Date: 2008-06-05 Course: Master Thesis in Business Administration, 15 ECTS credits. EF0704 Authors: Albert Kofi Assiamah Daniel Allotey Prince Kofi Hanson Supervisor: Sigvard Herber Title: Materials Management and its Effect on Cost of Supplies Background: In most organizations within the country (Ghana), materials management has been relegated to the background without any proper control. This means that companies are investing heavily in materials than is necessary. Problem: How can materials management minimize the cost of supplies in Cocoa Processing Company of Ghana? Purpose: The aim of this research is to illustrate how the application of materials management concept can minimize the cost of supplies in Cocoa Processing Company of Ghana. Methods: With regards to primary data, interviews (face-to-face, telephone) and questionnaire were used. Secondary data has been sourced through literature from the university library and internet sources, qualitative design method was chosen over others because of the nature of the research work. Conclusion: Financially, materials (inventories) are very important to manufacturing companies and on the balance sheet they usually represent from twenty to sixty percent of total assets. Therefore, if the application of the concept of materials management is accepted with well qualified personnel, it could lead to the minimization of cost. The function of a materials manager is to promote coordination and integration within the supply chain and the major benefits are assumed to be; reduction in interdepartmental conflicts, reduction of inventory levels, increased knowledge of total corporate operations and reduction of materials handling costs among others.

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2003. / Title from title screen (viewed July 23, 2003). "March 2003." Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68). Also issued in print format.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

M.Com. (Business Management) / The retail industry in South Africa is faced with economic pressure, which is affecting growth in the sector. Consumers are affected by inflation which affects their purchasing power. Added to this many retail businesses in South Africa are experiencing the phenomena of stock-outs. Retail stock-outs can amount to 4% of annual turnover for an average retail business in South Africa. This is putting huge strain on retail businesses to remain competitive in the industry and thus retail businesses have to ensure adequate management is in place to drive efficiency. Management of processes and practices in a supply chain are critical to achieve synchronisation amongst supply chain entities. This assists in achieving reliability, responsiveness and flexibility with customers in the supply chain and thus stock-outs can be avoided or reduced. This study highlights four management processes and practices that are critical in achieving synchronisation and decreased variability in the supply chain, which would result in avoiding or reducing stock-outs. The four management processes and practices analysed in this study are customer demand, inventory management, retail operations and supplier relationships. These four management processes and practices were tested using an exploratory case study using a case study approach in the warehouse retail liquor industry in Johannesburg. Data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews in retail outlets. The questionnaires were structured in a format that categorised the four management processes and practices through perceptions and realities of management. The semi-structured interviews were used to gather responses of perceptions and realities of management processes and practices and causes to stock-outs. From the results of the study, the primary reasons for stock-outs were attributed to poor inventory management practices, a lack of understanding customer purchasing patterns and poor communication with suppliers. These reasons affected the synchronisation of activities in the supply chain and thus increased variability which resulted in stock-outs.

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 x, 79 leaves / The study examines the supply chain management, within the business unit of EraBeier(Pty) Ltd. This business is situated in Pinetown South Africa. The concept of supply chain management is examined in terms of quality of material supplied, supplier evaluation, logistics, inventory and purchasing. These facets identified by the concept of supply chain management are prerequisites to achieving continuous process flow, are deemed crucial for effectiveness. / M

Partnering and supply chain management (SCM) are concepts or approaches that can be applied as initiatives to solve problems in the construction industry and meet or surpass the expectations of supply chain members and final customers. With the benefit of an Action Research study on the construction process of a large format bulk retail development, by a prominent Auckland construction company, the application of the combined approaches and their relationships are discussed.It can be concluded that the concepts or approaches mentioned are useful for the company in achieving best results. However, whilst this combined approach provides useful insights to alternative construction procurement; it is by no means a catchall remedy for traditional contracting methods. In order to successfully adopt the SCM approach the size, type and scope of the project would need to be fit-for-purpose and embrace organisational and cultural enablers.The study identifies a growing need for future research in strategic collaborative approaches to project procurement, in order for the construction industry to grow as a whole.

Thesis ( Ph.D. ) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Donald R. Eaton, Joe G. San Miguel, Raymond E. Franck, Keebom Kang. "MBA professional report." Joint authors: Michael J. Fay, Cheryl M. Hansen, Christopher M. Zuchristian. Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-130). Also available online.

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Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 x, 79 leaves / The study examines the supply chain management, within the business unit of EraBeier(Pty) Ltd. This business is situated in Pinetown South Africa. The concept of supply chain management is examined in terms of quality of material supplied, supplier evaluation, logistics, inventory and purchasing. These facets identified by the concept of supply chain management are prerequisites to achieving continuous process flow, are deemed crucial for effectiveness.