Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2011 / The manufacturing sector, considered to be an important industry in any country, is often plagued with a significant degree of competition due to global marketing. In order to cope with this challenge, organisations attempt to improve their manufacturing operations by using different tools and techniques to reduce costs while remaining profitable. This study investigated the existing lean production system of an automotive manufacturing organisation in Durban. The objective of the study was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current lean manufacturing process in an attempt to improve quality and productivity. An empirical study was conducted, using a survey questionnaire with an assessment score ranking to gather and evaluate employees’ responses pertaining to lean application in the production environment. The quantitative method of research was adopted. The results of the study showed evidence of misalignment and inconsistencies for lean adoption in the organisation. There were significant relationships established between departments and job positions. The analysis demonstrated that operators within production showed the highest sentiment of disagreement for certain lean principles. The validity of the operators’ responses was significant as operators are the frontline of all processes and were in the best position to rank the extent of lean adoption. Several important findings on the implications of lean activities that affect manufacturing performance were revealed. The study concluded that a significant gap exists between the actual adoption of lean principles on the shop floor to those that are documented. It is recommended that organisations develop structured follow up procedures in order to have more control of the production system and thus ensure sustainability. Future research should focus at incorporating better and more efficient lean assessment tools to identify gaps in the production system and to replicate this study to track other South African organisations that claim to manufacture lean.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Technology in Cost and Management Accounting, Durban University of Technology, Durban, 2015. / The Stores Division reportedly found it very difficult to control inventories as well as executing roles and responsibilities allocated in the section. The aims of this study were to identify factors affecting the success of inventory control and to assess strategies used by the Stores Division of the eThekwini Municipality in Durban to control inventory stocks. In order to arrive at the deep structure underpinning inventory control, three theoretical frameworks were used, i.e., stock diffusion theory, application control theory and inventory control in theory and practice. This case study was census, descriptive, cross-sectional and predominantly quantitative in nature with only two open-ended questions. The 57 questionnaires were administered by members of staff at the Stores and Procurement Divisions of the eThekwini Municipality in Durban. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and categorised according to themes. The IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 was used to determine statistical results. The findings of the study revealed that employees lack proper training and education and that there is poor inventory control planning, lack of staff communication and lack of procurement time management when processing inventory orders. Respondents also indicated that there are no common strategies in place to control inventories. The study recommends that the Stores Division should consider the levels of staff qualifications, provide more staff training, and improve inventory control planning; communication; time management, and instigate innovative strategies in order to eradicate growing costs of inventory stocks. Moreover, the internal control processes need to be mapped according to the various roles identified.