This research considers a Customer Satisfaction Index approach and its relative benefits to the UK community. It is focussed on the service industries in both the public and private sectors. It looks at, and develops the measuring and modelling processes involved and employs a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) methodology. The research critiques two of the leading methodologies currently available (Maximum Likelihood and Fixed Point Estimation) before selecting one from which to model the whole process. Throughout the research, three different structural models are considered. These vary in how the different latent variables are connected together, but are based around a core of specific latent variables, which together make up a customer's total buying experience. Two of the models considered were by other authors, while the third (Sheffield Model) was a direct development of this research. The data has been collected by the means of a questionnaire. Over the life of the research a generic questionnaire has been developed to produce a tool that is focused on the specific issues that the model requires for it to operate. The final part of the research contemplates how a company can use the results of the index to pin point where improvements in their customer service provision would have the largest impact on their overall customer satisfaction index score. The research considers the different aspects of customer satisfaction and their place within a Total Quality Management approach. However, the index is a completely self-contained product, which allows any company to measure how well it is satisfying its customers. The index calculates an index score between one and one hundred. The ultimate aim of the index is for a company's score to be compared over time, against other companies within the same industry, against other companies from other industries, against the national average and even against company's throughout Europe and the World, as National Indices operate overseas. In fact, it is envisaged that the index will act as a way for individual companies to benchmark themselves against the best customer service companies in the world. It is hoped that over time the customer satisfaction index can become a key indicator as to the state of the UK economy. After all, satisfied customers are very often loyal customers, they tend to buy more, more often, and satisfied customers are often willing to pay premium prices for a company's products (Kristensen & Martensen, 1996).

Identification of airborne pollutant sources and estimation of source contributions to air quality ‘hot spots’ are very important in ambient air quality management. Social, economical, political and legal constraints on air quality management demand a convenient and accurate method for attributing air pollution sources to the ‘hot spots’. In this PhD research degree project, an automatic air pollution monitoring station was set up on the library roof at the University of Abertay Dundee to monitor urban background air quality in Dundee. Concentrations of the particulate with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 pm (PMio), the total suspended particulate (TSP), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as well as wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature and total rainfall were measured continuously for one year. The chemical components of PM10 and TSP, calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), sulphate (SO42'), nitrate (NO3'), chloride (C1‘), ammonium (NH/), sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) were analysed in the laboratory. Additionally, the inventories of atmospheric emission sources in Dundee were investigated in detail in order to satisfy the needs of air dispersion model. A new software package for the atmospheric dispersion models was also developed by the author using Microsoft Visual C++. In contrast to other available software packages, this package offers a choice of different atmospheric models. The user may select a model according to the situation prevailing and the available parameters. The package for the atmospheric dispersion models was used to simulate transport of airborne pollutants in Dundee. Performance of the models was evaluated using the data gathered at the monitoring station and atmospheric emission inventories. The contributions of various air pollution sources of NOx and PM10 measured at the station were estimated. The receptor model was used to discriminate airborne pollutant emission sources and quantitatively apportion PM10 measured at the station to these sources. The results from the atmospheric dispersion model and the receptor model were compared and used in a complementary manner. A new methodology that combines the features of the receptor oriented and source oriented models, and supplements and corrects the two modelling approaches has been developed. The applicability of the methodology has been tested against the gathered air quality and source emission data in Dundee. The following outputs from the research work are completely novel: • A comprehensive database that consists of concentrations of gaseous pollutants and particulates, chemical compositions of particulates, weather conditions and atmospheric emission inventories. • A new software package for modelling atmospheric dispersion. This was programmed using Microsoft Visual C++. In contrast to other available commercial packages, the models embedded in the package include a modified hybrid plume dispersion model and a ground level release dispersion model that incorporate recent advances in the understanding of planetary boundary layer and atmospheric dispersion. They also include the conventional Gaussian plume dispersion model that is still generally used. The user may select different models according to the prevailing situation and the available parameters when applying the package. • The use of error estimate in ‘weighting’ the data of element matrix and complementary use of subjective information in receptor model trials. • A new methodology that complements atmospheric dispersion and receptor models to attribute sources of airborne pollutants to their receptors.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-05-07Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:29:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 vieira_am_me_bauru.pdf: 954856 bytes, checksum: 77ed8fc0cea886a483add805e88b0aa2 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O processo de melhoria contínua nas organizações é uma premissa para a sobrevivência e competitividade no mercado atual. Neste contexto, os Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade surgem como importantes instrumentos para o desempenho das empresas e dos Arranjos Produtivos Locais (APLs). O objetivo principal desta dissertação é desenvolver uma proposta de diretrizes para desenvolvimento coletivo de melhoria contínua em Micro, Pequenas e Médias Empresas (MPMEs) industriais que atuem em APLs. A proposta foi desenvolvida por meio do referencial teórico e subsidiada com elementos de um estudo de caso, o que permitiu seu desenvolvimento com conceitos que podem influenciar de forma positiva sua efetiva implantação. Como resultado, a proposta de diretrizes está estruturada em seis etapas: Preparação, Diagnóstico do APL, Diagnóstico das empresas, Implantação, Auditoria e Avaliação / The process of continuous improvement in organizations is a precondition for the survival and competitiveness in the market today. In this context, the Quality Management Systems emerge as important tools for the performance of business and Local Productive Arrangements (APLs). The main objective of this dissertation is to develop a proposal guideline for developing collective of continuous improvement in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that act on APLS industrial. The proposal was developed through theoretical and subsidized with elements of a case study, which allowed her to develop concepts that can positively influence their effective implementation. As a result, the proposal guidelines is structured in six steps: Preparation, APL Diagnostics, Diagnostics enterprises, Implementation, Audit and Evaluation

As today's global competition grows in manufacturing industries companies are forced to work smart in all areas of operations, starting with suppliers and ending with customers. This competition in general requires firms to improve market responsiveness, product quality, use computerised information systems for production planning and control, have more rapid changeovers, reductions in setup times, work-in-progress reduction and hence throughput time reduction. In order to accomplish these formidable tasks, there are a number of management philosophies available for manufacturing companies. These include just-in-time, flexible manufacturing systems, computer integrated manufacturing, total quality management, concurrent engineering. Implementation of these philosophies, however, requires mass mobilisation encompassing many areas of operations such as production, sales and marketing, suppliers, finance, customer servicing, product design and method engineering, maintenance, personnel and training, etc. This thesis details a study which evaluates the total quality management philosophy in cellular manufacturing environment. Following this evaluation, a quality management information scheme, which is structured and integrated, has been produced using the Manufacturing Systems Analysis and Design Method. In order to manage smoothly this mobilisation and incorporate the scheme to other integrated functional areas, a new approach namely the Activity Based Implementation (ABI) has also been produced. Justification of the model from various points of view has shown that the model is expected to address a considerable gap in the area concerned. The model was designed to be used as an integrated part of a system or as a stand-alone scheme by quality practitioners, the management board of organisations implementing TQM and quality management researchers.

No description available.

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Quality in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / The clothing industry in South Africa is historically well established and caters from basic and low cost products to high-fashion tailormade garments. In 1995, the top five retail chains (Edgars, Wooltru, Pepkor, Foschini and OK) accounted for 58 percent of clothing retail sales. Research on quality management has shown that quality management programmes are not effectively utilised within small clothing manufacturing firms in the Western Cape, The result of this - poor goods and services - has been highlighted. This leads to useful insight into critical aspects pertaining to customer satisfaction and quality service delivery.The research problem researched within the ambit of this dissertation reads as follows: “Quality management programmes are not effectively utilised within small clothing manufacturing firms in the Western Cape, resulting in poor goods and services being produced”. The primary research objectives of this study are the following:  To identify key drivers underpinning complaints in small clothing manufacturing firms in the Western Cape, in terms of service delivery.  To identify the benefits of using quality management tools and techniques, used currently by small clothing manufacturing firms.  To determine if small clothing manufacturing firms have a strategic focus on the quality of a product that they produce.  To identify a mechanism that can be deployed to promote the application of a quality management system.  To identify the benefits of implementing quality management systems within a small clothing manufacturing firm.Reciprocally, the research question, which forms the crux of the research, reads as follows: “What mechanisms can be deployed to promote the application of quality management systems in the Western Cape, thus leading to an improvement of goods and services?”The application of quality management tools and techniques, such as statistical quality control and quality function deployment, has been researched in the small clothing manufacturing sector. The research leads to an improvement in the current state pertaining to quality management programmes not being effectively utilised within small clothing manufacturing firms. Mechanisms to be deployed to promote the application of quality management systems will also be identified, possible solutions found to customer complaints and problem areas addressed. In addition, the research leads to improved quality of goods and services being produced resulting in satisfied customers.

In this inquiry, I conduct a systemic study into the wide problem space of Widening Participation in UK Higher Education, an initiative introduced in 1998 to promote positive discrimination for HE participation by young, socially disadvantaged individuals. In addition to redressing social justice, positive outcomes from the policy were expected to contribute to reducing high levels of social deprivation and increasing national competitiveness. It was, therefore, intertwined with other social and economic policy arenas but, by 2009, the Government admitted that rates of widened participation had failed to reach the levels expected. The majority of current research into possible reasons why fewer socially disadvantaged young people took advantage of the Widening Participation to participate in Higher Education have tended to engage participating students from target groups as though the findings from this group could be representative of those who do not participate. This neglect of targeted HE non-participants is seen to create a major lacuna in understanding of the reason why the Widening Participation policy failed to achieve its ambitions. Existing research has also tended to concentrate on implementation of the Widening Participation initiative, focusing on the narrow confines of the HE sector without considering interrelated policy arenas. I address these two major lacunae by conducting a systemic study into the wider problem space of Widening Participation and interrelated policy arenas, engaging HE non-participants from target groups in practical inquiry. This study represents a major contribution to what is known about possible explanatory factors for the perceived lack of HE participation by young socially disadvantaged individuals as encouraged by the Widening Participation policy. The major finding from this study is that, rather than make a decision to not participate in HE, the majority of research members did not consider HE participation as worthy of notice, much less a subject for active decision-making. Underlying reasons for this varied greatly depending upon how members had been affected by multiple indices of social deprivation. For those who had not been negatively affected, HE participation was a ‘non-decision’ because they were content with their situations, had different ambitions and moved into available employment. They did, however, appear to limit their educational outcomes according to the limited employment opportunities available in their socially deprived environment. For those who were severely affected, the ‘non-decision’ of HE was subsumed under their ambitions to change their circumstances to be more tolerable and reduce the effects of social deprivation. Finally, a small minority who did wish to participate in HE were prevented from doing so by the poor financial circumstances of their families, a ‘barrier’ which was not considered in studies engaging WP students and therefore not addressed. The major contribution to the discipline of “policy-making” from this systemic study is that both systems and ethical thinking are required to ensure the future success of the Widening Participation policy. Holistic policy development should be allied with a move from paternalistic government to gaining an understanding of the cultural situations, values and norms of the socially excluded. Social intervention, a redistribution of resources to reduce multiple indices of social deprivation and regeneration of deprived areas to provide greater employment opportunity to increase educational outcomes should be encouraged. The implication for the future progress of Widening Participation under the Coalition Government and changes introduced in 2010 suggest that blanket measures to encourage young, socially disadvantaged individuals to participate in HE are ineffective. I therefore recommend a targeted approach based on evidence which answers the question “Is Widening Participation in Higher Education important and to whom?” Further research will clearly be needed in order to answer this.

M.Sc. / The Vaal Dam (South Africa) and its tributaries have been extensively affected by domestic, mining, agricultural and industrial activities, as well as the release of effluents. These practices have contributed to large-scale algal blooms that have caused serious ecological, aesthetic, water purification and water distribution problems. This study addresses the need to develop a system that enables forecasts to be made regarding potential changes in the water quality ofthe Vaal Dam, especially with regards to predicting algal blooms. The primary aim was to develop a simple spreadsheet based model to predict the occurrence of algal blooms and other water quality changes in the Vaal Dam, making use of environmental parameters recorded at several sites located upstream of the Rand Water intake point at the Vaal Dam wall. Accurately forecasting sudden changes in water quality would enable proactive resource management, ensuring that Rand Water maintains a high standard of potable water delivered to its customers. Statistical model equations, to predict the concentrations of various water quality constituents, were obtained by step-wise regression analysis. These equations were then entered into MS-Excel spreadsheets. This allowed the input of environmental data and the subsequent calculation of the predicted value. This also allowed for the manipulation of various parameters to forecast the effects any changing values will have on the water quality. These "if-then'' scenarios would be of considerable use in implementing management measures to achieve the desired water quality. The performance of the model was statistically tested to determine if it adequately represents the study system. The models to determine chlorophyll-a concentration and several other water quality constituents proved to be fairly accurate in representing the study system. However, the model to predict nitrate concentrations did not perform satisfactorily. The limitations in model performance were attributed to the low frequency of water quality sampling and the effects of undetermined variables not represented by the water quality parameters selected for model development. The model is compact, does not require specialised software, and is applicable in practice. The predictive and scenario forecasting abilities make this model useful for the identification, monitoring and prediction of changes or trends in water quality over time. The benefits arising from this model will thus contribute to more cost efficient water treatment, improved response times to algal blooms, improved decision-making and proactive water resource management.

Ph.D. / Fossil fuel burning within residential, industrial and power generation sectors represents a persistent source of air pollution within many parts of South Africa, with the contribution of road transport emissions becoming increasingly important. Additionally, biomass burning, including agricultural burning and wild fires, represents an intermittent but seasonally significant source of atmospheric emissions. Effective air pollution control was historically hindered by the absence of enabling legislation and cooperative governance. The promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, Act 39 of 2004 represented a major step forward in the evolution of air quality management within South Africa. The historical debate regarding the practicability of effective air quality management is however ongoing. South Africa‟s continued dependence on coal to support its energy-intensive industrial and mining sectors, continued household fuel burning for space heating and cooking purposes within a number of areas, and the dire need for employment creation and focus on rapid development continue to challenge the realisation of air quality improvements. This study investigates the multiple factors contributing to the degradation of air quality in South Africa, and the consequent human health, environmental and economic effects of this pollution. The study critically examines legal, technical and social measures implementable within a tailored system of air quality management which is compatible with socio-economic growth. This thesis integrates and expands on pertinent components of several individual research projects completed by the author during her tenure as a doctoral candidate. The research projects were completed during the period (2002 – 2009) on behalf of various parties including national and local government, standards setting bodies and private organisations. Quantification of health risks associated with significant anthropogenic sources within several South African conurbations, covering 40% of the national population, and the establishment of cost-optimised air pollution interventions, forms a key component of the thesis. In this externalities study, emissions were estimated and effects and associated costs quantified for household fuel burning, power generation, industrial and commercial fuel burning and road transport. Total direct health costs related to inhalation exposures to fuel burning emissions were estimated to be of the order of 3.5 billion 2002 Rands per annum across health effects, conurbations and source groupings assessed. Household fuel burning was estimated to be responsible for about 68% of the total health costs estimated across all conurbations, vehicle emissions for 13%, industrial and commercial fuel burning for 13%, and power generation for about 6%. Emission reduction opportunities were identified and assessed for residential fuel burning, coalfired power generation, road transport, coal-fired industrial boilers and specific individual industries. It was concluded that significant health effect reductions could cost-effectively be achieved through addressing residential fuel burning as a priority. Lower benefit-cost ratios associated with industrial and vehicular interventions are due, in part, to these fuel burning sources having been more effectively regulated historically. The need for effective management of industrial and vehicle emissions is however supported. Based on international experience and local trends in vehicle activity, the contribution of transport emissions will become increasingly ix significant if not adequately addressed. Industrial process emissions unrelated to fuel burning may include significant emissions of criteria pollutants, in addition to trace releases of a wide range of hazardous air pollutants. Internationally, actions taken to address air pollution problems have met with mixed results. Failure to integrate economic considerations into air quality management planning, and to integrate air quality considerations into development planning represent key weaknesses in the strategies implemented. A contribution is made in this thesis by highlighting such lessons and proposing legal, technical and social measures which, when implemented within a rational system of air quality management, are suited to addressing complex air pollution sources without negatively affecting socio-economic prosperity and equity. Components of an effective, affordable and equitable emissions control policy proposed for adoption within South Africa include phased national standards setting, compliance promotion and self-monitoring, market-based instruments, and the implementation of risk-based enforcement and compliance monitoring strategies.

M. Tech. / The study assessed the risk of infection introduced by containers in which households collect water from different sources. The study area was in rural villages in the Vhembe region of the Limpopo Province. Each village had its own unique water sources consisting mainly of untreated ground waters and untreated surface waters. Randomly selected household members use their containers to collect water from these different sources. Two of the three villages received new small water supply systems within the study period, proving the villagers with water of good health-related microbial quality. The remaining village continued to use contaminated water from their untreated surface water sources. The water supply intervention in two of the three villages provided the opportunity to assess the impact these interventions would have on the risk of infection i.e. whether the risk could be reduced for the villagers no having access to good quality water. A customized quantitative microbial risk assessment was done based on the health-related quality of the water that people ingested before and after the intervention. This assessment was based on exposure of, consequence to and impact on an individual water consumer. Exposure included variables such as daily quantities of unheated drinking water consumed per individual (in litres) available at the point of use (in the dwelling) for ingestion, numbers of diarrhoeagenic E. coli (Dec) per litre in water sampled from containers derived from water samples positive for indicator E. coli and daily doses of DEc per litre ingested by an individual in the target population. Consequence was assessed by calculating the probability of infection per day from diarrhoeagenic E. coli for an individual and from there the annual infection per individual. The impact of the small water supply system was determined by assessing changes in annual individual risk of infection from before to after the interventions per village. In terms of daily water volumes consumed per individual, there were no significant differences in consumption amongst the three villages. At 1.26 ℓcd (at the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval) the consumption was slightly higher than the one litre suggested by WHO 2003. The container water collected from sources before the intervention in the two villages was significantly more contaminated by indicator E. coli (iEc) and diarrhoeagenic E. coli (DEc) than their container waters after the intervention. In terms of impact, the risk of infections was substantially reduced by the interventions. For Village 1 the risk of infection was reduced from 646 infections to 135 infections per 10,000 of the population. If these are converted to 10% as disease manifesting, then there could have been 65 cases of enteric disease attributable to water before the intervention, which was then reduced to 14 cases after the intervention. For Village 2 the population risk was reduced from 110 to 67 cases after the intervention. For Village 3 the population risk remained at 2,778 infections or 278 cases of enteric waterborne disease because of their continued use of untreated water. The study findings indicated that for Village 1, the population risk of infection would be 135 infections per 10,000, for Village 2 it would be 167 and for Village 3 - 234. If the hypothetical conversion rate of one case of enteric waterborne disease for every 10 infections of Howard et al. (2006) is used, then this would mean 14 cases of disease per 10,000 for the population for Village 1, 17 cases for Village 2 and 24 cases for Village 3. Relating this to the WHO (2003) suggestion of one case per 1,000 as an acceptable, it would mean 1.3 cases for Village 1, 1.7 for Village 2 and 2.4 for Village 3. For Village 1 the risk of contracting waterborne enteric disease was close to acceptable, but not at all acceptable for the other two villages, even for Village group 2 after the intervention. The water system in Village 2 failed often during the study which was probably the cause of the persistently higher risk of disease. It can be concluded that providing a well maintained small water supply system reduced the risk to and maintained it at an acceptable level. Table