Cranberry Cooperative 
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Operations And Information System Department
Spring 2015
Student name: Ha Thu Tran
Class: Operation Management 63.671.
Case Study: National Cranberry Cooperative
Date: Feb 19 2015
I. Background /Summary
National Cranberry case is an interesting operational case study. The organization of National Cranberry was established and owned by growers of cranberries to process and market their own berries. It is a large corporation, which has operation in all primary growing areas of North America: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Columbia and Nova Scotia. The company is about to take on challenges to improve efficiency of receiving plant 1, and to reduce unnecessary factors such as overtime cost, prolonged waiting time of unloading berries, which increase rental truck cost to growers. Even though, the company has invested $100,000 last winter to address above issues. The problem still persisted. Therefore, Mr. Hugo Schaefer directed his assistant to find out the solution by checking through the whole operation before this year crops come in which are estimated to be increased 70% than last year.
II. Problem Statement
1/ Prolonged waiting time truck for unloading the berries: At first, the case was indicated that the waiting time was caused by the holding bins were full. Hence, the truck had to wait until those bins completely emptied the contents. Normally, it might take up to 3 hours. However, according to the process flow chart, primary reason held the unloading process is low drying capacity. It only could carry up to 200lbs/ hour per dryer. Below assumption will clarify the number of waiting trucks were caused by low drying capacity. If there
Operations And Information System Department
Spring 2015
Student name: Ha Thu Tran
Class: Operation Management 63.671.
Case Study: National Cranberry Cooperative
Date: Feb 19 2015
I. Background /Summary
National Cranberry case is an interesting operational case study. The organization of National Cranberry was established and owned by growers of cranberries to process and market their own berries. It is a large corporation, which has operation in all primary growing areas of North America: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Columbia and Nova Scotia. The company is about to take on challenges to improve efficiency of receiving plant 1, and to reduce unnecessary factors such as overtime cost, prolonged waiting time of unloading berries, which increase rental truck cost to growers. Even though, the company has invested $100,000 last winter to address above issues. The problem still persisted. Therefore, Mr. Hugo Schaefer directed his assistant to find out the solution by checking through the whole operation before this year crops come in which are estimated to be increased 70% than last year.
II. Problem Statement
1/ Prolonged waiting time truck for unloading the berries: At first, the case was indicated that the waiting time was caused by the holding bins were full. Hence, the truck had to wait until those bins completely emptied the contents. Normally, it might take up to 3 hours. However, according to the process flow chart, primary reason held the unloading process is low drying capacity. It only could carry up to 200lbs/ hour per dryer. Below assumption will clarify the number of waiting trucks were caused by low drying capacity. If there