Question 3 – Critically Analyze its Supply Chain Practices

The Supply chain, as already stated, is a procedure whereby manufacturers partake in the processes
deemed necessary to produce goods for selling and distribution purposes. The “FMF” organization
utilizes various practices to ensure that its supply chain is maintained well enough where “Quality,
Service and Delivery” is achieved alongside earning profits from its production. One of the things
that ‘FMF” does to ensure quality is achieved is by ensuring that their purchasing or resourcing of
‘Raw Materials’ is done by obtaining them from sources that have high quality resources. An
example of this would be Australia, “FMF” acquires its wheat from Australia to ensure that the
wheat used in producing their wide range of products are of the highest standards and as a result,
quality of goods is considered to be up to par with not only domestic markets but also up to par with
foreign, international markets as well.

In Fiji alone, there are more than 250 bakeries that depend on FMF’s ability to supply them with
their produce. FMF also exports its produce to the rest of the region to countries like Tonga,
Vanuatu, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Kiribati, PNG, Australia, Samoa
(western), American Samoa and even to the United States of America showcasing its extensive
‘Market Reach’. Exports at FMF is almost viewed as a separate ‘Strategic Business Unit’, that is
responsible for assessing growth rate and opportunities for development as well as identifying new
business opportunities. It accomplishes this by having its best people on the frontline servicing the
‘export market’, building mutually satisfying, long lived relationships with its loyal consumers or
customers, distributors and other partners as well. Deploying the right mixture of products in the
respective markets is also a crucial part in accomplishing this. FMF’s ability to cater for both kinds of
markets is a feat that only a few large-scale manufacturers in Fiji can accomplish as well as they do
and must be the benchmark for the rest of the manufacturing industry here in Fiji. The exports team
within the organization is always on the search for ways in which their products to be sold on the
shelves of different nations or regions and is dedicated on maintaining or improving its current
measures and procedures as well as continually scouting for new and improved and more efficient
ways to accomplish this.

It is safe to assume that one of the most crucial aspects of a manufacturing operation, especially one
that deals with food, and certainly one of the most concerning, is quality management. The
organizations accreditation has certainly played a rather significant part in the company's very
successful development. The actual making or act of producing the various products manufactured
by FMF is also executed with “Quality” being a main driving factor. This is evident in the awards that
the organization as managed to attain for itself over its 40 years of operation. Firstly it managed to
qualify to have met the “ISO 22000 Food Safety Management” which is an international standard
that establishes the requirements of a ‘Food Safety Management System’ for food safety as well as
hygiene covering every organization in the food chain that have a "farm to fork" oriented operation.
This standard combines key elements that are set in place to ensure food safety along the food
chain, which include:

 Interactive Communications.
 Systems Management.
 Control of the ‘Food Safety Hazards’ through ‘Pre-Requisite Programs’.
 Continual improvement and updating of the ‘Foods Safety Management System’.
 ISO 9001: Which was attained by FMF in 2008 and has been sustained over the years.

The manufacturer (FMF) has a vast multitude of bakery products that are sold to various retail
outlets around the region, their products include: Flour, Rice, Noodles, Peas as well as snacks such as
cookies and potato chips. Each of these items consists of its own variants where an item like flour
can be sold its various forms (Whole Wheat, Self-rising, General Purpose etc) the same can be said
about its distribution of Rice and Peas. Products such as Noodles and the various assorted snack
items can be found with different flavours to cater for the wide range of consumer preferences. It is
from here one can clearly see that each product can be placed in its own unique category and even
then, it is further diversified into different types of forms or flavours. By doing so the organization
can supply produce for a wide range of consumer preferences which satisfies the consumers in
question as well as covering or making use of areas that the organization has the possibility of
making a profit.

By taking all this into account, one can clearly see that “FMF” has made it its business, no pun
intended, to ensure that its ‘Supply Chain’ along with its corresponding practices are done in a way
that “Quality, Service and Delivery” is achieved. From the very beginning to the end, the organization
has allocated time, effort and resources towards ensuring that its standards, for the sake of the
consumers and profit, is met fully and if there be an instance where this isn’t met than ideal
alterations will be made to correct this.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Flour Mills of Fiji, 2021. FMF Foods. [Online] Available at: http://www.fmf.com.fj/
[Accessed 20th May 2021].

 Flour Mills of Fiji, 2021. FMF Foods. [Online] Available at: http://www.fmf.com.fj/our-
products/flour/ [Accessed 20 May 2021].

 Flour Mills of Fiji, 2021. FMF Foods. [Online] Available at: http://www.fmf.com.fj/about-
fmf/global-presence/ [Accessed 20 May 2021].