South African Journal of Industrial Engineering

In this paper, a decision-making framework for implementing the concept of digitalisation within the South African tool, die, and mould-making (TDM) industry context is developed and employed. The purpose of this framework is to answer the following question: “Which digital technologies currently available on the market can be employed to improve the efficiency of shop-floor operations in the South African TDM industry?” An exhaustive literature study of existing digital technologies is conducted. Thereafter, TDM processes requiring digitalisation are identified through knowledge engineering. Based on the system requirements analysis, digital technologies relevant to the South African TDM context are then proposed.

ʼn Besluitnemingsraamwerk vir implementering van die konsep van digitalisering binne die Suid-Afrikaanse matrysmaak industrie is ontwikkel en toegepas. Die doel van hierdie raamwerk is om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: “Watter digitale tegnologieë, wat nou beskikbaar is, kan gebruik word om die rendement van werkswinkel bedrywighede in die Suid-Afrikaanse matrysmaak industrie te verbeter?” ʼn Omvattende literatuurstudie van bestaande digitale tegnologieë is van stapel gestuur. Daarna is matrysmaak prosesse wat kan baat by digitalisering identifiseer. Op grond van die sisteemvereistes analise is digitale tegnologieë relevant tot die Suid-Afrikaanse matrysmaak konteks dan voorgestel.

The literature suggests that companies today evaluate the delivery time of their products/services to improve their performance in supply chains, which has great importance due to the global competition and trends in the current markets. In response, this paper analyses the effects that manufacturing practices have on the delivery time in a supply chain. A survey was conducted relating to the export activities applied in maquiladoras companies located in Ciudad Juarez (Mexico). In the form of a questionnaire that was distributed to managers, supervisors, and operators. The questions were associated with manufacturing practices dimensions: 1) just in time (JIT), 2) total productive maintenance (TPM), 3) total quality management (TQM), along with a fourth dimension of delivery time. Five hypotheses were raised to determine the causal relationships between the dimensions analysed in a structural equation model (SEM) and tested using the partial least squares (PLS) technique integrated into the WarpPLS 4.0 software. The findings revealed that JIT has a positive and strong effect on delivery time. In addition, TQM and TPM have positive effects on JIT, enabling the timely delivery of products and better customer satisfaction. Additionally, respondents considered the implementation of manufacturing practices in the processes to be appropriate.

Die literatuur toon dat maatskappye deesdae die lewertyd van hulle produkte of dienste beoordeel om sodoende hul voorsieningsketting vertoning te verbeter. Dit is baie belangrik as gevolg van globale mededinging en tendense in die markte. Hierdie artikel analiseer die effek wat vervaardigingspraktyke op die lewertyd in ʼn voorsieningsketting het. ʼn Peiling is van stapel gestuur na die uitvoeraktiwiteite van maatskappy in Ciudad Juarez (in Meksiko). Die meningspeiling is aan bestuurders, toesighouers en operateurs versprei. Die vrae is geassosieer met vervaardigingspraktyke, naamlik 1) net-in-tyd, 2) totale produktiewe instandhouding, 3) totale gehaltebestuur tesame met lewertyd as ʼn vierde dimensie. Vyf hipotese is geformuleer om die oorsaaklike verhoudings tussen die vier dimensies te bepaal. Die dimensies is met behulp van ʼn strukturele vergelykingmodel analiseer en getoetse met die parsiële kleinste vierkante tegniek wat in die WarpPLS 4.0 sagteware geïntegreer is. Die bevindings toon dat net-in-tyd ʼn sterk positiewe invloed op lewertyd het. Verder het beide totale gehalte bestuur en totale produktiewe instandhouding ʼn positiewe invloed op net-in-tyd. Dit bewerkstellig die tydige lewer van produkte en verbeterde kliëntbevrediging. Verder het respondente die implementering van vervaardigingspraktyke as gepas gereken.

As part of the era of globalisation, the foreign market expansion of retailers is a trend that draws the attention of economists and researchers alike, and is an ever-expanding field of scholarly review. Africa is no exception to the process of globalisation, and as the local South African retail market becomes saturated with increasing levels of competition, large retailers are gradually experiencing more pressure to expand their footprint into other African countries. Foreign market expansion is a business decision that requires a structured analytical framework to assist in the decision-making efforts of potential foreign investors. Models can be synthesised to assess and prioritise which market, country, or region to enter next; what the opportunities and risk of such a move will be; and what the business case would look like in terms of cost and benefit. Only a limited amount of literature discusses this topic in the specific context of South African retailers, creating an opportunity for further research. This paper presents a strategic decision-support model to assist South African retailers in making well-informed decisions about which sub-Saharan African market to enter next. A holistic approach is taken that covers various disciplines, including supply chain management, economics of development, and financial management.

Die uitbreiding na buitelandse markte as deel van die globaliseringsera, is ʼn tendens wat die aandag van ekonome en navorsers trek en is ʼn studieveld waarop deskundiges toenemend fokus. Afrika is geen uitsondering in die globaliseringsproses nie, en soos die plaaslike Suid-Afrikaanse kleinhandel ʼn versadigingspunt in mededingingsvlakke bereik, word groot kleinhandelaars gedwing om hulle in ander Afrika-lande te vestig. Uitbreiding na buitelandse markte is ʼn besigheidsbesluit wat op ʼn analitiese raamwerk baseer moet word ten einde beleggers te help in hulle besluitnemings-proses. Modelle kan saamgestel word om vas te stel watter mark, land of streek vervolgens ʼn prioriteit behoort te wees vir besigheidsuitbreiding; watter geleenthede en risiko so ʼn skuif inhou; en wat die besigheidsplan ten opsigte van koste en voordele inhou. Daar is beperkte navorsing oor dié onderwerp in die Suid-Afrikaanse kleinhandelskonteks, wat ʼn gaping skep vir verdere navorsing. Hierdie artikel bied ʼn strategiese besluitondersteunings-model om Suid-Afrikaanse kleinhandelaars te help om ʼn ingeligte besluit te neem na watter sub-Sahara Afrika mark hulle volgende moet uitbrei. ʼn Holistiese benadering word voorgehou wat verskeie dissiplines soos voorsieningskettingbestuur, ontwikkelingsekonomie en finansiële bestuur insluit.