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M.Comm. / The primary objective of the dissertation is: • To explain the design and implementation of effective accounting systems and procedures in a small organisation with a workforce of less than 100 employees. The secondary objectives of the dissertation are as follows: • To explain the nature of current non-value adding accounting systems and procedures whch the small organisation should change or eliminate; • To explain the nature of desired value-adding accounting systems and procedures which should be introduced by the small organisation; • To explain management involvement and participation in the design and implementation of accounting systems and procedures manuals in a small organisation; • To explain the purpose, objectives, need for and basic writing principles which a written accounting procedure of a small organisation must adhere to; • To explain the steps to be followed to design and implement an accounting system and procedure; and • To propose suggestions and recommendations with reference to the design and implementation of accounting systems and procedures. • To determine the minimum and maximum accounting systems and procedures that needed to be implemented in the small organisation; • To identify the shortcomings and positives regarding the information supplied by the current Accounting systems. All of the abovelisted primary and secondary objectives have effect on a small organisation with less than 100 employees, a limited cashflow and which pays limited attention to procedures, due to time constraints. The time constraints relate primarily to the limited workforce.

The 21st century is an age of conducting business electronically. The benefits of dealing electronically with customers, suppliers, government and others is a fact that will continue the push towards further use of digital technology. This research work aims to address the following research question. How can a small to medium size enterprise (SME)etransform to be competitive in a globalised, rapidly changing, digital world? There are two components to this question; firstly the nature of competitiveness in a globalised environment, and secondly, the issue of how an orgaisation can etransform.The background material investigated at the initiation of this work can be broadly categorised into two types (1)theoretical possibilities; proposing 'potential' uses of internet technologies and (2)case studies reporting on existing ebusinesses. A detailed literature review of eBusiness was conducted to discover what made these organisations different from a traditional business. The next phase in this research work involved development of the eTransformation Roadmap, a tool that served two purposes. Firstly, to measure the current Information Technology sophistication of a business. Secondly, to show the steps that an organisation can take to become an eBusiness. The Roadmap was also used to analyse data collected from a survey of Western Sydney businesses. Overall, this research has provided a holistic view of how an organisation can transform itself to compete in a rapidly changing, digital world. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

D.Comm. / The small-business enterprise is becoming evermore important to economies worldwide, even to those of first-world countries. In South Africa, the small-business sector plays an even greater part. Research has shown that computer technology can be implemented in the small-business environment to increase productivity and even to gain a competitive edge over one's competitors. Despite the fact that small-business enterprises stand to derive great benefits from computerisation, many managers lack the necessary expertise to computerise their businesses. Although the necessary expertise may be acquired by engaging consultants, the associated cost often is beyond the financial means of the smallbusiness enterprise. The principal aim of this study, therefore, is to identify mechanisms in terms of which the necessary expertise could be made available to the small-business enterprise at a fair price. The study furthermore proposes a consultation model in terms of which the costs can be shared by enough small-business enterprises so that it would still be affordable to small-business enterprises and financially viable for consultants.

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M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Information Technology (IT) has become the driving force behind businesses and organizations. However, Information Technology comes with risks and other vulnerabilities. And by the same token, IT also poses threats to the organization. This then means that every organization must be able to contain and manage these risks and threats well, if it is to stay in the market and competitive. Information Technology Risk Management is to control Information Technology risks occurrences, acceptance and mitigate them. This means, organizations need proper precautionary measures and management tools to be able to identify risks, analyze risks, monitor the risks and have risk-reducing measures. This dissertation is about Information Technology Risk Management. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in South Africa tend to focus more on business operations, often neglecting the need to manage Information Technology risks effectively.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and report on the impact and effectiveness of a Small Business Development Center consulting program. The consulting program consisted of two individualized, self-paced, interactive computer courseware sets which were designed to deliver information about business computer systems to small business owners. The study was descriptive and exploratory in nature, utilizing a pre- and post-experience application of an attitudinal instrument. The participants were small business owners in Indiana.The primary research question related to the impact that the Indiana Small Business Development Center computer assistance consulting program had upon the attitudes of small business owners toward computers in their firms. The attitude of the participants toward computers was positive prior to the experience and remained so after the experience. Other major findings regarding small business owners' perceptions of the consulting program were as follows:1. Nearly 90 percent of the participants indicated that an individualized, self-paced, interactive computer courseware set was a useful way to obtain instruction about business computer systems, and 96.2 percent indicated that they would recommend the program under investigation to other small business owners.2. Although the majority of the participants had not used an integrated software package that contains word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications under one software umbrella prior to this study, following their interaction with the courseware sets almost 74 percent indicated that an integrated package would be practical for their businesses.3. Almost all (96.2 percent) of the participants found a graphical user interface to be useful in helping them understand the computer software.4. Participants preferred to use business associates and seminars or courses as sources of information for learning about computers for their firms, but lack of time prevents them from learning as much as they would like.Results of this study indicate that as adult learners, small business owners are a fragmented population, and therefore difficult to reach via traditional adult education programs. More emphasis by government and educational institutions on providing small business owners with training and education regarding computers and more research conducted in developing programs are suggested. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (MTech (Information and Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / It has been shown that the South African insurance landscape takes up an important place in the African continent, contributing nearly three quarters of the total African insurance sector (Paul, Twala & Marwala, 2012). The industry landscape has shown development at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7% between 2004 and 2008. The life insurance industry is assumed to grow at a CAGR of 8.3%. Small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) are important role players in every economy and provide a major contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. Many South African enterprises have in the past focused on local markets, but more recently SMMEs have been forced to respond to competition in the global market as markets expand. The role of SMMEs is considered critical in terms of poverty alleviation, employment creation, and international competitiveness. However, resource limitations have made it difficult for many SMMEs to enter new markets and compete effectively. The effective application of information systems (IS) are viewed as a way for SMMEs to become more competitive and drive business benefits such as cost reduction, improved profitability, enhanced customer service, new market growth opportunities, and more efficient operating relationships with trading customers and partners. There are an increasing number of new opportunities and competition in the marketplace because of business globalisation. The marketplace and business globalisation dynamics have a major influence on SMMEs and their operations. SMMEs require a critical evaluation of their internal processes and seek out solutions to be able to sustain their growth and competitiveness. This research study adopted an inductive approach to describe the rational process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of observing particular facts. An in-depth case study is used to explore the multiple perspectives of the complexity and uniqueness of SMMEs. One-on-one interviews were conducted to collect data from 17 financial advisors using an interview guide with semi-structured questionnaires. The data were analysed through the process of thematic coding which is common in case study research, and labels were assigned to form and organise the themes in groups and categories. Ethical consideration was presented before data collection commenced, and the autonomy, self-respect and human dignity of all respondents during the data collection process were considered. The findings reveal that financial service providers (FSPs) have a different understanding of IS, what competitive means, and what it can do for a business.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / As small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) grow, the complexity of their manufacturing operations are likely to increase to a point where they can benefit from manufacturing specific information systems, such as a manufacturing execution system (MES), to manage the complexity of their operating environment. Unfortunately, the capital expense required to implement an MES may prohibit smaller enterprises from adopting this potentially advantageous technology. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a developing delivery channel that promises to realise the same economies of scales of large software implementations by hosting software centrally and allowing access by multiple customers through the internet. This delivery model promises, amongst its many benefits, access to advanced software at a subscription based fee, which reduces its capital expense and makes it affordable to smaller enterprises. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that would influence the adoption of SaaS based MESs in South-African manufacturing SMEs. A literature survey was conducted to understand the characteristics of SaaS, the functionality and benefits that can be derived from an MES and the characteristics of SMEs that differentiate them from larger organisations. Instruments were identified which can be used to assess the propensity of SMEs to adopt new technology. An internet survey of South-African manufacturing SMEs was conducted to determine their perceptions and beliefs regarding SaaS and MES, and their intent to implement licensed or SaaS based MES within the next 12 months. The survey results were analysed to determine which beliefs were the most influential in determining an SME’s intention to adopt an MES and particularly which beliefs bias their decision towards either a licensed or a SaaS based MES implementation. The perceived benefits of an MES were found to be the most significant factor in driving the intent to adopt an MES. It was found that some beliefs regarding SaaS and licensing may influence the choice of delivery channel, and the perceptions of industry peers and customers were also found to influence the decision to adopt either a licensed or a SaaS based MES. A simple screening of input variables was effective in improving the predictive ability of the research model. While a full set of variables was able to explain 9.4% of the variation in the intent to adopt MES, a screened set of variables was able explain 15.5%. Further improvement in screening techniques could further improve the predictive power of the model. Since the model was only able to explain around 15.5% of the variation in the intent to adopt an MES, it is likely that there may be other significant factors that drive the intention to adopt an MES that are not covered in this study. These could include personal attitudes of the owner that are independent of the enterprise itself.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Introduction The research looked at the application of project management tools and techniques in ICT SME projects in the Western Cape. Problem Statement Previous literature revealed that small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital to developing economies as they provide employment and contribute to overall sustainable economic productivity. Literature further alludes that project management tools and techniques enhance SME’s ability to innovate, grow and compete in industry. However, it is unclear if ICT SMEs in Western Cape are applying project management tools and techniques in their projects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether ICT SMEs in Western Cape applied these tools and techniques in their projects. Aims / Objectives The primary objective of the research was to determine the extent to which ICT SMEs in Western Cape were using project management tools and techniques. The secondary research objectives were: to determine the extent to which ICT SMEs in Western Cape knew about the project management tools and techniques and how to use them; to establish the extent to which the ICT SMEs knew the benefits of using project management tools and techniques; and to determine the extent to which project management tools and techniques were used by SMEs to achieve success. Methodology The research was non experimental. An electronic questionnaire was distributed using Survey Monkey and Mail Chimp to collect responses. Some questionnaires were hand delivered to ICT SMEs based in the Cape Town CBD areas accessible to the researcher. The results presented in the research were based on a survey of ICT SMEs, located in Western Cape. Out of the 341 responses targeted a total of 210 responses were obtained. The results obtained represent 60- 70% of the population interviewed. The sample was chosen using stratified random sampling that classified the respondents according to organisational hierarchy, and the amount per strata was noted. The respondents within each stratum were chosen using simple random sampling thus eliminating bias.