.html

HRM Summative Assignment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2133 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Narrative essay Level High school Did you like this example? HRM Summative Assignment For the purpose of the question this assignment will look specifically at training and development (TD) and its relevance to the professional service firm KPMG. Training and development are part of the Human Resource development (HRD) process. HRD is a process for developing and unleashing human expertise through organisational development and personnel training and development for the purpose of improving performance (Swanson, 1995)[1]. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "HRM Summative Assignment" essay for you Create order More specifically, Training is the procedure by which the skills, aptitudes and abilities of employees to carry out particular jobs are imparted (Jucius, 1975)[2].   The process is fundamentally one of learning in which employees can increase the effectiveness of their performance in the workplace, therefore increasing the chances of a company to reach their objectives at the most cost effective way possible. Development refers to the prospects of learning that are intended in order to help the employee grow. It does not necessarily relate to skill-orientated activities as the development processes can provide new attitudes and general knowledge. KPMG is a successful network of globally professionalcompanies offering Tax, Advisory and Auditing services, in taking revenue of $22.7 billion in 2008. They have 135,000 professionals working in 146 countries worldwide, in order to deliver value to the customer. KPMG work in a competitive environment, being one of the four strong accounting firms (See Appendix 1[3]) they have to constantly strive to improve with executive vice chair Jack Taylor stating that everything we have is based on starting with the core philosophy on building knowledge by building a training and development program that is the best of the big four[4]. According to the website Sustaining and enhancing the quality of this professional workforce is KPMGs primary objective. Wherever we operate we want our firms to be no less than the professional employers of choice[5] . With this objective and a competitive environment with the need to differentiate, it is clear that training and development is vital for the success of the company as their reputation is built upon a good standard of service which requires a good local knowledge, sufficient insight into certain industries and also high professional capabilities. The recent global recession has been a critical period for KPMG as they are highly involved in servicing the financial sector , which was especially affected by the crisis. They will have had to fulfil their services to their clients in order for them to get through the difficult financial period. For a company such as KPMG this means increased workload and pressure on them to respond rapidly and react suitably to keep up the loyalty from clients. However, KPMG have a flexile and adaptable training strategy with their managers and training department integrating together, within the short space of a few days being able to create a resolution by providing a programme for employees to learn. With specific reference to the recession, this contained tactics to deal with the financial situation and develop their understanding of the regulatory, technical and industry standards in order to efficiently deal with their clients. Looking at the Leitch Review (2006) it has become apparent that training and development needs to be considered at a strategic level. According to McCracken and Wallace (2000) a strategy driven approach contains nine characteristics (See Appendix 2)[6]. KPMG provide training and development through a strategy-driven approach in which they incorporate technical expertise in each of the services they provide: auditing, advisory and tax methods and education is provided into global business ethics and the development of leadership. This is all included in their business model which is all about creating knowledge within their employees. Appendix 2 (Fombrun et al., 1984) shows how training and development fits in with a strategic HRM approach[7]. It is apparent that their training and development is continuous in order to reach a good level of performance, with the learning for their employees being never-ending. Due to the variation of different information incoming to the business it is vital that training and development occurs on a daily or weekly basis rather than yearly. KPMGs efficient ways of focusing relentlessly on gathering and analysing data for every aspec t of their business ensures that their TD is inline with the companies overall business strategy therefore allowing this frequent training to be more focused and efficient. According to BusinessWeek in 2009, after a three part survey, with training making up the third part, KPMG was deemed as the 4th best company in the world to launch a career at[8][9]. Looking at an interview of Eric (See Appendix 3)[10], a senior manager at KPMG, it is clear that the attractions of joining the firm are mainly down to their practical training and development programs. Many graduates launch their careers at KPMG. From the minute they join they are supported through various training and development schemes. It is intimidating joining a large firm, but from the beginning KPMG make graduates feel integrated and constantly make sure their knowledge is being developed. This is done through a specifically designed support network which includes mentoring with a recently qualified trainee. Mentoring ca n be one of the most powerful development approaches available to individuals and organisations (Clutterbuck, 1998)[11]. It is a developmental relationship between two individuals, the mentor and a protà ©gà ©. In which the mentor provides a variety of career-related and psycho-social functions for the protà ©gà © (Kram, 1985)[12]. Its benefits include enhancing learning outcomes and organisational commitment (Lankau Scandura, 2002; Donaldson, Ensher et al., 2000). Also in this support network the new employees receive coaching. Coaching aims to enhance the performance and learning ability of others.   It involves providing feedback, but it also uses other techniques such as motivation, effective questioning and consciously matching your management style to the employees readiness to undertake a particular task.   It is based on helping the employee to help her/himself through dynamic interaction, not relying on a one-way glow of telling and instructing (Landsb erg, 1997)[13]. This is done by a performance manager who takes full responsibility in the development of employees by setting objectives, monitoring performance and helping the employee learn from problems. A counselling partner is also assigned in order to guarantee that employees are developing to their full potential by monitoring their progress in the long-term. This links with the 7th characteristic of McCracken and Wallaces (2000) strategy driven approach to TD that trainers do not only have an expanded role, including facilitation and acting as organizational change consultants, but also lead as well as facilitate change. It is clear that training and development within the company is not only important for making employees more knowledgeable but is also for attracting the best new employees from around the globe because of the high reputation of their TD system. KPMG dont only concentrate their TD on new employees at the business. They make employees at all levels learn and understand the strategic goals of the company and the role they are going to play in achieve these for KPMG.   The company have a program called the Chairmans 25, where every so often, 25 highly performing employees are chosen to undertake the program. This helps these employees to further develop their knowledge through a multifaceted leadership development approach eventually taking on key senior roles in the firm To conclude, training and development increases productivity but comes at a cost. It needs to take into account the organisations objectives and strategy and identify the skills and competencies required now and in the future. The key challenges faced by training and development include achieving strategic integration, building a learning culture, promoting workplace learning, and developing managerial and leadership capability. For KPMG, the benefits they receive from their TD clearly outweigh the costs, with a clear causal link between their TD and the in creasing performance of the organisation. They have created one of the strongest learning and development schemes on a global level. This can be seen by their training methods that are directly intended at creating a top class service to their clients, through their blend of coaching and mentoring, technical training, skill building programs and industry insights, the have been furthered to Number 2 on the global Training Top 125 list. Joining KPMG at any level is beneficial because of their TD programs occur at all levels and the opportunities are endless for their employees, from graduates to more senior members. Bibliography Books Swanson, R. (1995) Human resource development: performance is the key Human Resource Development Quarterly   vol 7 (3), 203-207 Harrison, R. Kessels, J. (2004) Human Resource Development in a Knowledge Economy Hampshire: Palgrave. Jucius, M. Personnel Management, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1975, pg 225. McCracken, M. and Wallace, M. (2000) Towards a redefinition of strategic HRD. Journal of European Industrial Training pg 281-90 Fombrun, C. Tichy, N. Devanna, M. (1984) Strategic Human Resource Management New York: Wiley Group Esc Toulouse (2002) Conference on life long learning for a knowledge based society.   France: Toulouse Business School Clutterbuck, D. (1998), Learning Alliances: tapping into talent, London: Institute of Personnel Development. Kram, K.E., Isabella, L.A. (1985). Mentoring Alternatives: The role of peer relationships in career development. Academy of Management Journal, 28(1), 110-132. Landsberg, M, (1997) Tao of Coaching: Boost Your Effectiveness at Work by Inspiring and Developing Those Around You, Websites https://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/JoinUs/WhyKPMG/Learning-and-development/Pages/Default.aspx https://www.corporatetraining.ie/training-case-study-kpmg.html https://www.kpmgcareers.com/whoweare/training.pdf https://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/career_launch_2009/ https://www.kpmg.com/GLOBAL/EN/JOINUS/PEOPLECULTURE/PEOPLE-PROFILES/Pages/Profile4.aspx https://www.trainingmag.com/msg/content_display/publications/e3id4a71ae8a1475303ec84ba8f87139b3f https://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/career_launch_2009/ Appendices Appendix 1 4 Big accounting firms comparison. Firm Revenues Employees Fiscal Year PWC $26.2n 163,000 2009 Deloitte $26.1bn 169,000 2009 Ernst Young $21.4bn 144,144 2009 KPMG $20.11BN 135,000 2009 Appendix 2 -HRD as part of a strategic HRM approach Appendix 3 9 characteristics of strategic HR approach HRD shapes the organisations mission and goals as well as having a role in strategy implementation Top management are leaders rather than supporters us of HRD. Senior management (not just HRD professionals) are involved in environmental scanning in relation to HRD HRD strategies, policies and plans are developed, which relate to both present and the future direction of the organisation and the top management team is involved in this Line manages our not only committed and involved in HRD but involved as strategic partners There is strategic integration with other aspects of HRM Trainers not only have an expanded role, including facilitation and acting as organizational change consultants, but also lead as well as facilitate change HRD professionals have a role in influencing the organisational culture There is an emphasis on future oriented cost effectiveness and results in terms of evaluation of HRD activity. Appendix 4 Interview with senior manager Eric off KPMG site What attracted you to KPMG? I joined as a graduate. Among what were the Big Six organizations at that time, I chose KPMG because of the friendly environment, well-structured and practical training and development programs, and the member firms strong client base. How have professional qualifications, training, mentoring or coaching helped your career? The training I received has helped me to get the required professional qualifications quickly and to acquire both the hard and soft skills needed for my daily work. The mentoring and coaching I received has given me practical guidance on work matters. Thus, I always encourage my team and myself to spend more time on training, mentoring and coaching junior staff, so that each member within the team and the team as a whole can grow faster. I have found the training provided at KPMG in China is varied and very high quality. For graduates this includes the exam assist ance program, followed by technical Audit training (what we called hard skills), but also management and communication skills (what we call soft skills). [1] Swanson, R. (1995) Human resource development: performance is the key Human Resource Development Quarterly vol 7 (3), 203-207 [2] Jucius, M. Personnel Management, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1975, pg 225. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Four_auditors [4] https://www.kpmgcareers.com/whoweare/training.pdf, pg 2 [5] https://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/WhoWeAre/About/Pages/default.aspx [6] McCracken, M. and Wallace, M. (2000) Towards a redefinition of strategic HRD. Journal of European Industrial Training pg 281-90 [7] Fombrun, C. Tichy, N. Devanna, M. (1984) Strategic Human Resource Management New York: Wiley Group Esc Toulouse (2002) Conference on life long learning for a knowledge based society.   France: Toulouse Business School [8] [9] https://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/career _launch_2009/ [10] https://www.kpmg.com/GLOBAL/EN/JOINUS/PEOPLECULTURE/PEOPLE-PROFILES/Pages/Profile4.aspx [11] Clutterbuck, D. (1998), Learning Alliances: tapping into talent, London: Institute of Personnel Development. [12] Kram, K.E., Isabella, L.A. (1985). Mentoring Alternatives: The role of peer relationships in career development. Academy of Management Journal, 28(1), 110-132. [13]   Landsberg, M, Tao of Coaching: Boost Your Effectiveness at Work by Inspiring and Developing Those Around You, 1997