A Medway chocolate manufacturer is increasing production capacity and laying the foundations for future growth after investing in new production technology.
Cocoba Chocolate, based in Rochester, worked with Made Smarter South East to create a bespoke digital roadmap to support its long-term growth ambitions before securing a grant towards an investment in new chocolate tempering machines.
The project will significantly increase production capacity, improve efficiency and enable the business to expand its product range while maintaining the premium quality its customers expect.
Made Smarter gave us the confidence to invest in modern equipment that will transform our production efficiency. The new machines will allow us to produce more chocolate, improve reliability and create new products while maintaining the quality our customers expect. For a growing manufacturer like ours, this kind of support helps remove barriers to scaling and opens up new opportunities for innovation and growth.
Darren Litton, Founder and Chief Chocoholic
Cocoba Chocolate manufactures premium chocolate products for retail, gifting and private label customers across the UK and international markets. The business has grown rapidly, supplying major retailers alongside its own expanding product range, while managing the seasonal peaks that define the confectionery industry.
Forecast to achieve continued growth in turnover, Cocoba recognises that its systems and processes needed to evolve alongside production.
Stock management, production planning and product specifications relied on increasingly manual processes, while integration between business systems created opportunities to improve efficiency and visibility across the operation. At the same time, the business wanted to explore automation that could increase productivity without compromising the quality and craftsmanship at the heart of its brand.
Working with Made Smarter South East, Cocoba completed a Digital Transformation Workshop with Technology Adoption Specialist Jez Heys and Organisation Workforce Development Adviser Chitra Cherodian to take a strategic look at the business and develop a roadmap for future digital investment.
The workshop examined every aspect of the operation, identifying opportunities to digitise product specifications, improve stock management, strengthen integration between business systems and introduce automation to increase productivity and support future growth.
One of the roadmap's first recommendations to be implemented is the investment in two new chocolate tempering machines, supported by a Made Smarter technology grant towards the project.
The new equipment will significantly increase hourly production capacity while using the same number of staff, reducing reliance on older equipment, improving reliability and creating greater flexibility to develop new products and respond to growing customer demand.
The support has given Cocoba a clear direction for its digital transformation while addressing one of its key production constraints.
The new tempering machines are expected to improve productivity, reduce downtime and increase manufacturing capacity, creating a platform for future growth without increasing headcount on the production line.
The project is forecast to create new jobs, upskill existing employees and generate a projected profit uplift.
Darren Litton said: "As we've grown, we've recognised the need to modernise how we manage stock, production and planning. Our systems have served us well, but to keep up with increasing volumes and complexity, we know we need to be smarter about how we work.
"The Digital Transformation Workshop gave us a framework to build that future. We're now developing a digital roadmap, implementing a new stock management system and looking at how to better integrate third-party platforms. The workshop helped us bring everything together into a clear plan that balances growth, efficiency and culture."
Building on its digital roadmap, Cocoba plans to continue modernising its operations by improving system integration, digitising product information and exploring further automation opportunities to support future growth.
Alongside technology investment, the business is exploring opportunities to strengthen leadership and digital skills across the organisation, including the potential use of a Made Smarter Digital Internship to support future digitisation projects and productivity improvements.
