Sweet Success

摘要

At See's Candies, a tremendous amount of work goes into living up to the promise that's been stamped on their boxes for the past 84 years: "quality without compromise." The employees take this goal very seriously and know, with every piece of candy, the reputation of Mary See's family business is on the line. Careful planning, constant measuring and adjustment, and more than 1,600 people are required to make, package, and deliver See's candies to stores at the peak of freshness. Not only is the product highly perishable, but each particular type of candy also varies in shelf life. Most chocolates and truffles have a shelf life of 55 days, while firmer candies, such as caramels, stay fresh closer to 70 days, and lollipops last about half a year. With such dramatic variances, it is critical to plan the manufacturing process perfectly to avoid both "stales" and stockouts.