Cadbury World Consultant’s Report

Executive summary.

This report was written with the purpose of analysing the Cadbury World case study, identifying the main issues that prevent Cadbury World’s operating model from realising its true potential and giving suggestions and recommendations on how to achieve this goal.

The main problems that are holding this product back are related to time management, capacity management, corporate social responsibility, presence of bottlenecks, supply of visitors and general poor organisation. All of these aspects affect the overall quality of the experience – reason why the report recommends establishing clearly timed schedules for the tour, better control and guidance of visitors, reengineering of the restaurant, providing full access for all visitors, providing mobility tools for people with mobility problems, implementing cost-reducing changes, and restructuring supply of customers to make the business more cost-efficient.

Table of Contents

1 – Introduction

Cadbury considers Cadbury World to be a success. However, recent developments have indicated that Cadbury World is not offering everything it could offer. In order to improve the overall quality of the exhibition, Cadbury is relying on consultants to examine how things are being processed, spot the challenges that the product is facing and recommend solutions to these.

2 – Discussion
2.1 – The service concept

Cadbury World is an exhibition tour created in 1990 that aims to give visitors a warm, candid experience in which they can learn about the history of chocolate and how Cadbury chocolates are produced. This exhibition was created with the purpose of boosting Cadbury’s reputation in order to potentially sell more of their chocolates and increase profits.

However, there are problems that prevent this family-friendly tour from providing quality, and therefore not helping in boosting Cadbury’s reputation as much as one would want.

Cadbury have always proud themselves of being a good neighbour. This is the image that it is intended to be projected and it plays an important role when it comes to corporate social responsibility. As expedients, they need to show to stakeholders that they care about them in order to boost their reputation, which helps the company to sell their products.

Some of the procedures that take place at the operational level, however, may have the opposite effect. Visitors arriving by train and barge need to walk for ten minutes before they reach the exhibition (people with mobility problems are no exception). The packaging area has no access for people who cannot use the stairs, it is not available to visit every day and it is sometimes not well indicated when it will be open or closed, which causes disappointment and frustration in customers. Children getting sick and dirty with chocolate samples is commonplace. The presence of bottleneck effects in most parts of the exhibition also prevents people from having an enjoyable experience that would positively influence visitors’ perception of the company.

2.2 – Cadbury World’s processing of visitors.

Appendix 7 is a flowchart that shows how Cadbury World processes visitors throughout the exhibition. The biggest issue with the current process is the creation of bottlenecks from the very beginning of the tour, which are generated due to the way in which variations of customer flow are dealt with. A lack of proper time management and capacity management is the cause of most of the problems that Cadbury World is currently suffering from. Currently, the exhibition is at times empty, and at other times, crowded.

Appendix 8 is a flowchart that shows how visitors could potentially be processed. It shows a considerable improvement in the way in which staff members deal with groups (notice how bottlenecks have disappeared). Starting from appendix 1, it is shown area by area how the influx and process of visitors should be dealt with to accomplish a smooth rotation of groups throughout.

The process has been redesigned adopting a lean supply model for a fast, responsive and timed flow.

These changes will positively contribute to the overall quality of the experience, allowing for a process that truly goes over customers’ expectations and boosts Cadbury’s perception by stakeholders.

2.3 – Exposing the issues.

Appendix 9 shows a chart with the potential capacity of Cadbury World, showing that the number of visitors that are being currently processed is quite poor in comparison to what it could be. By implementing proper capacity management and proper timing of rotation of groups, the exhibition could be processing record numbers of customers.

As it stands, the exhibition does not really follow the schedules established. Coaches arriving late, people getting amused and entertained by the attractions at the entrance and visitors going in the shop and restaurant first – it all contributes to this problem. Customers do not enter the exhibition at the time they are supposed to (see appendix 1).

Too many TV sets installed all over the exhibition means that visitors stop and watch while other groups approach from behind, leading to important bottleneck effects.

Lack of control of the chocolate samples being given to children may make these sick and dirty, potentially spoiling the experience for the whole family, not to mention the obvious health and safety issues that this could arise.

The Marie Cadbury room sometimes gathers way too many people and leaves most of the visitors standing on their feet while they are watching the show.

The next section separates families when going through a gender-divisive entrance and the elderly stop to explain children how the clock-in works (See appendix 2).

The most important issues at the packaging area are the lack of information on whether this section is available or not, lack of access for people with mobility problems, and yet another set of TVs in the exhibition itself, leading to complaints, more group overlaps and very important bottlenecks (See appendix 3).

In the demonstration area, despite of the pact that there are eight tour guides, the bottlenecks get worse as some groups take too long to finish this section and some other groups basically skip it by moving too quickly towards the exit (See appendix 4).

At the exit, visitors are left on their own with, again, a whole section dedicated to watching videos, making them spend too much time here before they reach the shop. This area in particular may be much more fun for children that it is for adults.

There is a pilferage problem in the shop caused by a lack of visibility. The cashier is clearly visually isolated from most of the parts of the shop, making it difficult for the staff to know what is happening. Also, customers who have not visited the exhibition yet come in through the main entrance, increasing the number of people in the shop and making everything harder for shop keepers (See appendix 5).

The restaurant needs to be completely restructured in order to deliver quality service and prevent customers from getting confused. This section is particularly inefficient and requires special attention (See appendix 6).

Despite of the fact that only 6 complaint letters are sent to Cadbury for every 10,000 visitors, and the fact that Cadbury World is believed to be a success, one would easily see that it is indeed an exhibition that has huge potential. However, this potential is being held back by the way in which things are carried out at the operational level.

Appendices 9 and 10 show the financial potential and capacity potential of the exhibition. If the recommendations that this report suggests were applied, it would lead to Cadbury World becoming considerably more efficient, profitable and successful.

The level of risk in relation to the reward that Cadbury may obtain by implementing these recommended changes is relatively low. With a small extra investment, Cadbury World can receive a much higher influx or revenue, which in turn would also increase profit.

3 – Conclusions.

After thoroughly studying the way in which Cadbury World processes visitors throughout the exhibition, it is clear that there is currently a lack of quality in the way in which this business is operated. There are serious organisational issues that prevent the company from providing customers with quality service. Constant overlap of groups generates a bottleneck effect in many of the different areas considerably reducing the overall quality of the tour and preventing the company from working at full capacity and yielding substantial revenue.

It is advised that Cadbury rethinks the overall concept of the product as restructuring the supply of customers into the facilities and implementing quality capacity management using a lean system to rotate groups throughout the tour are key goals to achieve overall efficient management of Cadbury World and to comply with their corporate social responsibility.

4 – Recommendations.

In order to accomplish what has been mentioned above, we recommend the following:

A shuttle to take visitors from the rear of the factory to the entrance of the exhibition.

Giving coaches arrival times of 15 minutes before they are actually expected.

Clearly marking the entrance to the exhibition and blocking the entrance to the shop and restaurant at the start of the tour.

Do not set attractions at the beginning of the tour – move them at the end of the tour, outside the restaurant.

Scanning tickets at the entrance of the jungle for fast and effective recording of visitors going in the exhibition and forming groups of up to 20 people.

Full guidance throughout the tour, remove TV sets.

Only one small sample of liquid chocolate per person.

Limit the number people in the Marie Cadbury room to 20. Install 4 more seats so all guests can sit.

Do not use the gender-divisive entrance to enter the demonstration area. Use a different entrance.

Clock-in clock will be explained by staff as they guide groups.

The packaging area will be available to visit all visiting days. A lift will be installed so all customers can access it.

Only two members of staff in the demonstration area needed.

Guidance will be provided all way to the shop. At the end of the tour, tickets will be scanned again and kept by members of staff in order to keep a record of the visitors that have left the exhibition through the shop.

There will be an extra charge for the alternative exhibition.

In the shop, tills will be relocated where staff have proper visibility of all parts and stands.

Restaurant fully reengineered – two queues, both accessing the same food. Menus visible from the entrance, self-service. Six tills, three for each side of the queue.

Close two days a week (Mondays and Tuesdays) to save costs and carry out maintenance work in the packaging area. Increase number of visitors throughout the rest of the week by implementing an appropriate market strategy and use yield management to set ticket prices in accordance with levels of demand and sales targets.

Appendices.