Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Government has set a target to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. In an attempt to achieve this target a number of projects were initiated, one of which is the National Tooling Initiative (NTI). Local structures were established to encourage co-operation and competitiveness among the Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) by using the cluster concept. Consequently the Western Cape Tooling Initiative (WCTI) was formed to focus on and address the needs of the toolmakers in the Western Cape. It was highlighted during the interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the WCTI that some of the toolmakers are limited in terms of the size of orders they could handle due to lack of capacity. Discussions and research showed that in addition to the cluster initiative, a model such as the Order Fulfilment Process (OFP) could be used to encourage toolmakers to play a role in the activities within the OFP which they are strong in and collectively tender for contracts which they cannot fulfil on their own. Coupled to the OFP, it was decided that activity based costing would be used to assist with the cost allocation of the activities along the OFP. Furthermore, some of the activities within the OFP would be centralised i.e. order taking and invoicing, while others would be decentralised i.e. manufacturing and distribution. The research study showed that although the office of the WCTI is fully established, there is a need to better understand and analyse the actual state of the toolmakers, their profile and capability. Once this information is available, the WCTI would be in a better position to make meaningful decisions about the appropriate plan of action. Concurrently, the WCTI need to also learn about the business opportunities that are available to the toolmakers and begin to exploit them. The aim of the study was to help improve the performance of the toolmakers through co-operation by using the order fulfilment process model complemented by activity based costing. The objective of the research project was to develop a framework that should be used by the WCTI to encourage co-operation among the toolmakers to improve their competitiveness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het aan hulself die doelwit gestel om teen 2014 armoede en werkloosheid te halveer. In ‘n poging om hierdie doelwitte te bereik, is ‘n aantal projekte van stapel gestuur, waarvan die “National Tooling Initiative” (NTI) een is. Plaaslike strukture is gevestig om samewerking en mededinging aan te moedig tussen die klein-, mikro- en medium- sake-ondernemings (SMMEs) deur die gebruik van ‘n groeperingskonsep. Gevolglik is die “Western Cape Tooling Initiative” (WCTI) tot stand gebring om te fokus op die behoeftes van die gereedskapmakers in die Wes-Kaap en hul behoeftes aan te spreek. In ‘n onderhoud met die Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van die WCTI is aandag daarop gevestig dat sommige van die gereedskapmakers beperk word in terme van die grootte van bestellings wat hulle kan hanteer as gevolg van hul gebrek aan kapasiteit. Gesprekke en navorsing het getoon dat ‘n model soos die bestellingvoltooingsproses (Order Fulfilment Process (OFP)) gebruik kan word om gereedskapmakers aan te moedig om ‘n rol te speel in die aktiwiteite binne die OFP waarin hulle sterk is en gesamentlik tenders in te dien vir kontrakte wat hulle nie op hulle eie kan hanteer nie. Tesame met die OFP, is daar besluit dat aktiwiteitsgebaseerde kosteberekening gebruik sou word om te help met die bepaling van koste-allokasie van die aktiwiteite binne die OFP. Verder sal sommige van die aktiwiteite van die proses gesentraliseer word, naamlik die neem van bestellings en fakturering, terwyl ander gedesentraliseer sou word, naamlik vervaardiging en verspreiding. Die navorsingstudie het getoon dat, alhoewel die kantoor van die WCTI ten volle gevestig is, daar steeds ‘n behoefte bestaan om die werklike toestand van die gereedskapmakers, hulle profiel en kapasiteit te begryp en te ontleed. Wanneer hierdie inligting beskikbaar is, sal die WCTI in ‘n beter posisie wees om betekenisvolle besluite te neem rakende die gepaste plan van aksie. Verder moet die WCTI ook hulself vergewis van die sakemoontlikhede wat vir die gereedskapmakers beskikbaar is en dit begin benut. Die oogmerk van die studie was om die werkverrigting van die gereedskapmakers deur samewerking te verbeter deur middel van die OFP wat ondersteun word deur aktiwiteitsgebaseerde kosteberekening. Die doel van die navorsingsprojek was om ‘n raamwerk te ontwikkel wat deur die WCTI gebruik kan word om samewerking onder die gereedskapmakers aan te moedig en hul mededingendheid te verbeter.