Coffe Transportation

Coffee cherries submission delays in series factors and no longer transported timely
Figure 1: Assortment factors and how espresso is transported
Assortment factor 4
Assortment factor 3
Assortment factor 2
Assortment factor 5
Coffee Processing Factory
Memo
As a supervisor in a espresso plantation, I have referred to a hassle with the contemporary transport system. There are 5 espresso assortment factors in the property and one factory. During the choosing duration when the espresso is equipped for harvesting, most of the time the transport gadget fails. The fault is with the readiness of the espresso from the 5 assortment centers. The farm has one route for transporting the espresso whereby the carrying automobile goes round one point after the other picking picked coffee. The carrying vehicles move from assortment point 1 up to the last one without skipping a single center. Complains have been raised by the factory foreman that coffee gets there late. Some of the assortment centers submit the picked coffee late than usual. Coffee picking in a mechanical activity harvesting procedure where the ripe cherries are chosen and removed from the tree one by one. Once picked, the coffee from the plantation is transported then subjected to wet processing to remove the skin of the cherries and extract the beans. Wet coffee processing is a process where the cherries' out layer is removed by use of water to obtain the beans. The coffee arrival time has been affecting the processing and drying processes. After processing, the coffee is taken to the drying section where it is supposed to lose water up to a given percentage. The raw coffee cherries are delicate to handle at the factory. The cherries need to be processed the same day they are picked. When stored in their natural status, raw coffee cherries are subject to fermentation which affects the quality of the final product. Then, processing is a crucial process which defines the quality of the ultimate commodity. Currently, the factory is relying of the sun on the coffee drying process. It then implies that the coffee cherries need to arrive earlier enough so that it can be processed and dried in time. In the current system, coffee comes at the factory late making it be processed in later hours of the day when the sun intensity is lower. The processed coffee beans then rely on the following day's sunlight for drying. The system has had a significant effect on the final processed coffee. Secondary processing of the coffee beans is done by a milling company which is a separate entity from the estate. The administration of the plantation sells the coffee beans to the millers at an agreed price. Due to the failure in the transport process, the factory has not been able to supply good quality coffee beans to the millers. Consequently, the millers have sent a warning to the plant and coffee plantation management arguing that they will no longer continue with the engagement if the quality continues to diminish. The Millers have provided the coffee factory management with only one another chance to improve, failure to which the engagement will be terminated. Thus, the transport system problem needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. SolutionCoffee transport from the five assortment points is a challenging yet straightforward process for the plantation management to control. The current system calls for waiting for the assortment points to submit the coffee on time to the carriers for delivery to the factory. However, not all the assortment centers will efficiently send the coffee cherries on a timely basis. Sometimes, the picking process fails leading to the lateness of submission to the carrying vehicle. Then, a primary solution would be to establish a central transport system where coffee is taken after picking to await forwarding to the factory. A possible solution is shown on figure 2. Figure 2: Solution to the coffee transportation problem Assortment point 4 Assortment point 3 Assortment point 2 Assortment point 5 Coffee Processing Factory The transport solution shown in figure 2 is much flexible. Now, the carrying vehicles do not have to wait for the assortment points which have not submitted the coffee cherries. In the new system, there is a centralized transport system, where the coffee picked from the five collection points is taken. The carrying vehicles are now supposed to move along the centralized road picking ready coffee cherries. If individuals from one collection point have not forwarded the coffee cherries at the central route, the carrying vehicles do not have to wait. The cars can collect the coffee cherries which have been picked and take it to the factory for processing. The vehicle will then go back collecting the remaining coffee. In this new system, the factory will be busy processing as from the time the first assembly point submitted the coffee cherries. The system will also call for punctuality of picking the coffee since no collection point will like its coffee to be carried last. Eventually, the coffee cherries will be processed early enough, dried while the sun intensity is high and quality will improve. I request the estate manager to utilize this solution.