“Will the casserole last until Christmas?” is a supply planner job simulation on FinderK.
You work at Thornbury Kitchenware, an original fictional company, and complete 3 assignments in about 70 minutes.
It is for anyone who wants to practice supply planner work. No previous work experience is required.
Role
Supply planner
Industry
Supply chain planning
Level
Intermediate
Time
About 70 minutes, 3 assignments
Access
Included in Plus
Created by
FinderK
The lead time from Portugal has jumped from six weeks to nine, and the best seller has a big promotion before Christmas. Project the stock, recommend what to do with the costs, and help sales tell the biggest customer the truth.
Read the full brief
You are the supply planner for a cookware brand. A shipping delay means any sea order placed now arrives after Christmas, and your best seller has a two week promotion with your biggest customer. You project stock week by week, find when and by how much you would run out, and recommend whether to fly stock in, how much and at what cost, within your approval limits. Then you help the key account manager tell the customer what you can and cannot supply. Automated checks confirm your figures and saved work; your judgement is reviewed against the standard for the role.
What is Thornbury Kitchenware?
Thornbury Kitchenware is a fictional cookware brand that sells to department stores, kitchen shops and online. Its products are made in Portugal and China and shipped to a warehouse in Daventry. About 40 percent of its year's sales fall in November and December. This case runs from Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 October 2026. Amounts are in pounds.
Who do you play?
You are the supply planner in the Supply chain team.
You plan stock and raise purchase orders. You may raise sea orders up to 10,000 pounds in goods value without approval. Neha approves larger orders and any air freight. You may not commit to customers about volumes or dates; Daniel, the key account manager, does that. Sales decides allocation when stock is short.
Daniel Okafor, key account manager, Hearth and Home
These coworkers are fictional. They may make mistakes, so compare their suggestions with the evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How long does “Will the casserole last until Christmas?” take?
About 70 minutes, across 3 assignments. When the time is up, you get 10 minutes to round up and submit. Pausing stops the clock.
Is “Will the casserole last until Christmas?” free?
No. It is included in FinderK Plus. With a free account you can also do it without grading.
Do I need supply planner experience?
No. No previous work experience is required. The listed level is intermediate.
What do I get when I finish?
You get feedback on each assignment you submit. Completing all required assignments earns a completion certificate. It records participation and is not professional accreditation.
Is Thornbury Kitchenware a real company?
No. Thornbury Kitchenware is an original fictional company made for practice. Its coworkers may make mistakes, so check their suggestions against the evidence.
Quality technician at Pennant Precision Components
About 75 minutes. Included in Plus.
A batch for the morning truck failed its final check on a machine that has just failed calibration. Decide what the results really show, contain the batch, and tell the customer the facts.
Skills: Interpret inspection data from a suspect measuring instrument; Hold product within quality authority under schedule pressure; Define a containment from in-process records; Write a factual nonconformance report and customer notification
Fog has held twelve morning flights and three crews whose duty limits are running out. Build a recovery plan that stays inside the limits without leaning on captains' discretion, look after the passengers, and replan when an island airport says it will close early.
Skills: Rebuild a flying programme within crew duty limits; Choose which service to protect when not all can run; Refuse to plan on discretion under pressure; Arrange passenger care and priority help through the right team; Replan quickly when a new constraint arrives
Facilities and procurement coordinator at Marlow Street Studios
About 85 minutes. Included in Plus.
The office cleaning contract ends in six weeks. Reconcile a year of invoices against the contract and the sign-in log, recommend to your manager whether to renew, negotiate or retender and what needs approval from whom, and put the practice's position to the supplier.
Skills: Reconcile invoiced work against contract terms and site records; Evaluate commercial options under budget and authority constraints; Respect approval limits and escalate the right decision; Communicate a negotiating position to a supplier honestly
Work out the week's supplier order from the records and the rules, cover a barista shift without breaking the hours limit, then send the order and fix the rota so the week runs from the records.
Skills: Work out an order from records, rules and pack sizes; Read a lead time against a date; Find the cover that fits the rules, not the easiest one; Turn an approval into records other people run from