This treatise investigates the underlying factors that are hindering the improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness at the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. In January of 2008 the Ford Motor Company announced plans to invest more than R1.5 billion to expand operations for the production of Ford's next-generation compact pickup truck and the PUMA diesel engine. Ford will use the investment to expand operations both in Silverton for the production of 75 000 units of a new bakkie and in Port Elizabeth for 220 000 units of its new-generation PUMA diesel engines (http://www.autoblog.com /2008/01/31/ford-to-invest-209m-in-south-africa-for-new-ranger-pickup/). Only five Ford plants globally will be producing the PUMA engine (Turkey, UK, Thailand, Argentina and South Africa – Ford Struandale Engine Plant). The Ford Struandale Engine Plant will be the only plant which will have the I4 assembly, I5 assembly and 3C (Crank, Cylinder Block, and Cylinder Head) machining and the expectations of operating in a lean environment is high. The management team at the Ford Struandale Engine Plant needs to understand what the underlying factors that are hindering the improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness of the plant or, in other words, they need to be informed of the total benefits of TPM. A literature review was conducted to determine what the theory reveals about Overall Equipment Effectiveness, the three factors of OEE (Availability, Performance Efficiency, and Quality), the influence of Six Big Losses on each of the factors and the role of Total Productive Maintenance in improving OEE by eliminating these Six Big Losses. A Ford literature study was conducted to reveal the current literature being applied at Ford. This was then followed by an empirical survey conducted within the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. In addition, a task team formed to analyse the current maintenance operating strategy. Finally, the findings from discussions with the task team, the empirical survey, Ford Struandale Engine Plant literature survey and a general literature survey were amalgamated to draw conclusions relating to the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. These conclusions indicate what the underlying factors are that are hindering the improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant facilities and equipment. Then recommendations are made as to how the Ford Struandale Engine Plant can improve the Overall Equipment Effectiveness of its facilities and equipment.

The methodology and the processes that are followed in the maintenance of government-operated district hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa are outlined while the strategies that are employed to roll-out the maintenance plan have been investigated. The challenges in managing hospital maintenance are identified so that it can be improved and advice be given on the strategies currently being used. The objectives of the research were to determine the effectiveness of machinery maintenance in government-operated district hospitals. The study has been carried out by investigating 50 district hospitals within the Eastern Cape Province, with the aim of obtaining knowledge of practices in relation to the strategic plans and best practices in the maintenance industry. The following factors identified by the maintenance staff were found to be most important in maintenance management practices; realistic budgets, adherence to occupational health and safety regulations, engagement of qualified and skilled maintenance staff, good record management in relation to the equipment under maintenance, availability of tools and materials and keeping abreast with the latest technologies and trends of machinery advancement. The study also revealed that the majority of the hospitals use a combination of in-house and outsourced personnel during maintenance, the outsourced part being under contract from the National Department of Public Works Repair and Maintenance Plan (RAMP) projects. Service kits and recommended replacement parts for machinery are rarely stocked on the hospital premises while only minor spare parts that include replacement bulbs, electrical fittings, plumbing fittings and paint are readily available. In addition, the maintenance staff members have little or no input in maintenance budgeting, this aspect is controlled by hospital management. For maintenance to be effective, strategic planning that takes into account carefully thought-out maintenance management systems is the first step in the direction of setting out definite tangible objectives and goals. The real challenge lies in the implementation and sustainability of the maintenance management system and the monitoring thereof.

El presente trabajo presenta el diseño, elaboración y creación de una idea de negocio de taller de mecánica automotriz denominado Tiki Cars. En el primer capítulo, que engloba los aspectos generales del negocio, se desarrolla el marco teórico, problemática del sector automotriz, las necesidades, se presenta la idea, la oportunidad y justificación de la propuesta. En el capítulo 2 se perfila la idea de negocio, se presentan las hipótesis, el diseño de la muestra, las encuestas y el Canvas del modelo de negocio. En el capítulo 3 como parte del planeamiento estratégico se presenta la misión, visión y valores de la empresa, análisis interno y externo y análisis FODA. En el capítulo 4 se desarrollan el plan de marketing describiendo el mercado objetivo, desarrollo de la estrategia marketing mix, plan de ventas y proyección de la demanda. En el capítulo 5 se presenta el plan de operaciones en donde se destacan las principales políticas operacionales, actividades y procesos del negocio. En el capítulo 6 se explica toda la estructura de recursos humanos, así como los objetivos organizacionales y gestión del talento. Por último, en el capítulo 7 se despliega todo el plan económico financiero del negocio demostrando los resultados de los principales indicadores de rentabilidad: valor actual neto (VAN), tasa interna de retorno (TIR) e índice de rentabilidad (IR); los cuales son también incorporados en el análisis de escenarios. Finalmente, en las conclusiones se validan las hipótesis con los resultados de las encuestas realizadas y se analiza la viabilidad financiera del proyecto. / Trabajo de investigación

Since General Motors initiated its automobile dealer franchise system in about 1930, it has had a vested interest in the survival of those who have signed the 'Dealer Sales and Service Agreement’. Through its Motors Holdings dealers,General Motors makes a direct retail profit, and so its concern for them is obvious; but they are a small proportion (i.e. less than 10 percent of all General Motors Dealers in Canada), and its major concern is to ensure that those privately owned GM franchised dealers remain in business through both good and bad economic times, to bring in the wholesale revenue to the corporation through the sale of G.M. cars, trucks, parts, and accessories. Deducted from the Gross Sales Revenue of the Dealership, are the many factors in the category called Cost of Sales, to give the Gross Profit. Two significant factors in the Cost of Sales category are the building rent factor, and the employee salaries. Efficient management of each, independently and together, contributes greatly to the profits of a business. It has for a long time been a GM policy to encourage its franchised dealers to have its Service and Parts Department cover at least eighty percent of the total overhead of the business in order to permit the Sales Department to operate competitively in the new and used car markets. By its success in those markets, increasing Service and Parts business is generated. However, if the customers are not satisfied with the Service and Parts sales, they will not return to buy new and used cars, so the Service and Parts departments are in fact playing key roles in the growth and profitability of the automobile dealership. A basic assumption in this thesis is that a service customer who obtains fast, low cost, quality service is a satisfied one. Thus to capture service business, and as pointed out above, in turn, new and used car sales, the dealer must concentrate his efforts on meeting each of the three requirements as best he can. His means of doing so is to properly manage his employees and facilities, and as the size of his business increases, this task becomes more and more complex The relative effect of a manpower plan and a facility plan is difficult to assess, considering all of the possible interactions a service customer's job may have with each; and so, at best it has been an intuitive judgement on the part of a General Motors Service Department advisor, or the dealership General and Service managers. The technique of computer simulation offers a better insight into the effects of manpower and facility operating policies and changes in those policies, by quantifying every basic element, and determining the interaction of every element with every other one, in order to eliminate that intuitive requirement of previous techniques. Computer simulation does not however make the final decision, but if properly employed can be offered as a strong, new tool to back up those important decisions which must be made. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

No description available.

The growing complexity of machines has led to a concomitant increase in the amount and complexity of the information needed by those charged with servicing them. This, in turn, has led to a need for more robust methods for storing and distributing information and for a workforce more sophisticated in its use of information resources. As a result, the service trades have "professionalized," adopting more rigorous academic standards and developing ongoing certification programs. The current paper deals with the acceptance of advanced electronic information technology by skilled service personnel, specifically, automotive service technicians. The theoretical basis of the study is Davis' technology acceptance model. The purpose of the study is to determine the effects of three external factors on the operation of the model: age, work experience, and education/certification level. The research design is in two parts, beginning with an onsite observation and interviews to establish the environment. During the second part of the research process a survey was administered to a sample of automotive service technicians. Results indicated significant inverse relationships between age and acceptance and between experience and acceptance. A significant positive relationship was shown between education, particularly certification, and acceptance.

This thesis explored custodial services in public schools throughout the Texas Panhandle in order to compile averages and establish the need for improved working conditions and compensation.

"The adult evening home furnishings classes have placed the emphasis on consumer and homemaking aspects rather than on wage-earning aspects in the past in Pinellas County. This study will determine the number of students enrolled who are taking the class for occupational opportunities or advancement. The Adult Home Economics Department is continually evaluating and revising the curriculum to determine if it is meeting the needs of the students. This study is needed to determine the number of students enrolled in evening home furnishings classes in Pinellas County who plan to use the knowledge acquired in a wage-earning experience. After this determination is made the curriculum can be evaluated reflecting information gained from the data"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1975." / "Submitted to the Department of Home Economics Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: Judy H. Dowell, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 24).

A project report submitted to the faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of Science in Engineering. Heidelberg Transvaal, 1993. / The obiective of this research is to propose a model by which maintene may be managed in the prepared foods industry. Various companies in this industry have implemented modules of a maintenance administration system. Nowhere, for this industry, does a structured programme which will provide tha maintenance manager with the elements of an administration system, their sequence of implementation and their interrelationships exist. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC2017

No description available.