Background: Nowadays an ever-increasing amount of data is generated which is why companies face the challenge of extracting valuable information from these data streams. An enhanced Information Utilisation carriers the opportunity for improved decision-making. This could address challenges that come along with delayed trucks in inbound logistics and associated warehouse resource planning. Purpose: This study aims to deepen the understanding of Big Data Analytics capabilities that foster Information Integration and decision support to facilitate Information Utilisation. We apply this to the context of warehouse resource replanning in inbound logistics in case of unexpected short-term deviations. Method: We conducted a qualitative research study, comprising a Ground Theory approach in combination with an abductive reasoning. Derived from a literature review we adapted a framework and proposed an own conceptual framework after conducting and analysing 14 semi-structured interviews with inbound logistics practitioners and experts. Conclusion: We identified four interconnected capabilities that facilitate Information Utilisation. Data Generation Capabilities and Data Integration & Management Capabilities contribute to improved Information Integration, establishing a base for subsequent data analytics. Consequently, Data Analytics Capabilities and Data Interpretation Capabilities lead to enhanced decision support, facilitating Information Utilisation.

In today’s manufacturing industry, addressing maintenance functions is essential to increase effectiveness and productivity. With the present era of digitalisation and technology, all data is enabled to be shared and integrated within the organisations. Increased advancement of complex productions requires consequently greater performance maintenance systems leading to challenges in monitoring processes. Recent research indicates that there are deficiencies regarding maintenance when connecting technical- and organisational aspects. Therefore, it becomes engaging to investigate how to support the decision-making and how to achieve predictability by anticipating unplanned disruptions, breakdowns and failures. The study was commenced to analyse how organisations can utilise maintenance information in order to gain predictability. The research was conducted by using a qualitative approach gathering data through unobtrusive measures, interviews and observations, all being performed at a production manufacturing site. The collected data allowed the research questions to be answered, showing which maintenance information becomes critical to enable prediction in order to prevent or eliminate equipment breakdowns as well as presenting how the information should be utilised within the organisation.  The findings emphasise that in order to achieve predictability and preventive measures, organisations must assess the specific dimensions of downtime, severity and frequency. Both planned- and unplanned maintenance information should be logged with rich descriptions, having common inputs in all systems to induce data transferability. It is justified that systems should be integrated and not individually used, inducing the absolute necessity of standards. All involved individuals with distinct roles and responsibilities should have clear apprehensions about the necessity of maintenance as well as how it brings value. This supports the view of motivation where recognition and achievement become crucial to increase performance efforts, encouraging correct and detailed system inputs. Additionally, mutual understandings that all agree upon lead to maintenance systems becoming an influential organisational function that fully supports the decision-making. / I dagens tillverkningsindustri är det viktigt att ta hänsyn till underhållsfunktioner för att öka effektiviteten och produktiviteten. Med den nuvarande eran av digitalisering och teknik tillåts all data att delas och integreras i samtliga nivåer i organisationer. Med ökad utveckling av komplexa produktionssystem krävs det medföljande högre presterande underhållssystem som leder till utmaningar i processövervakning. Ny forskning tyder på att det finns brister med avseende på underhåll för att integrera tillsammans tekniska och organisationella aspekter. Av den anledning blir det engagerande att undersöka hur beslutsfattandet kan stödjas för att uppnå förutsägbarhet genom att förutse oplanerade störningar, haveri och fel. Studien inleddes för att analysera hur organisationer kan använda underhållsinformation för att erhålla förutsägbarhet. Utförandets design implementerades med hjälp av ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt genom att samla in data via diskret-forskning, intervjuer och observationer, allt utfört på en produktionsanläggning. Samtliga insamlade uppgifter fullgjorde det möjligt att besvara forskningsfrågorna om vilken underhållsinformation som blir avgörande för att förutsäga, förebygga eller eliminera utrustningsstörningar och hur tillhörande information ska nyttjas inom organisationen. Som resultatet betonar, för att erhålla förutsägbarhet och förebyggande åtgärder krävs det beaktning av dimensionerna stilleståndstid, svårighetsgrad och frekvens. Både planerat- och oplanerat underhållsarbete ska loggas med omfattande beskrivningar och gemensamma koder i alla system för att inducera överförbarheten. Det motiveras att system ska integreras och inte användas enskilt, vilket föranleder nödvändigheten av standarder. Samtliga involverade individer med distinkta roller och ansvarsområden ska ha en tydlig förståelse över nödvändigheten av underhållssystem och hur den skapar värde. Detta stödjer synen på motivation, där igenkännande och vidareutveckling blir avgörande för att öka prestationsinsatserna såväl som uppmuntra till korrekta och tydliga systemkoder. Detta förklarar att ömsesidig förståelse som samtliga är överens om leder till att underhållssystem blir en inflytelserik organisationsfunktion som stödjer beslutsunderlag.

Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This thesis reports on a research project conducted at Stellenbosch University, focusing on the field of information management, and contributing to the development of an approach for structuring information in such a manner that context becomes apparent, which on its part assists persons (and groups of persons) in selecting useful information from a larger whole, given a certain context. This document is composed of three general sections. The first section is a literature study focusing on the following topics: (1) Information overload: The amount of information in the world, as well as its rate of generation is discussed, together with the notion of information overload, its causes, symptoms and possible solutions. (2) Information utilisation in organisations: General concepts concerning the utilisation of information in organisations are discussed, together with the manners in which organisations fail in efficiently utilising information, but also some examples where organisations have succeeded. (3) Information modelling: Various well-known information modelling approaches currently employed to improve information utilisation are discussed and compared. It is however mentioned that none of these approaches are sufficiently general, flexible and simple enough to assist typical organisational knowledge workers in efficiently interacting with information. The second section of this thesis focuses on the conceptual framework information modelling approach currently being investigated at Stellenbosch University as a means for improving the information utilisation efficiency of organisational knowledge workers. The basic concepts of the approach are discussed, and it is compared with the more well-known information modelling approaches mentioned in the literature study. The research being conducted on the approach is further briefly discussed, which includes the purpose of this thesis (which is the development of a methodology for conceptual framework implementation in organisations), the research method followed, and the thesis hypothesis, which is: Information represented by a conceptual framework implemented through the use of the developed conceptual framework implementation methodology, offer a truthful view on information found in an organisation. The methodology developed is subsequently discussed in terms of its phases and activities, each of which is discussed in terms of its description, the rationale behind and prerequisites of its execution, details of the manner of its execution, and the eventual outputs thereof. The final section of this thesis provides information on the validation of the conceptual framework implementation methodology described in the previous section, which were done in two parts. A theoretical validation was done through a comparison of the developed methodology with existing methodologies for the implementation of other information modelling approaches. A practical validation was also done through two case studies by which conceptual frameworks were implemented at two separate organisations. The document is finally concluded through a summary of the contents of this thesis, the outcome of the hypothesis test, and some closing remarks.

This research is concerned with the nature and extent of problems experienced by detectives in the collection, processing and utilisation of crime information for the investigation of crime. The problems gave rise to poor detective performance. The development of information-led policing offers an alternative to the traditional ”reactive” model of investigation of crime. Information-led policing advocates the targeting, gathering, analysis and dissemination of information which is used to inform decisions about the prioritisation of problems and allocation of resources to address the problems (Cope, as quoted by Alison, 2005:93). The purpose of this study is to determine the strengths and weaknesses in the collection, processing and utilisation of crime information at the Rustenburg Detective Service, to find new knowledge that can improve the situation, and to apply the found knowledge to enhance the performance of detectives. / Criminology / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

This research is concerned with the nature and extent of problems experienced by detectives in the collection, processing and utilisation of crime information for the investigation of crime. The problems gave rise to poor detective performance. The development of information-led policing offers an alternative to the traditional ”reactive” model of investigation of crime. Information-led policing advocates the targeting, gathering, analysis and dissemination of information which is used to inform decisions about the prioritisation of problems and allocation of resources to address the problems (Cope, as quoted by Alison, 2005:93). The purpose of this study is to determine the strengths and weaknesses in the collection, processing and utilisation of crime information at the Rustenburg Detective Service, to find new knowledge that can improve the situation, and to apply the found knowledge to enhance the performance of detectives. / Criminology and Security Science / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation)