Procurement has been viewed as a Cinderella function, merely rendering service to core functions such as operations/production, engineering, R&D and marketing. The activities of procurement have been mundane and repetitive in nature. The importance of procurement can be understood by looking at the cost of goods sold as reflected in each company’s financial statement. In some companies this cost is more than 70% of sales revenue. World class companies realised this and elevated the procurement function to strategic levels. However, lagging companies still operate as if it is fifty years ago. The aim of this study is to determine whether companies are adapting new methods of procurement instead of pitting suppliers against each other in search of the lowest purchase price. A sample of 30 procurement managers was drawn from the 2006 Financial Mail 100 SA Best Companies. It comprised managers of companies stemming from different industries ranging from petrochemicals and banking services to hospitality, etcetera. These companies were chosen because they are the best in their class. Data was collected using questionnaires developed by the researcher and e-mailed to respondents. Regression analysis was conducted and it was established that there is a positive relationship between information sharing and trust. There seems to be a negative relationship between trust and communication. It was noted with dismay that a large contingent of procurement personnel who are supposed to uplift the status of procurement do not possess post-matriculation qualifications. This poses a serious drawback since these procurement personnel are supposed to transact with highly qualified sales representatives from the supplier companies. It is therefore recommended that companies be selective in their procurement approaches, tendering for leverage items, negotiating for strategic items and using a procurement card for shop items. Supplier performance measurement must be conducted to improve performance and partnerships formed with high performing suppliers. The skills levels of procurement officials need to be upgraded to enable them to deal with new challenges. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009. / Sasol Secunda Shared Services and Kumba Iron Ore.

In a rapidly-changing globalised economy, companies need to become more competitive to stay ahead of the competition and sustain the advantage of being on the top. Supply chain efficiency and lean production are familiar in supply chain management. However, there are impediments to the extent of success that companies wish to achieve. One such impediment is demand amplification (or the bullwhip effect) through the supply chain. This study investigated the impact of human behaviour on the bullwhip effect, the impact of variability in materials and information flow, and the relationship between the impact of human behaviour and that of materials and information flow on the bullwhip. The research included a case study to validate the findings of the former investigations. A questionnaire survey was conducted using a sample of supply chain role-players for the investigation of human behaviour of the bullwhip. A separate study was conducted on a sample of real-time projects for the investigation of materials and information flow on the bullwhip. A comparison was drawn between the two independent studies. A case study was presented, based on a power-lines refurbishment project, currently in the construction phase. The results on human behaviour revealed that the types of "disabling" behaviour, namely "panic" or "safe harbour" exist amongst supply chain role-players. The findings of the study on real-time projects showed chronic variability in materials and information flow. Similar results have been reported from the findings of the case study. The key conclusion is that there is a relationship between people and processes and both have an impact on the bullwhip. The recommendations made are applicable to a generic company as well as Eskom. An action plan for a way forward for Eskom is included in this study. The key elements of the action plan include revision of the current policy document with suppliers, prioritization of customer projects and optimal use of the warehousing function. Further research is proposed to extend the investigation to other regions and divisions within Eskom and to probe into the suppliers' supply chain to promote efficiency. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

No description available.

This thesis summarises research focused on the requisites required to implement improvement initiatives successfully. Processes used to enhance supply chain performance initiatives are examined. The core hypothesis is that a preconditioning programme provides support for progressive organisations, irrespective of size or position in the supply chain. An interpretation matrix developed as a result of action research with M E Ltd was tested with NP Ltd and its suppliers. During search conferences the matrix was found to add value by serving as a common platform to record then compare observations and agree a common understanding between participants. Based on qualitative descriptions of training and learning in organisations from the 1950s to the 1970s, Barrington's model has three levels: 'systematic approach' predominating in the 1950s, 'appraisal approach' developed extensively in the 1960s and an 'attitude to continuous improvement' that was promoted after the 1970s fuel crises. This model was used as the basis for selecting collaborating establishments. The literature review concludes that conventional supplier development has the attributes of the systematic approach, which is considered the least effective level. M E Ltd was considering introducing appraisal, had few attributes of the systematic approach, and had an attitude for continuous improvement. A company specific survey was undertaken that led to a series of remedial actions which were identified as a preconditioning programme prior to supplier development. NP Ltd selected leaders by attitude, had institutionalised appraisals and once the core group was established, trained employees with systematic techniques. AAP Ltd had the attitude and systematic techniques, yet did not have appraisal systems. Principal conclusions of this are: · These case studies suggest companies can have any two of Barrington's levels. As a result, an alternate depiction of Barrington’s model is suggested. · The cases indicate that preconditioning can occur within a company, from customer to suppliers and from suppliers to customer. · The cases suggest product development roadmap stability as a root cause for negative effects to the relationship between customer and supplier.

The purpose of this study is to explore the theoretical foundation for conceptualizing information-sharing behavior and to develop a composite index or a global scale for measuring the overall level of information sharing in the context of supply chains. Specifically, the study investigates two research questions: What are the basic characteristics of information-sharing behavior? How can the overall level of operational information sharing of small- and medium-sized Canadian enterprises in supply chains be measured? Three major characteristics of information-sharing behavior are identified in the study: there must be mutual benefits, a mixture of collaborative and competitive actions, and a dependent relationship. Correspondingly, a theoretical definition of information-sharing behavior is proposed: information-sharing behavior is a type of information behavior in which two groups of actors connected by a certain type of relationship transfer information between them through collective actions in order to achieve individual or common interests. Furthermore, a general analytical framework of information-sharing behavior is developed. The analytical framework, which includes major factors involved in information-sharing activity, broadens the scope of interactions beyond the systems and information, and adopts a new perspective emphasizing incentives and interactions between actors in addition to the system-centered and user-centered views traditionally assumed in information behavior studies. / Le but de cette étude est d’explorer les fondements théoriques pour conceptualiser le comportement du partage d’information et pour développer un index composé ou une échelle globale afin de mesurer le niveau complet du partage d’information dans le contexte de chaînes d’approvisionnement. En pratique, le partage d’information entre les membres d’une chaîne d’approvisionnement est crucial afin d’augmenter la compétitivité et la performance des entreprises individuelles et de la chaîne entière. Néanmoins, le partage d’information rendu possible par les réseaux informatiques dans les entreprises canadiennes en ·est toujours à ses balbutiements, et il n’y a aucune méthode applicable pour évaluer les efforts des entreprises pour améliorer le niveau du partage d’information dans les chaînes d’approvisionnemeont. Spécifiquement, l’étude examine les deux questions de recherche suivantes: Quelles sont les caractéristiques de base du comportement du partage d’information? Comment peut être mesuré le niveau général du partage d’information opérationnel entre les petites et les moyennes entreprises canadiennes dans les chaînes d’approvisionnement? Trois caractéristiques majeures du comportement du partage d’information sont identifiées dans l’étude: il doit y avait un avantage mutuel, un mélange d’actions collaboratives et compétitives, et une relation de dépendance. Une définition théorique de comportement du partage d’information est proposée: Le comportement du partage d’information est un type de comportement informationnel dans lequel deux groupes d’acteurs sont reliés par un certain type de relations de transfert des informations par des actions collectives afin de réaliser des intérêts individuels ou communs. En outre, une structure analytique d’ensemble du comportement de partage d’information est développée. La structure analytique, qui comprend des facteurs majeurs dans l’

With the coming of the digital era, global competition has resulted in every industry expanding their requirements in supply chain integration and enterprise resource planning. When all kinds of industries seek to manage the supply chain and establish cooperative partnerships, trying to exploit cooperation to acquire more competencies in the market, the importance of information system integration for interfirm activities also increases with time. In fact, an interorganisational information system for business-to-business integration (B2Bi) is not a creation by technical input only but involves other factors. Particularly, it has larger system scope and numbers of system stakeholders than any other organisational information systems. In the management literature, a supply chain is often not a linear type of interfirm structure but is considered to be made up of the network formation. Business network studies actually have in common with B2Bi adoption theories that are based on their research models and determinants, such as the firms' resources, social legitimacy, and associated power. However, there appears to be only a few investigations of B2Bi adoption from the business network aspects in the extent literature and especially within the context of Taiwanese Information Technology (IT) Industries. This thesis can be seen as an attempt to enrich the previous findings of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in a B2B environment. Formulated in another way, it tries to test, apply and extend the adoption model to the use of computer-based information systems in integrating supply chain as the focus. Given the knowledge niches in the literature, the research question canvassed in the thesis is: How does the business network environment affect the information systems adoption for business-to-business integration? / In order to find out the answer to this proposed question, a combination of observation and survey methodologies for the final analysis by structural equation modelling (SEM) is used. The first stage is to go into the heartland of the Taiwanese IT industry as an IS lecturer working adjacent to the Hsin Chu Science Park. This strategy has helped me to approach many industrial practitioners easily and has subsequently assisted with publishing the preliminary findings in conference proceedings and journal articles. These early works have thus become the basis for refining and confirming my theoretical framework. The second stage involves statistical analysis to measure the hypotheses of the research model, which makes this thesis a piece of work drawing on both theory building and testing. / The path analyses indicate the answers of three issues raised from the research framework. The results confirm the associations between a firm's existing system support readiness and the network determinants outside organisational boundaries. Further, it identifies the interrelationships among these factors, and it seems that some of them mediate the enterprises' behaviour on investments to increase current information systems for B2Bi purposes. With the empirical data of Taiwanese IT industries, this thesis discusses the research model in terms of its applicability, limitation, and future researches. Moreover, factors such as perceived benefits and network governance are covered so as to enhance the current knowledge on supply chain integration and B2Bi implementation. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (MScIng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2007. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Manufacturing Management and Engineering." Bibliography: leaves 215-235.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2007. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Manufacturing Management and Engineering." Bibliography: leaves 153-194.