Basic Information About Al-Juneidy Dairy Factory
Al-Juneidy is a dairy factory specializing in processing milk products such as ghee and yogurt and selling whole milk. They are a mid-sized firm and face stiff competition from other brands, but the market share and demand are enough for all competitors to stay afloat. There are, however, many intricacies that can determine a company’s success in the milk industry, mainly the quality of milk and milk products. Raw milk has to be free from sediments, odd odors, and colors and has no chemicals or detergents present. (Valente, 2019) Once the quality of raw milk is guaranteed, which is the primary factor, the other processes and procedures can be assessed. The present paper will analyze Al-Juneidy Dairy Factory and the operational processes recommendations the firm can instill concerning ensuring quality and efficiency.
Problems Faced in Al-Juneidy Dairy Factory
Producing maximum quantities of high-quality milk is a key factor that each firm should consider, excluding every other factor that may affect the company’s name in the form of poor quality. The quality of products determines how they will sell out in the market, and once a company maintains its quality also the name is ranked by every consumer. One of the problems facing the plant is the large quantity of infected milk they have. No firm stands alone in the market without a competitor; thus, for a company to sustain its continuous position improvement, the culture of quality helps progress for each firm. Al-Juneidy Dairy Factory needs to consider the Six Sigma factors to control its quality and fight the market competition. These are data-driven methods that provide tools that offer simple techniques in solving a given problem (ASQ, 2021). When a company follows certain quality techniques, checking and solving each rising issue, it can maintain its higher rank from the consumers.
Generally, milk is very sensitive to any substance that may stain it, ensuring that neatness is maintained; if not, bacteria often thrive, especially when it is not well cooled. (Dairy Cattle, 2019) These bacteria often seep into the milk through dirty equipment or inadequate handling by staff. Proper hygiene and handling also help extend the shelf life of the milk products since the cooling and pasteurizing processes take place in steps in between which the product may be compromised. To solve such problems in the firm, they have to utilize the five S’, which revolves around ensuring a clean environment for production and service provision. The firm should focus on hygiene and proper handling of the milk itself to avoid wastage and spoilage. Staff should also be cleaned and appropriately dressed when handling the products, particularly when placed in the coolers since they face the highest risk when packaged. According to research from Heizer et al. (2017), once the firm has defined its customer quality expectations and reduced costs to a reasonable level, the management should build a quality management system that guarantees quality products in the long run.
Another concern is the use of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (RBST), “a synthetic hormone that allows cows to produce more milk, but increases the risk of infection and presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the milk” (Kassatly, 2016). RBST increases the risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer, and many consumers now prefer products with RBST free stickers. RBST milk has also led to the restriction of American milk products in the EU, leading to the loss of potential markets. As such, Al-Juneidy should ensure that their livestock does not receive RBST supplements, impacting the final product quality. This is done through thorough lab testing to ensure honesty since the use of RBST could affect customer trust in their products. If this is done, the firm can qualify for international quality certifications and export its products to areas where RBST milk is not accepted, increasing its market reach (Valente, 2019). Consumers prefer clean, safe, and healthy food products from any company processing natural products; therefore, Al-Juneidy must fight all these quality measures to maintain their market position.
In conclusion, Al-Juneidy must utilize ethics, continuously improve legal and health standards, and empower all employees to do better. Inspection may be regularly done to ensure that criteria are met and that the company maintains changes once implemented. Through this, the company can support its positive changes and ensure that subsequent mismanagement will build upon what was previously accomplished for the company. With these recommendations in mind, Al-Juneidy will help fill in production gaps and prevent future quality issues.
References
ASQ. (2021). Six Sigma tools: DMAIC, lean & other techniques. Excellence through quality | ASQ. Web.
Dairy Cattle. (2019). How milk quality is assessed. DAIReXNET. Web.
Valente, V., Benjamín, V., & Esvieta, T. (2019). Microbial contamination in milk quality and health risk of the consumers of raw milk and dairy products. IntechOpen – Open Science Open Minds | IntechOpen. Web.
Heizer, J., Render, B., & Munson, C. (2017). Project of operations management (12th ed.) Pearson.
Kassatly, D. (2016). Human health and safety impacts of recombinant bovine somatotropin consumption. The Aggie Transcript. Web.