M.Ing. / The topic of this research project is 'Assessment of value added to engineering projects'. In this dissertation the aim is to introduce the reader to the methodologies, which can be used to add value to engineering projects. Engineering has to do with the application of science in solving problems, while technology is the study or use of the mechanical arts or applied sciences. The author saw it fitting to combine value engineering principles, systems engineering, business process re-engineering, technology scanning and innovation technology management principles to base this dissertation on the research of the combined principles. The intention of this research is not to replace the current project management or processes on how to manage and create value in engineering projects. The research merely identifies an issue and proposes a process as an addition to the current processes rectifying this 'lack of value' issue.

M.Comm. (Business Management) / The objective of this research can be summarised as follows: To understand the fundamental concepts of BPR To demonstrate the importance of people in the successful implementation of BPR To highlight the most common errors that lead to failure at re-engineering Business Process Re-engineering (Chapter two) is designed to bring about a drastic change in the way a companyconducts business. This is achieved by identifying core business processes and re-engineer them to gain competitive advantage. The kind of organisation that is most likely to be successful at BPR is one that already has a high degree of leadership (Chapter three) that can create a vision, articulate values, and create a climate in which business executives, managersand line personnel can all grow, flourish and have an impact on the way work is done. Chapter four is a case study to illustrate through a practical example how common errors lead to BPR failure.

The main topic of this diploma thesis is process management and Business Process reengineering (BPR) and applied research of this concept in a particular company. In the theoretical part at first I define the concept of process and process management, which I then develop with BPR. In addition, the basic methodologies, including metadata of modeling a business process analysis (MMABP) are defined and described. I also present the modeling language Unifield Modeling Language (UML), Eriksson-Penker notation and the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). On the basis of this theoretical part, I implement applied research in a specific research area.

M.Comm. / The concepts of logistics and supply chain management are relatively new in South Africa. The concept of logistics management was more commonly known in the 1960s and 1970s as physical distribution. In the late 1970s, the concept evolved to logistics management and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it evolved into supply chain management. It was only after the end of apartheid in 1994 when South Africa was able to compete globally that there was great interest in supply chain management in South Africa. There is virtually no business or industry untouched by the business of logistics and supply chain management. Getting the right product to the right customer at the right time as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible is the main objective of logistics and supply chain management (Gordon, 2000a: 14). Logistics is “the process of strategically managing the acquisition, movement and storage of materials, parts and finished inventory (and the related information flows) through the organization and its marketing channel in such a way that current and future profitability is maximised through the cost-effective fulfillment of orders” (Anon1. ,2002). The term supply chain is described by Lummus and Vokurka (1999) as “all of those activities associated with moving goods from raw materials stage through to the consumer. This includes procurement, production scheduling, order processing, inventory control, transportation, warehousing, and customer service. The information systems necessary to monitor all of these activities are also included. All these activities are then integrated and coordinated into a seamless process to involve all the partners in the supply chain”. With every step in the supply chain management process, there are costs involved and two of the major cost drivers in the supply chain according to Palmieri and Africk (1999) are inventory holding and transportation. Stout is of the opinion that this is more than a valid statement from a South African business perspective and emphasizes that unnecessary inventory costs money as does inventory that is distributed inefficiently (Gordon, 2000b: 21). Excessive inventory holding together with under-utilization of transport can lead to a major negative financial impact on total supply chain costs (Cooke, 2000: 12; Lambert, Stock & Ellram, 1998: 165; Hankanson, 1999). Therefore, the reciprocal relationship between inventory holding and transportation cost is very important. Christopher (1992: 25) also stipulates that the ultimate purpose of any supply chain is to satisfy customers. The importance of customer service in total supply chain functioning must therefore always be considered in a logistics supply chain system design. In South Africa, transport and inventory are two of the main cost drivers in the supply chain. Factors that make inventory and transport two of the main cost drivers in the supply chain are, among others: high fuel prices, high interest rates, poor road conditions, security concerns and the weak performance of the rand against major foreign currencies. It can therefore be said that inventory and transport are just as important in obtaining an optimized supply chain in South Africa as in the rest of the world. / Mr. P. Kilbourn Prof. J. Walters

M.Comm. / The aim of this study is to consider how to create tomorrow's financial services organisations. Information technology and business reengineering are important within financial services organisations and have a prominent role to play in using the long-term viability of the organisation. Customers' interaction with a new technology environment has resulted in higher levels of customer satisfaction with a corresponding demand for customised and specialised services instead of traditional standardised banking services. The constant challenge of all banks, however, should be to keep abreast of change by translating business intelligence into innovative strategies. Customer's demands will dictate the new wave of banking for years to come. Ultimately, the change will come in whatever form the market and consumers demand. Business success therefore depends not only on the development of an excellent strategy but also on its effective execution. With the best will in the world, companies can develop a convincing strategy to take business forward, provide excellent products and expand the customer base. Unless companies have the appropriate supporting cultural and technological skills to enable rapid and efficient response to customers' needs, they will undoubtedly fail. Another aspect that is discussed in the thesis is the close interrelationship between marketing and business requirements in product innovation within the banking industry, specific to customer demands. The objective of this study is to give an insight into better-informed decisionmaking and the important role that business process re-engineering can play as an overall strategic resource in financial services companies to gain a competitive advantage. The efficient and effective use of information as a strategic resource in a financial services company is becoming more and more important. The real competition is for market share and trying to satisfy the needs of customers. Finally, the aim of this study is to address the importance of how to obtain a better return on information, for managers to make informed decisions that are better, quicker, more accurate and timely.

The principle aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between business process management and business performance, and the effectiveness of business process management in South African banking industry. This study has been undertaken with the specific objectives of understanding the difference between business process reengineering and business process management, whether business process management can be successfully implemented in a retail banking environment and, if so, how to implement and apply business process management in a banking industry in order to achieve business success. Banks are seeking to improve operational efficiencies, meet customer demands more quickly, and leverage existing technology investments. Business process management has the potential to deliver the benefits of process efficiency throughout all stages of a business process and to all areas of the organisation. Business process management focuses on business practices and management disciplines as the underlying enablers of a process-centric organisation The exploratory study was conducted to identify the process performance and readiness of a bank to implement business process management. / Prof. S. Kruger

M.Phil. (Engineering Management) / “Business Process Engineering has now become the most important trend in modern businesses. It is often dressed up as many other things, but in the end, how the business delivers value is dependent on the operational effectiveness of its processes” [8]. It is important to understand the benefits that business process engineering will provide in allowing business to be effective through its processes. The benefit needs to be quite evident for a long period of time, while business displays the signs of sustainable growth. I conduct this research to see how the two concepts, which are business process engineering, align in ensuring that business carries on offering the relevant offering to the customer. The approach I used in this research was firstly through understanding what the literature on business process engineering and sustainability entail in order to establish alignment. I therefore formulated a research question based on the variables that were derived from the literature review. These variables are both from business process engineering and sustainability. I further on conducted surveys, interviews with the relevant subject matter experts as well as other business owners. What emanated from the research was that there is a close correlation between the two concepts. It was also learned from the survey and interviews that organisations are so much in favour of sustainable solutions, however the challenge is always on what tools to use, how to use the tools effectively as well as benefit measurement of process engineering interventions. The survey results and the interviews showed that even though organisations think of sustainable solutions, it still seems that there is always an opportunity to implement quick wins that in most cases do not align to the long term goal of creating a sustainable growth of business. This research is important, as it tries to indicate the importance of aligning business process engineering projects to the vision and strategy of the organisation. This approach will ensure that the time and cost invested in executing the strategic and business as usual projects will produce good returns in terms of company performance.

D.Phil. / The new millennium brought its own pressures to bear on organisations insofar as competitiveness and profitability is concerned. Globalisation required businesses to become more competitive through the elimination of waste, reducing costs and improving general business processes. The improvement of business processes has been around since the early 1990’s, but due to a number of factors organisations were wary of change. The major reasons were that the methodologies that were available were abused when business processes were investigated for possible improvement. Organisations utilised the available methodologies to achieve cost savings in the most obvious place, staff reductions. Before the advent of globalisation it was sufficient, but after globalisation more is expected from organisations. The security exchanges place undue pressure on organisations to perform with higher profit expectations. Customers were demanding better and cheaper products from organisations. Shareholders had higher expectations for the monies invested in an organisation. A consequence of the downsizing of organisations was that the value added by organisations was shrinking. Employees, shareholders and customers felt cheated. Business leaders were questioning the existing methods in which production were undertaken. The management of large conglomerates, multinationals and even small business was yearning for improvements. In the global economy organisations were looking to expand their market share. Many achieved it through mergers or takeovers. The organisations that were taken over were in some instances not on the same standards of performance as the parent company. Quick results were required to assure a reasonable return on investment for the parent organisation. Business leaders and consultants ran out of ideas how to achieve the return on investment required. Many of the organisations returned to the tried and trusted methodologies of improvement. The researcher was requested by ASSA ABLOY Southern Africa to assist them in achieving lean status through the implementation of recognised improvement methodologies. iii The research of the methodologies of BPR, lean production, lean techniques, Quality management six-sigma and associated methodologies were undertaken. The purpose was to determine whether the theories remained valid in the 21st century. The reason was that some of the methodologies were developed during the 1900’s and were improved upon during the 1990’s. The main thrust of the study was the need for improvements where processes were neglected for a long period of time. In instances as described, a need for radical interventions becomes necessary. The methodology of BPR was investigated to establish the relevancy of the methodology in the global environment. Even though the methodology was developed in the 1990’s it was still an authoritative methodology. The methodology delivered the necessary radical improvements that can aid an organisation in becoming more competitive. The correct application of the methodology by an organisation can produce the desired results. The study of the methodology produced clear procedures that had to be followed for the success of an improvement project. The conclusion from the study of the literature was that the methodology could be applied to ASSA ABLOY Southern Africa. To achieve it certain modifications had to be made to the methodology. As the study progressed it became apparent that the methodology of BPR will be insufficient to achieve lean status. Therefore the methodology of lean production was studied in combination with BPR. The methodology of lean production demands that an organisation eliminate waste and reduce cost. The single most important source of waste and cost is the holding of inventory. The holding of excess inventory masks the real reasons why an organisation is not performing well. It is that the organisations processes are dysfunctional. Different classes of waste were identified during the research as well as the costs that are incurred as a result. Different strategies were identified to prevent the wastes and cost to occur or at least minimise it. The lean methodology identified a number of other methodologies that could be utilised to achieve lean status. The methodologies of Kaizen, Kanban, standardisation, small batch production and many others were identified. iv The methodologies focussed on inventory, capacity, facilities and labour. The conclusion was arrived at that it was an authoritative set of methodologies. Most of the methodologies originated from Japan. It became apparent that the management of quality was very important to be competitive. Inferior quality was major contributors towards waste and cost. A number of methodologies were investigated. In some instances the research postulated the fact that a combination of the methodologies studied was better suited to the achievement of lean status. The researcher applied the methodologies to the case study of ASSA ABLOY South Africa and spectacular improvements were achieved. Even though lean status was not achieved by the organisation during 2006 and 2007 they are well on their way to do so. The only prerequisite is that ASSA ABLOY Southern Africa remains true to the methodologies and apply them diligently.

D.Phil. / The SA clothing industry shed over 67 000 jobs in the past three years (Bell, 2006). There was a possibility that more jobs may be shed in the South African clothing industry over the next few years (Bell, 2006). The SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) reached a wage agreement with nine clothing employer associations for a 5% increase in urban areas and between 6.4% and 8.3% for non-metro areas in 2006 (Reeder, 2006).The cut, make and trim (CMT) industries who were registered with the bargaining council found it a financial burden to negotiate wage increases yearly as production costs were escalating and organisations found it difficult to compete both nationally and internationally. If laying off of workers in the clothing industry continues, the unemployment rate would continue to rise, thus increasing the poverty levels in South Africa. The SA clothing industry in particular was being challenged by forces both externally and internally. Global competition, market performance and the changing technology were some of the factors that affected the industry. This study aims to highlight the importance of existing practices that, if implemented systematically, could improve the current plight of clothing manufacturers (Urbach, 2006). The methodology of the research comprises a qualitative exploratory and descriptive design. The purpose of exploration was to gain insight into current manufacturing practices by systematic observation and discussions at clothing manufacturers in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Personal and telephonic interviews, discussions and direct observation were used to gain insight into the issues and strategies employed. Relevant literature in conjunction with national and international manufacturing trends was used to create a framework of best practices. Parts of the framework were tested at clothing manufacturers in the Durban region. A sample of clothing manufacturers were targeted by categorizing them into three groups, namely small, medium and large manufacturers. Case study type comparisons were made at various locations to analyse the strategies employed. The objective of the framework aims to enhance current practices through the employment of best practices found in industrial engineering, operations management and quality management. This would assist manufacturers in improving their productivity levels, meeting lead times, reducing costs of manufacture and providing the customer with a quality product at a market related price. By implementing a systematic approach to continuous improvement, manufacturers would be able to distinguish themselves from competitors.

The research used a change management approach to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a central hospital. The study was underpinned by two objectives. Firstly, to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a "central" hospital using the Core Elements Framework of change management developed by Antwi and Kale (2014). Secondly, to use the knowledge gained through literature review combined with the experiences of the managers at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital to inform future healthcare reforms in general and particularly in the restructuring of hospitals. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale (2014) identifies six fundamental change elements from both emergent and planned change management approaches. The six elements are regarded by theorists from the two different schools of thought i.e. emergent change and planned change as key for successful change. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale, (2014) demonstrates the strength of not viewing the two approaches to change management as mutually exclusive but as complementing each other when the other is falling short. The study identified the following: ■ The change was prompted by clearly identifiable external factors more than internal factors. ■ There was notable lack of organizational harmony which may have negatively impacted the change process. ■ The Private Public Partnership (PPP) funding model which was aimed at delivering the central hospital collapsed, after a study discovered that it benefited the private sector more than the public sector. ■ There was no proper consultation of major stakeholders for preparation of the change. ■ Resources in all material forms were not made available for the change to take off, this means that there was no organizational capacity to execute the change. The study draws the conclusion that lack of organizational capacity, organizational harmony and a proper consultation process for stakeholders are the main reasons why the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is not yielding the desired results. The study recommends that organizations should implement a multidimensional approach for any change initiative to be successful and that organizations must ensure the availability of the necessary resources when embarking on change.