The operating model must deliver two things above all: consistent product quality (the basis of the value proposition) and disciplined cost (the basis of survival in a thin-margin industry). The plant is designed around a conventional, proven feed-milling process flow, specified for a 10 t/h line with room to run extended hours.

Process flow

Receiving → Weighing & QC → Storage → Grinding → Batching → Mixing →

Micro-dosing → Conditioning → Pelleting → Cooling → Screening → Bagging/Bulk → Dispatch

Facility and equipment

Procurement — the profit lever

Because ingredients are ~83% of cost, procurement is not a back-office function, it is where the business is won or lost. NWAF will run a disciplined procurement model integrating three objectives: price, quality and availability.

• Maintain multiple approved suppliers for every major input to avoid single-source risk.
• Use forward and seasonal purchasing to lock favourable pricing and smooth volatility.
• Hold defined safety stocks calibrated against price risk and lead time, without over-exposing working capital.
• Integrate procurement tightly with sales and production planning so purchases match the order book.

Quality control

Every major raw-material shipment is inspected and tested before acceptance; finished product is batch-tested; and full traceability is maintained from ingredient to dispatch. A laboratory capability, internal or through accredited partners, supports supplier approval, moisture and nutritional analysis, contamination control and complaint monitoring. Consistent QC is the operational foundation of the entire value proposition.

Working capital and the cash conversion cycle

Table 5. Working-capital drivers (days)