The South African economy desperately requires an injection from small manufacturing enterprises that are productive and highly organized - hence the need to identify suitable productivity measurement approaches for use in these enterprises. The following research question was formulated: Which productivity approach( es) is (are) generally most suitable for small manufacturing enterprises in the steel and engineering industry of South Africa? The following directions of research were identified: (1) A literature search revealed 12 productivity measurement approaches. The theory of each is discussed in detail. (2) An empirical search was performed to establish the requirements of industry. This process is fully discussed. The results of both the literature and empirical searches were used to develop a list of criteria. These criteria were compared with each of the approaches, and only three were found to conform to these requirements. The results of this comparison provided the answer to the research question. / Department of Business Management / M.Com (Business Management)

Le Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques constitue l’un des centres de compétences technologiques des Industries Mécaniques. Sa problématique est de déterminer le processus de management de la technologie nécessaire à sa mission d’appui à l’innovation.Après avoir caractérisé la mécanique dans une approche méso-économique, nous proposons un modèle d'activités du Centre de Compétences Technologiques, illustré par le modèle du Cetim. Sur cette base, le management de l'innovation est analysé comme la formalisation opérationnelle de la mission d’appui à l’innovation technologique du territoire technologique et géographique du Centre de Compétences Technologiques, à partir de l'outillage et des processus du management de la technologie.Le processus conduisant de l’idée au produit est décrit par 3 étapes : la formalisation de l’idée à l’objet, la faisabilité de l’idée vis-à-vis d’une première cible de marché et l’industrialisation. Ce modèle séquentiel a été complété par une modélisation globale reliant la stratégie avec la mise en oeuvre des projets d’innovation qui la concrétisent.Le processus de R&D comporte 4 étapes d’un cycle itératif : marketing technologique, gestion du portefeuille technologique, production de R&D et valorisation. Des indicateurs permettent d’évaluer les performances sur les 4 axes du modèle d’activités en s’appuyant sur la codification des projets d’innovation. Cette dernière peut être aussi utilisée pour suivre les évolutions du coeur de compétence. / The Technical Centre of Mechanical Engineering is one of the centres of technological competence in the Mechanical Industry. Its objective is to identify the process of management of the technology needed for its activity in innovation support.After having characterised mechanical industry in a meso economic approach, we propose a model of activity of the technological competence centre, illustrated by the Cetim example. On this basis, innovation management is analysed as a formalised operational process of the innovation support activity in the geographical and technological territory of the technological competence centre, using tools and processes of technology management.The process from idea to finished product is split into 3 steps: idea to object conception, feasibility regarding a first market target and industrialisation. This sequential model was completed by a global model which linked strategy to the implementation of an innovated project.R&D process is composed of 4 steps of a repeated cycle: technological marketing, management of the project portfolio, R&D production and enhanced value. Indicators help in evaluating performance on the 4 axes of the activity model using codification of innovation projects in the information system. This can be also used to follow core competence evolution.

The master's thesis is focused on economic evaluation of the company ABC s.r.o. The company operates in the manufacturing industry where it manufactures custom-made metal structures and other metal products. Using external analysis the author identified, opportunities and threats, based on internal analysis strengths and weaknesses of the company are identified. By identifying these facts Author has made suggestions and recommendations to improve this businesses performance.

Under de senaste åren har intresset för att positionera objekt inomhus ökat tack vare den tilltagande trenden kring Internet of Things (IOT). I den tekniska världen återfinns ett flertal begrepp för inomhuspositionering, däribland Real Time Locating System (RTLS). RTLS främsta egenskap är att identifiera och lokalisera objekt inomhus, kvalitetssäkra processer, informationsutbyte mellan aktörer, alarmera om objekt rör sig utanför vissa gränser. Gemensamt är att det ska effektivisera processer i flödet. En verkstadsindustri, som Scania CV AB, karaktäriseras av maskiner, rörelse, buller, personal och material. Materialet som återfinns på Scania kan påverka RTLSteknologin. Det finns idag inte en dominerande teknik för inomhuspositionering därav att det har genererat i flertalet tekniker däribland UWB, RFID, IR, BLE, Wi-Fi. Rapportens frågeställningar är vilka utvärderingskriterier som styr valet av RTLSsystem och vilka av de här kriterierna är mer kritiska än andra? samt vilka tekniker kan användas i en verkstadsindustrin idag? För att besvara rapportens frågeställningar har ett kvalitativt förhållningssätt använts. Rapporten har använt fallstudie för att kunna svara på studiens frågeställningar. En kvalitativ ansats har använts med intervjuer och observationer som genomförande på produktionsenheterna. Tidigare forskning har legat till grund för utformningen av utvärderingskriterierna. Utvärderingskriterierna har i rapportens analysdel vägts in mot teknikens förutsättningar, omgivningens preferenser och mot det specifika behovet. Slutsatsen är att behovet och omgivningen är de två viktigaste elementen att beakta vid ett beslutsfattande av RTLS-system. I ett beslutsfattande är vissa kriterier mer kritiska än andra. Då behovet styr valet av teknik blir således samtliga tekniker användbara i en verkstadsindustri. Det finns dock ingen teknik som passar samtliga behov varför det således blir viktigt att välja en leverantör med bred produktportfölj som har möjlighet att erbjuda hybrider. / During the recent years the interest of positioning has increased due to the growing trend of Internet of Things (IoT). In the technical world there are several concepts for indoor positioning, among them Real Time Locating System (RTLS). RTLS main feature is to identify and locate objects indoors, to insure the quality of processes, to exchange information between stakeholder and to alert if items move beyond certain limits. Common is that it will streamline working processes. A engineering industry, such as Scania CV AB, is characterized by objects such as machines, motions, noise, personnel and materials. These objects found in Scania may affect the RTLS technology. There is currently no dominant indoor positioning technology on the market, thus there are many different technologies including UWB, RFID, IR, BLE and Wi-Fi. The problem definition of the thesis is therefore “What evaluation criteria are affecting the decision-making process when choosing RTLS and what criteria is more critical than the other?” and “Which technologies can be used in a engineering industry today?” To answer these problem definitions a qualitative research has been issued structured by a case study. Interviews and observations has been carried out as methods at the production units. The evaluation criteria are based on previous research. The criteria have been weighed against the technical conditions, the preferences of the environment and the specific use case. The conclusion is that the use case and the environment are the two most important elements to consider when deciding on a RTLS technology. In decision-making some criteria are more critical than others. As use case directs what technology should be used, all technologies are considered to be useful in a engineering industry. However there is no technology that fits all applications, thus it is important to choose a vendor that has a comprehensive product portfolio and one that enables hybrid solutions.

The power utilities in Sweden are planning to replace the major part of thenuclear power plants with renewable energy resource by the year 2030. Some ofthe renewable energy resources are intermittent, which may endanger the powersystem stability. A solution to this problem could be increased exibility in theend-users consumption, which is known as demand response. This is a usefultool that can be used to facilitate the large integration of renewable energyresource into the power grid. Therefore, several of the Swedish governmentauthorities have stated that the possibilities for demand response should befurther investigated.During this thesis, a case study is carried out at Volvo Group Truck OperationsPowertrain Productions in Koping, with the purpose of deriving theirtechnical possibilities for DR in the factory. Volvo in Koping mainly producesgearboxes to all trucks within the Volvo Group concern and belongs to the engineeringindustry sector. The engineering industry has previously not beeninvestigated for DR purposes in Sweden. The main goal of the thesis is to derivethe DR capacity of the factory and the associated time parameters. Onlydemand response by shifting the production in time is considered.One production group (Midiblock 2) in the factory is modelled using MixedInteger Linear Programming and the optimization problem is used to minimizethe electricity cost while fullling the production requirements. The optimizationproblem is done on daily basis and the result is binary operating pointsfor CNC-machines. The output from the Mixed Integer Linear Programmingproblem is sent to a discrete event model, which is used to validate the resultsand display the optimal energy consumption.The simulation results indicates that the modelled production group can performa load shift of 270 kWh/h during 4 hours by scheduling production. Duringthe reduction it should be possible to perform actions such as maintenance andchanging settings of machines. If the results are true for the entire factory, theresulting load reduction is 1.35 MWh/h during 4 hours. However, the nancialincentives to perform load reductions are low. Also, Volvo in Koping does nothave any routines to shut-o the CNC-machines and an extensive work is requiredto make a load reduction possible. Resulting in that DR at the factory isat the moment unrealistic. In addition to the possibilities for DR, the possibleeconomic savings by shutting o the CNC-machines when they are not producingunits are also approximated. Volvo in Koping can save a large amount ofenergy and yearly cut the cost by at least 5 000 000 SEK on these actions, whichis also the rst step towards enabling DR in the factory. / Elkraftsbolagen i Sverige planerar att ersätta kärnkraftverken med förnybaraenergikällor fram till och med år 2030. Några av de förnybara energikällornaär intermittenta i sin produktion och kan på grund av detta medföra en faraför stabilitet i kraftsystemet. En del av lösningen till detta problem kan varaefterfrågeflexibiltet, vilket innebär att el-användarna är mer flexibla i förbrukningenoch anpassar sig till viss del efter kraftsystemets tillstånd. Efterfrågeflexibiltetär ett användbart verktyg som kan underlätta integreringen av de förnybaraenergikällorna. På grund av detta har era svenska statliga företag sagtatt er undersökning bör genomföras inom området efterfrågeflexibiltet.Under detta arbeta har en fallstudie utförts hos Volvo Group Truck OperationPowertrain Production i Köping. Syftet av fallstudien har varit attundersöka möjligheterna för efterfrågeflexibilitet i fabriken. Volvo i Köping producerartill största dels växellådor till samtliga lastbilar inom Volvo Group koncernenoch de tillhör därför industrisektorn verkstadsindustrier.En produktionsgrupp i fabriken modelleras med hjälp av linjärprogrammeringoch modellen används för att för att minimera elkostnaderna genom att föryttalast i tid och samtidigt uppfylla produktionskraven. Optimeringsproblemetberäknas med elpriser för ett dygn och resultatet av problemet är binära tillståndför CNC-maskinerna i produktionsgruppen. De binära tillstånden skickas tillen diskret modell i Matlab som används för att verifiera produktionskraven ochvisa den resulterande energiförbrukningen för produktionsgruppen.Resultatet visar att det är teoretiskt möjligt att förytta 270 kWh/h underen period på 4 timmar genom att förskjuta produktion i tid. Under produktionsstoppenär det möjligt att genomföra underhåll och att förändring iinställningarna på CNC-maskinerna. Om resultaten skalas upp till hela fabrikenskulle den resulterande lastförflyttningen vara 1.35 MWh/h under 4 timmar.Dock så är de ekonomiska incitamenten låga och lastföryttningen är inteekonomiskt hållbar. Ett ytterligare problem är att Volvo i Köping förtillfälletinte har några rutiner för att stänga av maskinerna. Därför krävs det ett omfattandearbete innan det skulle vara möjligt att genomföra en lastförflyttning.Efterfrågeflexibiltet hos Volvo i Köping är därför orealistiskt. Utöver att undersöka möjligheterna för efterfrågeflexibiltet i fabriken, har en del av arbetetsom mål att undersöka de möjliga energi- och kostnadsbesparingar som skapasav att stänga av CNC-maskinerna när de inte producerar enheter. Arbetet harvisat att Volvo i Köping kan varje är spara 5 000 000 SEK på att stänga avmaskinerna, vilket också är ett första steg mot efterfrågeflexibilitet i fabriken.

The vision of New Zealand as a 'knowledge society' is a mantra that has opened the twenty-first century. Underpinning any 'knowledge society', however; are people who turn resources into concrete products and who build, maintain and service the technological and social infrastructure essential to society. This thesis examines the skilled trades and, in particular, how people are trained for those trades. Industry training is a crucial component of the wealth-generating capabilities of New Zealand. It is also an essential part of the way that many young people make the transition from school to work and from adolescence to adulthood. The means of training tradespeople has moved over the years from the rigid and prescriptive apprenticeship system, to the more voluntaristic, industry-led 'industry training' strategy, introduced following the Industry Training Act 1992. Regardless of the system used to organise training, however, there have been long-standing problems in New Zealand with achieving the optimum number of skilled workers, possessing the correct 'mix' of skills required. In this research, based upon semi-structured interviews with industry training stakeholders four industry case studies, policy content analysis and an in-depth examination of the Modem Apprenticeships scheme, I ask three key questions. First, what are the things that, as a country, we could or should reasonably expect a 'good' industry training system to contribute to? These may be things like: an adequate supply of appropriately skilled workers, the ability to upskill or reskill these workers as needed, clear transition routes for young people, lifelong learning opportunities, equity goals and foundation skills. Second, I ask how the current system performs against these criteria. The short answer is that the performance is 'patchy'. There are dire skill shortages in many areas. While opportunities for workplace upskilling, reskilling or 'lifelong learning' are available, I argue that they are not yet cemented into a 'training culture'. Workplace-based learning is an important transition route for a small percentage of our young people but the favoured route is some form of tertiary education, which may be an expensive and not necessarily relevant option. Third, I ask why the performance of New Zealand's industry training system is often less than desirable. My argument is that the problems and solutions thereof, of skill formation in New Zealand have been understood largely in terms of the supply-side. That is, we have either critiqued, or looked to reform, whatever system has been in place to train skilled workers. The inadequacy of this approach is evident from weaknesses in the ability of either the prescriptive apprenticeship system or the voluntaristic industry training strategy to deliver an appropriately skilled workforce. Thus, I also examine the demand side of skill formation: the wider influences that impact on employers' training decisions. Training decisions made by individual employers, the aggregation of which represent the level and quality of training for New Zealand as a whole, are influenced by a plethora of factors. At the micro level of the employer or firm, I explore barriers to training and some of the constraints to the demand for skills. I then examine broader influences, such as the changing shape of the workforce, labour market regulation and wider economic factors, all of which impact on training levels.