Globalization in the automotive industry exerts enormous pressure on automotive manufacturers and forces many global companies to expand into emerging markets, which results in adopting new ways to manage product design and development. Excellence in product design and development offers an opportunity to gain competitive advantage and can be achieved by implementing Toyota´s Lean Product Development System (LPDS). Although in the last three years Toyota has been severely challenged by the global economic crisis, by a series of recalls resulting in reputation damage and also by natural disasters such as the recent tsunamis - the world can still learn from Toyota´s successes embodied in the lean concept and practices, which are integral to Toyota´s ‘way of life’. The LPDS model (Morgan & Liker 2006) has captured the attention of academics worldwide (including this researcher) thanks to the following key characteristics: shorter development times, less engineering hours involved in development, lower manufacturing costs, higher customer satisfaction and fewer defects reported. In the academic world, lean product development (LPD) is a new field of exploration and thus relevant literature and numbers of studies available are limited. However, scientists are asking questions about successful adaptation and adoption of this model to other environments beyond Toyota. Similarly, the researcher aimed in this thesis to find answers to its main research question, namely: ‘What would be a suitable LPD model for the South African automotive industry?’ South Africa (SA) is a country with a strong manufacturing tradition and although the automotive sector is the third-largest segment in the South African economy and its vehicle market is the largest on the African continent in a global perspective SA´s contribution is relatively small as it produces only 0.61percent of the global motor vehicle volume (OICA 2011). While the country strives to secure sustainable development for the automotive industry and seeks to improve its global competitiveness, companies operating in SA are currently faced with several unique challenges and problems. Lean has been expanding slowly in SA and some companies in the local automotive industry have implemented the lean concept into production areas to improve their operational excellence and performance. However, it is a search for excellence in product development (PD) that could best contribute to improved sustainability for the automotive industry and also provide an important strategic spur towards global competitiveness. The primary intention of this research was to develop an integrated LPD framework tailored for SA´s automotive industry. Considering this, it was necessary to determine current PD capabilities at domestic and international companies operating in SA´s automotive industry so as to examine levels of adaptation of LPD practices. A questionnaire survey and personal interviews involving all seven locally operating Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including Toyota, as well as 36 local automotive suppliers provided an empirical base for this investigation. This study indicates that SA plays an important supportive role in the global PD context. In spite of a strong manufacturing focus and very limited PD capabilities, SA´s automotive companies have already achieved a high level of ‘leanness’ in product engineering processes. However, on the downside, it appears that industry leaders and senior managers are sceptical about current and future capabilities and opportunities for SA in the designing and developing of global products.

Globalization in the automotive industry exerts enormous pressure on automotive manufacturers and forces many global companies to expand into emerging markets, which results in adopting new ways to manage product design and development. Excellence in product design and development offers an opportunity to gain competitive advantage and can be achieved by implementing Toyota´s Lean Product Development System (LPDS). Although in the last three years Toyota has been severely challenged by the global economic crisis, by a series of recalls resulting in reputation damage and also by natural disasters such as the recent tsunamis - the world can still learn from Toyota´s successes embodied in the lean concept and practices, which are integral to Toyota´s ‘way of life’. The LPDS model (Morgan & Liker 2006) has captured the attention of academics worldwide (including this researcher) thanks to the following key characteristics: shorter development times, less engineering hours involved in development, lower manufacturing costs, higher customer satisfaction and fewer defects reported. In the academic world, lean product development (LPD) is a new field of exploration and thus relevant literature and numbers of studies available are limited. However, scientists are asking questions about successful adaptation and adoption of this model to other environments beyond Toyota. Similarly, the researcher aimed in this thesis to find answers to its main research question, namely: ‘What would be a suitable LPD model for the South African automotive industry?’ South Africa (SA) is a country with a strong manufacturing tradition and although the automotive sector is the third-largest segment in the South African economy and its vehicle market is the largest on the African continent in a global perspective SA´s contribution is relatively small as it produces only 0.61% of the global motor vehicle volume (OICA 2011). While the country strives to secure sustainable development for the automotive industry and seeks to improve its global competitiveness, companies operating in SA are currently faced with several unique challenges and problems. Lean has been expanding slowly in SA and some companies in the local automotive industry have implemented the lean concept into production areas to improve their operational excellence and performance. However, it is a search for excellence in product development (PD) that could best contribute to improved sustainability for the iv automotive industry and also provide an important strategic spur towards global competitiveness. The primary intention of this research was to develop an integrated LPD framework tailored for SA´s automotive industry. Considering this, it was necessary to determine current PD capabilities at domestic and international companies operating in SA´s automotive industry so as to examine levels of adaptation of LPD practices. A questionnaire survey and personal interviews involving all seven locally operating Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including Toyota, as well as 36 local automotive suppliers provided an empirical base for this investigation. This study indicates that SA plays an important supportive role in the global PD context. In spite of a strong manufacturing focus and very limited PD capabilities, SA´s automotive companies have already achieved a high level of ‘leanness’ in product engineering processes. However, on the downside, it appears that industry leaders and senior managers are sceptical about current and future capabilities and opportunities for SA in the designing and developing of global products.

South Africa endorsed a world trade accord ratified in Geneva on December 13, 1993. To promote world economic growth, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) aimed to slash duties on 8000 categories of manufactured goods. Tariff barriers have declined significantly and are now approaching trivial levels (Hill, 1999, p163). Unfortunately, South Africa is ranked near the bottom of the World Competitiveness Report (Cheales, 1995, p8). Increased foreign competition has caused many South African companies to search for techniques that will improve their overall performance. Unless these techniques can be identified and implemented timeously, some companies may fail to remain competitive. This research addresses the lack of awareness in the Eastern Cape (SA) and utilisation of two techniques used successfully in the USA (and elsewhere in developed countries) namely, Constraint Management and simulation. The overall objective was to develop a method of convincing industry management of the benefits of the two techniques. The approach adopted was to use simulation to prove Constraint Management. To achieve this objective a comprehensive literature survey was performed to determine the logic of each technique and the associated benefits. The next step was to determine the levels of awareness among industry practitioners and managers. Managers, engineers and academics were requested to complete questionnaires in order to determine awareness and utilisation of each technique as well as factors that prevented the application of both. The simulation modeling process was examined in order to verify the logic of simulation and a model of a manufacturing system was developed. Constraint Management principles were then applied to the model in a series of experiments. This process was then developed into a manual that could be used to address the lack of awareness and utilisation of both Constraint Management and simulation. The manual was tested on a group of BTech students and industry practitioners in order to establish whether its use would be effective in raising awareness, understanding and utilisation. The outcome was positive and it was established that this technique was effective.

The underlying objective of the research is to assess the nature of the supplier training at Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA). To achieve this objective, a theoretical study was conducted to establish what literature reveals to be the most important theory of supply chain management as well as supplier development geared towards lean manufacturing. The information obtained in the literature study was analysed to solve the main problem namely, an assessment of the nature of the supplier training at Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA). The research was divided into two questionnaires: The first questionnaire is targeted at the suppliers. This questionnaire has two sections namely section A, the biographical data and section B attempts to determine the quality systems and manufacturing requirements. It further attempts to gauge training support and needs as compared to other OEM’s. The second questionnaire is targeted at the Supplier Development Manager. The aim of this questionnaire is to establish what the current training offerings are, the source of what VWSA teachers and the awareness of the Toyota Training College.

Companies are constantly expected to be more competitive while working in an environment in which time and cost are limited, thereby preventing such companies from taking the time required to be responsive. It is, therefore, important that companies understand that conventional knowledge and methods will not serve unless there is a concerted focus on improvement of organisational performance toward fulfilling increased expectations, not just maintaining that which is comfortable. A more sustainable approach may be the introduction of lean manufacturing techniques. The lean manufacturing process is one that continuously strives to eliminate waste, thereby increasing the percentage of time that may be devoted to value-adding activities. Lean manufacturing principles were applied in the Can Coating Plant of Duco Speciality Coatings. This study was intended to identify waste in the current production process in the Can Coating Plant and then to use lean tools and principles to eliminate such waste. Implementation of these lean tools proved to result in a leaner and more value-adding process. The new process rendered a positive result on Duco Coating’s costs, quality and product performance. Recommendations on further improvements were also offered.

All world class manufacturing organizations have shop floor management in place. Shop floor management principles and tools are utilised to plan and to react in out of control conditions. Shop floor management is also utilised to involve people in decision making and to encourage continuous improvement. Various shop floor management principles exist and are applied differently depending on the nature of the business, however all these principles are present in all the companies researched. SA Canopy currently applies very little or no shop floor management principles. To be able to achieve its objectives and mission set by the new shareholders, shop floor excellence must be achieved. The objective of the study was to establish shop floor management principles utilised by the automotive industry as well as best in class organizations. To achieve this, a comprehensive literature study was performed on shop floor management. A questionnaire and audit schedule was designed based on guidelines in the literature study in order to establish what shop floor management principles are being utilised in the industry. The researcher used random sampling methods in distributing the questionnaire. An internal audit of the companies was conducted to support the responses in from the questionnaires. The opinions of the various respondents were compared with the guidelines provided in the literature survey in order to indentify shop floor management principles which would be suitable for SA Canopy. The following main recommendations were made: In order for SA canopy to achieve its objectives the company needs to develop a mission statement for everyone to work towards; SA Canopy needs to become more customer and supplier orientated. This will improve the overall performance of the business in respect of cost, quality and output; It is important that SA Canopy promotes teamwork so as to create a culture of continuous improvement; Problem solving skills need to be developed in the organization; Roles of Supervision need to be clearly defined and development programmes need to be put in place for supervision; A management process similar to the “Plan, Do, Check, Action “needs to be put in place to ensure effective actioning and monitoring of improvements and performance of stakeholders.

Lean manufacturing has seen its creators, Toyota, rise from insignificance in the middle of the previous century, to the biggest selling car manufacturer in the world today. Another Japanese car manufacturer, Honda, which has also been practising the principles of lean avidly during the last few decades, has also made huge strides towards becoming a dominant force in the car market. These Japanese companies‟ adoption of lean has seen many of their mass producing United States (US) and European counterparts struggle for survival. Maynard (2003:10) predicted that by the end of the decade, at least one of the „Big Three‟ auto makers in the US – Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors (GM) – would be forced to undertake significant restructuring to continue in operation. At the time of this writing all indications are that this prediction will come true. GM is in the process of major shareholding restructuring in an attempt to keep the company afloat, having run up insurmountable debts in the face of the current global economic downturn. Adopting the lean methodology has become a matter of necessity. The continued use of mass production methods alone is no longer viable; companies need to also employ lean methods intelligently in order to remain competitive. This study is regarded as a crucial endeavour to assist operations managers of manufacturing concerns in developing lean implementation strategies which will maximise the benefits to the organization.

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A competitividade ocorre entre sistemas produtivos e não apenas entre organizações, haja vista a interferência de aspectos ambientais internos e externos que determinam seu desempenho. Deste modo, apesar da bovinocultura de corte brasileira ser mundialmente competitiva e possuir o maior rebanho comercial, o Rio Grande do Sul, cujo desenvolvimento socioeconômico fundamentou-se na exploração desta atividade ocupa a sexta posição entre os Estados na produção de carne. Nesse contexto, o Bioma Pampa configura-se como a principal fonte de alimentação nativa para os ruminantes, cuja predominância corresponde a cerca de 63% da área total do Estado. A partir da abordagem sistêmica e das estruturas híbridas de governança, a investigação realizada teve como objetivo mensurar o desempenho competitivo da cadeia produtiva de carne bovina do Bioma Pampa. Para tanto, adotou-se como procedimentos metodológico o método de pesquisa rápida (rapid assessment ou quick appraisal), que possui um enfoque pragmático e utiliza métodos de coleta de dados convencionais para a maximização da eficiência operacional e orienta estudos sobre sistemas agroalimentares em distintos países. Deste modo, quanto a abordagem do problema tratou-se de uma investigação quantitativa, com finalidade exploratória e descritiva, por meio de um estudo de caso único. O objeto de investigação consistiu na cadeia produtiva do Bioma Pampa, cujos dados foram coletados mediante entrevista aplicada a “elementos-chave” da cadeia produtiva, pertencentes aos elos de produção, beneficiamento e distribuição, que caracterizam-se como os agregadores de valor ao produto. O instrumento de coleta de dados aplicado foi um questionário específico a cada elo, que contemplava os direcionadores de competitividade (Tecnologia, Gestão, Relações de Mercado e Ambiente Institucional) e seus respectivos fatores. Para análise empregou-se as equações propostas por Oaigen (2010), que considerava as notas de cada fator e os pesos de cada direcionador. A partir de tais resultados, calculou-se o Índice de Competitividade de cada elo da cadeia produtiva, cujos resultados obtidos demonstraram-no como favorável em todos estes, correspondendo a 6,01, 7,84 e 7,91, respectivamente. Destaca-se que o direcionador Gestão no âmbito do elo de produção foi considerado como neutro, ao passo que as Relações de Mercado despontaram como sendo desfavoráveis para os produtores. Por sua vez, os elos de beneficiamento e distribuição, apesar de apontarem deficiências e carências em determinados aspectos, inclusive aqueles relacionados ao ambiente macroeconômico, obtiveram direcionadores de competitividade classificados como favoráveis ou muito favoráveis. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES. / Due to the interference of internal and external environmental aspects that determine organizational performance, competitiveness occurs between productive systems and not only between organizations. Considering the fact that Brazilian beef cattle is globally competitive, Rio Grande do Sul, whose socioeconomic development was based on the exploitation of this activity, has the largest commercial herd and ranks sixth among the states in meat production. In this context, the Pampa Biome is the main source of native food for ruminants, whose predominance corresponds to about 63% of the total area of the State. Based on the systemic approach and the hybrid structures of governance, the objective of this research was to identify the competitive performance of the beef production chain of Bioma Pampa. For this purpose, the rapid assessment method, which has a pragmatic approach and uses conventional data collection methods to maximize operational efficiency, has been adopted as a methodological procedure, so that it guides studies on agrifood systems In different countries. Therefore, a quantitative research has been carried, with exploratory and descriptive purpose, through a single case study. The research object consisted of the production chain of the Pampa Bioma, whose data were collected through an interview with representatives of the production, processing and distribution links, which are characterized as aggregators of value to the product along the production chain. Data collection instrument dapplied was a specific questionnaire to each link, which contemplated competitiveness drivers (Technology, Management, Market Relations and Institutional Environment) and their respective factors. Analysis has been done trhough Oaigen (2010) equations, which considers grades of each factor and the weights of each driver. Based on these results, the Competitiveness Index of each link in the production chain was calculated, and the results obtained showed it to be favorable in all of them, corresponding to 6.01, 7.84 and 7.91, respectively. It is noteworthy that the Management driver within the production link was considered as neutral, while the Market Relations appeared as unfavorable for the producers. On the other hand, the links of beneficiation and distribution, although indicating deficiencies and deficiencies in certain aspects, including those related to the macroeconomic environment, obtained competitiveness drivers classified as favorable or very favorable.