published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

abstract / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts

M. Tech. (Logistics management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / The growth and development of SCM is attributed to number of factors such as partnership, collaboration, integration and relationship commitment. Despite increasing awareness of the importance of joint venture to organisations, research on the supply chain relationships (supply chain partnership, collaboration, integration and relationship commitment) and performance have received little attention. Therefore, using a data set of 271 individuals from the small and medium enterprise (SMEs) sector in South Africa, this study examines the influence of supply chain partnerships on collaboration, collaboration on integration, integration on relationship commitment and relationship commitment on performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) method was used to analyses the data collected whereby individuals agrees with that supply chain relationships increase performance in the work environment. The study has developed a supply chain management (SCM)-based performance measurement system (PMS) for the case of SMEs. Such a framework may help SMEs managers to establish their own supply chain functions and strategically plan improvements for weak areas. In addition, it may remain helpful for benchmarking current practices with industry norms requirements. Quite often, companies dealing with a large number of performance measures derived and expanded based on the suggestions from employees, consultants and past experiences (history) forget to realise that supply chain performance measurement can be better addressed when they joint venture.

D. Tech. (Business, Logistics, Faculty of Management Sciences) Vaal University of Technology / The effective implementation of intra-firm and inter-firm supply chain practices and processes such as supply chain e-collaboration and sharing of important information among supply chain partners, is commonly associated with the creation of supply chain competitiveness and enhanced performance. However, little attention has, thus far, been given to the empirical investigation of the influence of the successful implementation of intra-firm supply chain practice on supply chain e-collaboration, strategic information sharing, supply chain competence and supply chain performance in South Africa. The principal objective of this study was to fill this void by investigating the influence of intra-firm supply chain practice on supply chain e-collaboration among supply chain partners in South Africa. Secondly, the study sought to determine the influence of supply chain e-collaboration on strategic information and supply chain competence among supply chain partners in South Africa. It also aimed to examine the influence of strategic information sharing on supply chain competence and ultimately on the supply chain performance of supply chain partners in South Africa. Lastly, the study sought to ascertain the influence of supply chain competence on supply chain performance of supply chain partners in South Africa. A positivist approach that allowed a quantitative research method in data collection was used in this study. Data from a sample of 280 collaborating firm owners/managers from all the industries of South Africa’s nine provinces was used for the final data analysis of this research. A principal component analysis was performed for factor reduction and dimensional groupings using SPSS 21 software. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were performed for model fit assessments and hypotheses tests respectively, using the Analysis of Moments of Structure (AMOS 21) software. Multiple Regression analysis was performed using SPSS 21 software, and was used for comparison and support of the weak and unsupported SEM hypotheses tests. The principal finding of this study reveals that intra-firm supply chain practice has a strong positive and significant influence on supply chain e-collaboration among supply chain partners in South Africa. In addition, the results showed that supply chain e-collaboration can strongly and significantly enhance the sharing of strategic information among supply chain partners in South Africa. The findings further revealed that supply chain e-collaboration has an ability to create a supply chain competence among supply chain partners in South Africa. The study’s empirical findings also indicate that strategic information sharing has a weak positive and significant indirect influence on supply chain competence and supply chain performance. Lastly, the SEM findings showed that supply chain competence has a weak negative and insignificant influence on supply chain performance. However, the multiple regression analysis showed a weak negative and significant influence of supply chain competence on the supply chain performance of supply chain partners in South Africa. The conclusions and implications of the empirical research findings are provided and recommendations are suggested. The study suggests a new supply chain management conceptual model for research. It also proposes a new supply chain management implementation framework to help guide firms to formulate strategies for improving supply chain performance. The study recommended that the collaborating firm owners/managers consider: training and education for all employees on the importance of supply chain practices and processes such as supply chain e-collaboration and strategic information sharing. Furthermore, it is recommended that collaborating firm owner/managers should consider adopting advanced technologies and information sharing structures to improve their supply chain performance. The collaborating firm owner/managers were also encouraged to align their incentives with the supply chain roles and activities assigned to the supply chain partners. Policy makers were encouraged to make e-business financing arrangements for supply chain collaborating firms; promote synergies between collaborating small and mediums firms and large technology vendors; and ensure affordability of supply chain e-collaboration technologies. The study attempted to address the intra-firm supply chain practice deficiencies on the side of both the supply chain e-collaborating firms and the government. / Research Hubs and Spokes

University of Macau / Faculty of Business Administration / Department of Management and Marketing

[pt] Justiça distributiva: uma análise prática da teoria de distribuição de bens sociais de Michael Walzer em uma comunidade brasileira não hipotética vivenciada num país de regime totalitarista em 1980 resgata a discussão entre as correntes liberalismo x comunitarismo, manifestas nessa mesma década. Essas correntes discutem propostas políticas mais igualitárias, buscando uma sociedade moderna mais justa. Sem o intuito de fazer um inventário dessas ideologias e se detendo na linha comunitarista de Walzer, a presente pesquisa objetiva refletir sobre a forma de distribuição dos bens sociais em um acampamento, uma comunidade particular e não hipotética. Transporta-se a análise de Walzer para o acampamento localizado no Iraque, na década de mil novecentos e oitenta. Sensações contrastantes faziam parte da vida da comunidade: externamente, havia a guerra, a destruição; internamente, a construção de uma rodovia, um consenso velado que justificava a presença de todos no local. Desenha-se, assim, o ápice da contradição: a destruição e a construção. A inspiração metodológica, bem como o marco teórico principal, foi a obra Esferas da Justiça, de Michael Walzer. O trabalho de abordagem descritiva e exploratória, sem a ambição de desenvolver um trabalho etnográfico, contou, ainda, com alguns trechos de depoimentos de brasileiros que habitaram o acampamento, obtidos por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. Nesse contexto, a escola, como um bem social, ganha destaque, por se considerar que a formação de pessoas com senso de justiça é um dos caminhos para a busca de uma sociedade mais justa e a educação, uma solução para essa formação. Pensar a igualdade complexa bem como as provisões comunitárias em uma comunidade moderna, particular, multicultural e plural, com sua diversidade de identidades coletivas torna desafiante qualquer tentativa de defender um único pensamento ou uma única teoria. Conclui-se que algumas categorias de análise de Walzer se aplicam às relações produzidas no acampamento e outras, não, bem como percebe-se a inconsistência de alguns de seus argumentos. Pensar em uma sociedade complexa como esta exige heterogeneidade do olhar, seja qual for o enfoque, filosófico ou político. / [en] Distributive justice: a practical analysis of Michael Walzer s social goods distribution theory in a non-hypothetical Brazilian community in the 80 s in a totalitarian government country rescues the discussion between the liberalism x communitarianism currents that took place in that same decade. Those currents discuss more egalitarian political proposals in the search of a fairer modern society. Not having the purpose of making an inventory of those thought currents and stopping at Walzer s communitarian line, this research aims at reflecting on the form of distribution of the social goods in a camp, a private and nonhypothetical community located in Iraq. Walzer s analysis is transported to the camp located in Iraq in the 80 s. Contrasting sensations were part of life in the community: externally, there was war and destruction; internally, there was the construction of a highway, a veiled consent on the reason that justified the presence of all of them at that place. Thereby, the summit of contradiction is designed: destruction and construction. The methodological inspiration, as well as the main theoretical milestone was Spheres of Justice, a book by Michael Walzer. The descriptive and exploratory approach work with no ambition to develop an ethnographic work also counted on data collection by means of a semi-structured interview with some parts of the statements made by Brazilians who lived in the camp. In that context, the school as a social good went to the spotlight once it is thought that the qualification of people with a sense of justice would be one of the paths in the search for a fairer society and education would be the solution for that qualification. To think of the complex equality as well as the community provisions in a modern, private, multicultural and plural community with its diversity of collective identities makes any attempt to defend one only thought or one only theory challenging. The conclusion is that some of Walzer s analysis categories apply to the relationships that were produced in the camp and some do not, and it is also possible to notice the inconsistency of some of his arguments within that context. To think of such a complex society, it is necessary to have an heterogeneous look, whatever the philosophical or political current may be.

Orientador: Douglas Tacla / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T15:02:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_LuizFernandoMoreirada_M.pdf: 1451507 bytes, checksum: 58e3a59b22897945f6af446c8a495907 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Esta dissertação objetiva discutir a situação atual da logística farmacêutica na Grande São Paulo e analisar uma alternativa para a distribuição de medicamentos destinados às farmácias, sob os aspectos estratégico, tático e operacional. Esta alternativa deverá permitir a redução de custos e melhorar a eficiência desta distribuição urbana com entrega feita por meio de transporte rodoviário. Uma vez aplicada esta alternativa, espera-se uma redução nas taxas de poluição e de tráfego de veículos de entregas, com vantagens em comparação ao método atualmente utilizado pelo mercado farmacêutico. O uso da logística colaborativa no desenho da malha desta estratégia de distribuição fina é facilitado pela grande interação já existente entre as empresas do setor farmacêutico. Esta interação será ainda maior devido à publicação da Lei 11.903/09 e, mais recentemente, à regulamentação da ANVISA RDC 059/09, que torna obrigatória a coleta e troca de informação entre produtores, distribuidores e varejistas. De modo a tornar esta estratégia viável, sua composição de custos deve permitir a inserção de um parceiro de distribuição na malha atual. Este parceiro deverá estar apto a planejar e executar as entregas destinadas à região metropolitana, reduzindo o número de veículos usados na operação em comparação ao método de distribuição regular. Por se tratar de um método de distribuição em grandes centros urbanos por intermédio de um único parceiro, o ganho de escala proporcionado pode tornar viável o uso de uma frota de veículos movida a combustível limpo ou ecológico, como etanol ou eletricidade, permitindo maior redução da poluição gerada pela distribuição urbana. A forma utilizada para desenvolver este trabalho se deu pela análise de uma operação real de distribuição de medicamentos na Grande São Paulo, sua comparação com uma abordagem colaborativa para a distribuição de medicamentos na mesma região e a conclusão com base nos resultados gerados pela simulação e comparação das variáveis que influenciam o tráfego, a emissão de poluentes e os custos envolvidos com a distribuição de medicamentos em áreas urbanas. Após o desenvolvimento destes dois métodos de distribuição, eles foram aplicados às variáveis atribuídas a cada um, a partir de dados e premissas baseadas em operações reais colhidas junto a um operador logístico de distribuição de medicamentos, gerando valores comparáveis e que embasaram uma conclusão e recomendação, a partir deste estudo. Uma das premissas mais importantes deste estudo é que, adicionalmente às variáveis consideradas, esta nova configuração deve provar sua eficiência também no que se refere ao nível de serviço, isto é, a frequência e a pontualidade nas entregas urbanas, mantendo-o, no mínimo, no mesmo nível encontrado atualmente. A conclusão deste trabalho será a comparação de três variáveis entre a configuração atual - em que vários e diferentes transportadores precisam atingir lojas de varejo diariamente, entregando diversos tipos de produtos, e configuração proposta - em que apenas um transportador fará as entregas nas áreas urbanas / Abstract: This dissertation aims to discuss the current situation of pharmaceutical logistics in the São Paulo metro area and analyze an alternative for the distribution of pharmaceutical products for the drugstores and pharmacies located in the metro regions under the aspects strategic, tactic and operational. The alternative for the distribution method presented in this study shall allow a cost reduction and improve the efficiency of the urban distribution using the ground transportation. Once this alternative is applied, it will be expected a reduction in pollution and transit rates generated by this urban deliveries, bringing advantages when in comparison with the current method utilized by the pharmaceutical market. The use of collaborative logistics to design this distribution network strategy is facilitated by the great interaction already existing among the pharmaceutical industry. This interaction will be even bigger due to the issue of a new law n. 11.903/09 and a new rule from the Federal Sanitary Agency (ANVISA), n. 059/09, which states the obligation of exchanging information among industry, logistics providers, wholesalers and retailers. To make the strategy presented in this study feasible, the costs involved in its operation must to allow insert a new partner in current supply chain. This partner must be apt to plan and execute the deliveries in the metro area, reducing the number of vehicles used in this operation in comparison with the current or regular distribution method. Considering this is an urban distribution method for a big city using an unique provider, the scalability can allow the use of a clean fuel fleet, as ethanol or electricity, allowing an even bigger reduction in the pollution generated by this urban distribution piece. The methodology used was the analysis of a real operation for pharmaceutical distribution in the Sao Paulo metro area, its comparison with a collaborative approach and then the conclusion based on the results obtained through the simulation of the two scenarios using the arguments that affect the traffic, pollution and the costs involved in this distribution. The data to simulate the two scenarios were taken from a real operation of pharmaceutical distribution located in the Sao Paulo metro area. One of the most important assumptions is that this model must to prove its efficiency in the service level, assuring at least the same level provided currently. The conclusion will be the comparison between the current methods, where many different carriers need to carry goods to retail stores daily, with the proposed method, where only one carrier will provide the deliveries in the metro area / Mestrado / Transportes / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

M.Com. (Marketing Management) / The majority of resources in the distribution channels for the perishable market in South Africa, have mostly been directed towards the formal sector. Since macro statistics showed that the informal sector's growth rate is 5 % to the 0,5 % per annum for the formal sector, companies have started to allocate resources towards distribution channels in the informal sector. Distribution channels in the informal sector are mainly characterised by two factors: Firstly a lack of knowledge concerning distribution channel management and strategies by the perishable market and in particular the organisation that was selected as focus, namely Sacca, and secondly, a lack of workable systems and infrastructure. The purpose of this study is, firstly to determine the level of distribution channel management in the perishable market of Southern Africa. This will enable organisations to formulate a framework for a distribution channel strategy to develop the informal sector. Secondly, to determine the potential of such a distribution channel into the informal sector. The methodology used to meet the above mentioned objectives consisted of a literature survey that defined the study and set out the current state of knowledge on the subject. Secondly field visits were conducted with business leaders from Sacca and with leaders in the field of informal sector studies to collect specific information on selected issues. Personal observation followed with a comparative analysis of Sacca in the areas of channel management and strategies were carried out. The major findings of the study are, firstly that traditional channel management is still being practised by the majority of organisations. Organisations are not correctly positioned to create the necessary structure whereof responsibility is a part. Secondly trends can be identify to make it easier for the organisation to enter the market. Thirdly organisations have limited knowledge about the informal sector's structure, opportunities and threats. Lastly that the importance of a distribution channel strategy framework can never be overestimated.

Introduction and Relevant Details: This research investigates the impact of inbound logistics' activities on the operational performance of the business within the branches of the South African Post Office (SAPO) in the Eastern Cape Province. The study basically hypothesises a statistically significant positive correlation between inbound logistics' activities and the operational performance of the business with regards to revenue generation and operational costs in particular. A sample of 100 branch offices was randomly selected. A 50-item questionnaire was administered by mail to the branches to collect the data during September 2005, and statistical tests for correlation were conducted on at least five dependent variables; stock procurement costs, effects on revenue, number of stock variation occurrences, order variation occurrences and the stock holding effects. Results of Data Analysis: The results of 88 respondents (88%) showed the existence of the significant positive relationship between the inbound logistics activities and the operational performance of the business at the South African Post Office branches as proposed by the study. The Spearman Rank Correlation tests were above 0.7 for most of the tested variables, showing a strong relationship. The inbound logistics' activities were also found to be positively correlated to revenue generation as well as to the operational expenses of the business. Conclusion and Recommendations: The findings allowed the researcher to conclude also that whatever improvements are made to the inbound logistics will also impact on the operational performance of the business, while failures in the inbound logistics will do so negatively. Business endeavours to maximise revenue and minimise costs are directly affected by the inbound logistics' activities. The branches of the SAPO seemed to be dissatisfied with most of the services rendered by the Supply Distribution Centre (SOC) of the SAPO, and such services have negatively affected the achievement of revenue targets at the branches as well as the operational costs. Holistic approaches to developing positive perceptions in the branches together with improving service activities at the SOC are recommended. Collaborative initiatives between branches and the SOC, reviewing the lead-times and the establishment of proper structures to handle supply chain queries, enhanced by information system technology to provide accurate and up-to-date information to branches and related parties about stock order issues are required . Areas of further research highlighted include the inbound logistics' activities of the SOC and the effectiveness of company policies as a guide to Supply Chain Management (SCM).

The Inland Empire offers many advantages for business. This project documents how the Inland Empire is a suitable area to start and grow a business due to its reasonable space and labor costs, educated work force, infrastructure advantages and easy accessibility to freeways, ports, railroads and airports.