Mother Nature as a Quality Controller
Quality control doesn’t stop when the product leaves the factory. Companies have a vested interest in making sure that the product maintains its quality until the point of consumer consumption. So, how does a company that produces chocolate in a country with irregular electricity and high temperatures make sure it only melts in the hand (or on the face) of the consumer? Gandour has just the solution to this problem.
Gandour started producing confections in the Middle East in 1857. Their longevity is due to their ability to provide consumers, throughout the world’s hottest regions—from Lebanon to Southeast Asia—with affordable chocolate confections. The process of quality and cost efficiency begins with raw materials. From 1993 to 2013, through careful sourcing and supply chain management Gandour was able to sell their popular Tarboosh candy throughout Lebanon for only LL250 ($0.16) each. In 2013, the price of the chocolate covered marshmallow treat increased to only LL333 ($0.22) each. Despite this cost-effective price, the quality of the treat remains consistent due to Gandour’s quality control process.
Before production even begins, inspectors ensure that molds, cutters, and conveyors are free from humidity by performing trial runs. During production Gandour’s quality control process inspectors are responsible for ensuring that all process parameters meet the set standards for ingredients, weight, batch mixing, packaging, and finished products. Making sure that the standards are met requires a team of dedicated quality control specialists filling out inspection forms and reports to track variation from the established tolerance limits. Specific metrics of interest include net weight, percent moisture, wrapping and sealing, and product integrity. If the inspectors find that hygienic standards or product standards deviate significantly and critically during production, they have the power to shut down the production line. Before the products leave the factory inspectors regularly sample every line to ensure that the packaging adheres to the stringent standards of the company.
But once the product is out of the factory, how does it stay fresh at all of the shops that sell Gandour’s products? Or even in the consumer’s kitchen? To appreciate this problem, one must consider all of the distribution channels for Gandour’s confections. The large grocery chains, such as Spinney’s and TSC, have proper ventilation and cooling that allows for chocolate to stay at the recommended temperatures. However, small neighborhood shops—frequented by hungry children after school -usually have little space and suffer from frequent power outages, making refrigeration difficult. As a result, Gandour has made its most popular chocolate—the Tarboosh—a seasonal delicacy!
Gandour only produces and ships its most fragile chocolate during the winter. In this way, they need not worry that their customers will purchase a product of inferior quality. To make sure that the Tarboosh does not lose popularity in the summer months when it is absent from store shelves, Gandour manages a careful marketing campaign. In 2014, their summer campaign included a game in which patrons were led to believe that the popular candy was kidnapped by aliens. As the candy usually comes back to the store shelves in winter, near the end of the year, most customers recognize it as a holiday food. In short, one could say that Gandour has cleverly recruited Mother Nature to serve as the quality control inspector for Tarboosh once it leaves their factory.
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