Coffee: Process & Capacity.

Essay by KortEvanUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, October 2005

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The ideal conditions for growing coffees are generally only met in the mountains regions in the coffee-growing countries. They include the right temperatures, even rainfall, rich, fertile and well-drained soil, humidity, and light. This is why the Kono Coffee plant is located in the perfect location - the volcanic mountains of Hawaii.

The processing of coffee lies on the "Continuous Process" of the types of continuum processes. This is where a basic material - coffee - is processed in stages into one or more products and is very high in volumes, as coffee is. On this continuous process there is also a narrow range of standard products; price is important so there needs to be a low cost in production; the process is very dedicated with high plant (organization) investment and low labor cost; and the manager must understand the process, technology, and how to coordinate.

The process of making coffee involves properly managing numerous characteristics such as: The coffee plant growing conditions, cultivars, planting, germinating; Harvesting; Processing - processing and flavor, drying, density and color sorting; Fertilization - soil analyses and levels, leaf analysis, mineral deficiencies; Diseases - coffee leaf rust, coffee berry disease, bacterial blight, nematodes (root-knot).

As you can see from above the operational management of coffee is system of interrelated processes. It has a value in that it is something the customer wants, needs, and is willing to pay for. The operational management includes the processes, people, information, tools the impact the effectiveness of this internal value chain. It is the conversion process which transforms inputs such as raw materials (coffee) and labor into outputs in the form of finished goods and services.

The Kona Coffee Processing Mill also uses outsourcing as one of the characteristics of operations management. Outsourcing has a long-term strategic...