(A) Suppose you were appointed as the new Operations Manager for one of the major chocolate firms and were asked to evaluate alternatives for coping with fluctuations in demand to determine whether the current capacity management approach (detailed in the Case Study) is the most appropriate.

Case Study: Australia's Most Popular Easter Eggs Have Really Short Shelf Lives Article by: Benedict Brook 1 April 2018

Source:https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/australias-most-popular-easter-eggs-have-really-short-shelf-lives/news-story/ef53367e6072c434bcec85f419e49639

If you're one of those people who likes to savour their Easter eggs, rather than gulping them down in one choc-filled mouthful, you might not want to leave them hanging around for too long. A seasonal investigation by news.com.au has found chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies from major manufacturers including Cadbury and Lindt have vastly shorter shelf lives than standard chocolate bars.

In one case, a premium chocolate egg sold at a major supermarket had a best before date of just a few weeks following Easter. In contrast, the vast majority of standard chocolate bars from big companies have best before dates six months or more into the future with many good until way into 2019. In every instance seen by news.com.au, chocolate Easter confectionary went stale months before non-Easter versions of the same brand.

Cadbury told news.com.au that as the majority of Easter chocolate was consumed on the long weekend they "rarely survived until the best before date" anyway. Other chocolate firms failed to even supply an explanation. However, the sheer demand for Easter eggs means they are made all year round and stored prior to being released to retailers in the weeks leading up to the celebration. That means it's possible your Easter egg could be getting on a year old before you crack it open.

... [Text From Article Omitted]

A spokeswoman said: "The extra complexity involved in making novelty Easter products, means we have to make them throughout the year to meet demand." The company said 85 per cent of Cadbury Easter products were eaten on the Easter weekend, "so they rarely survive up to the best before date". "The best before date of 1 June reflects the fact that virtually all of our products will be sold and consumed at Easter. "We're also committed to providing Cadbury lovers with fresh chocolate, so while some of the products could potentially last up to the next Easter, the 1 June best before date ensures any unsold product isn't offered to consumers the following year."

 

 

•