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The objective of this research is to establish how Information Technology (IT) Governance supports business objectives in an organization. The relationship between IT Governance and organization business objectives continues to interest academics and practitioners (IT Governance Institute, 2003). Like governance generally, IT governance is about the decision rights and accountabilities that encourage desirable behavior in the use of IT. A major challenge of IT governance is resolving boundaries and scope between the organization and its business units. Investment in IT has in recent years become a strategic organizational choice, yet there exists little understanding of IT governance's contribution to business objectives (IT Governance Institute, 2003). A case study research approach was used to get an in-depth understanding of IT governance in a single organization with many business units. The organization that was selected for this purpose is RioZim Limited (formerly Rio Tinto Zimbabwe), a mining company situated in Zimbabwe. Using a field survey of business and IT executives, this study examined how IT governance is contributing towards business objectives. Data was collected from all business units on various IT issues and business objectives. The questions that were asked centered on IT governance practices based on responsibility and authority for IT decision making. Some IT governance issues explored in the study include stakeholder involvement in decision making on major IT domains. The research examined how IT Governance is supporting the business objectives. The results suggest that RioZim's IT governance does not adequately support business objectives. The study revealed that business objectives should drive IT governance. IT governance should be the responsibility of executives and all business units. The results of the study wi II add to the literature in demonstrating the importance of IT governance in supporting business objectives. It provides an assessment tool to business executives for evaluating their IT governance and it also provides guidelines for developing effective IT governance that supports business objectives. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

The need to increase productivity, improve quality and increase flexibility whist continuously reducing costs is driving manufacturers to search for alternative means of converting the product idea into a manufactured product. Plant automation systems which are the nervous system and increasingly the intelligence of the plant have an integral role to play in this regard. This study investigates the convergence between traditional IT and Industrial Automation with a view to understanding how this phenomenon will affect operational excellence within the manufacturing environment. The study further investigates the key determinants of success for automation systems within the broader business context and how this can lead to an advantage over competitors. The study is limited to manufacturing operations within the greater Durban area. The results revealed that there is a clear relationship between industrial automation and information technology in manufacturing organisations. However, of interest is the fact that in the majority of the organisations surveyed the two functions operate as separate entities within the organisation resulting in overlaps of responsibility and accountability for key equipment and processes. Factory efficiency was found to be the key determinant of success in the majority of the organisations surveyed whilst the provisioning of production data when used strategically was found to have a positive effect in allowing the organisation to gain an advantage over its competitors. Due to the limitation of the short time frame allocated to this research, the study could not go in detail into the drivers of these findings consequently recommendations for further research is made. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

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This research deals with some Statistical Quality Control (SQC) methods, which are used in quality testing. It investigates the problem encountered with statistical process control (SPC) tools when small sample sizes are used. Small sample size testing is a new area of concern especially when using expensive (or large) products, which are produced in small batches (low volume production). Critical literature review and analysis of current technologies and methods in SPC with small samples testing failed to show a conformance with conventional SPC techniques, as the confidence limits for averages and standard deviation are too wide. Therefore, using such sizes will provide unsecured results with a lack in accuracy. The current research demonstrates such problems in manufacturing by using examples, in order to show the lack and the difficulties faced with conventional SPC tools (control charts). Weibull distribution has always shown a clear and acceptable prediction of failure and life behaviour with small sample size batches. Using such distribution enables the accuracy needed with small sample size to be obtained. With small sample control charts generate inaccurate confidence limits, which are low. On the contrary, Weibull theory suggests that using small samples enable achievement of accurate confidence limits. This research highlights these two aspects and explains their features in more depth. An outline of the overall problem and solution point out success of Weibull analysis when Weibull distribution is modified to overcome the problems encountered when small sample sizes are used. This work shows the viability of Weibull distribution to be used as a quality tool and construct new control charts, which will provide accurate result and detect nonconformance and variability with the use of small sample sizes. Therefore, the new proposed Weibull deduction control charts shows a successful replacement of the conventional control chart, and these new charts will compensate the errors in quality testing when using small size samples.

This research project analysed the characteristics of SMMEs in general, and suggests that collaborative manufacturing (CM) provides a means to both overcome the weaknesses and explore the strengths of SMMEs. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008.