South African businesses are facing unforeseen opportunities and threats following the country’s remarkable political transformation that culminated in its first non-racial, democratic elections in April 1994 (Krüger, 1997: 138). The objective of this paper was to understand what core competences a South African motor vehicle assembler requires to survive this era of declining protectionism and increasing competition. It is argued in this paper that organisations that want to compete with the best in the world market needs to adopt lean manufacturing principles. This paper is concerned with the core competences of an organisation and how an organisation identifies and utilises these in order to become a lean enterprise. The qualitative research method was identified as the most appropriate for the study. Two methods of data collection were used i.e. interviews with senior and middle management and a detailed literary study on the subject. The senior management interviews were aimed at identifying what they perceived to be the core competences a motor vehicle assembler requires in order to be a world-class lean manufacturing enterprise. The literary study was the base for the understanding of core competence and lean manufacturing. Finally, a second round of interviews with middle management was conducted to obtain clarity on the perceived role of middle management in the selected organisation’s quest to be a lean manufacturing concern. This paper concludes that if an organisation wants to survive it needs to identify and assess its core competences. These competences need to be developed or discarded in the organisation’s aims to be a lean manufacturing enterprise by eliminating all forms of non-value added activity. The programmes or projects that the selected organisation embarked on were primarily driven from the top down, placing middle management in the centre with the resistance coming from the lower levels in the organisation. Middle management should be given the necessary tools to overcome the resistance and assist the company to make smooth transitions.

The Motor Industry is set in a highly competitive and dynamic global arena constantly shaped by both external and internal forces. From an organisations point of view many of the external or macro forces are largely uncontrollable. Against this backdrop, players in the South African Motor Industry need to find new methods of differentiating themselves from competitors – One manner of performing this strategy is for Motor Dealerships to understand, meet or exceed customer requirements. In this research, the literature survey revealed the concepts of Total Quality Management (TQM) and fail-safing, the meaning of superior customer service and the importance of customer loyalty and retention. Customer service excellence levels of three Williams Hunt dealerships in the Port Elizabeth – Uitenhage metropole were measured by utilizing the SERVQUAL instrument for calibrating service quality. Customer expectations and perceptions were determined by means of the empirical study which yielded a service quality “gap.” From analysis of this gap and related findings, suggested improvements were suggested as a guideline for dealerships to utilise with the aim of improving customer service levels.

The Eastern Cape Region, once had sufficient job seekers with automotive component manufacturing skills and experience. Indications are that this pool has been desiccated. The draining of skills out of the area is starting to affect growth potential and competitiveness in the industry in the area. In 1998, the Skills Development Act was passed to implement the National Skills Development Plan, and to encourage employers to train personnel. The strategy promotes a three faceted approach to encourage the development of skills; Workplace Skills Development Plans, Learnerships and Sector Specific Initiatives. This study will focus on the implementation of learnerships in the Catalytic Converter Canning Industry. The aim of this research is to verify the skills shortages; identify which skills are required by the Catalytic Converter Canning Industry in the Eastern Cape and propose a strategy of addressing these needs by means of learnerships. By studying the Legislation supporting the National Skills Development Plan, conducting a literature study, and interviewing knowledgeable people in the industry, the skills requirements of the industry were identified. Thereafter, a questionnaire was drawn up and completed together with representatives from Eberspächer South Africa, Faurecia Exhaust Systems South Africa, Precision Exhaust Systems and Tenneco Automotive South Africa, the active manufacturers of catalytic converters, for OEM’s worldwide, who are based in the Eastern Cape Region. The empirical study confirmed the findings of the research and skills deficiencies were identified. In conclusion, a strategy is proposed whereby the Catalytic Converter Canning Industry could address the skills shortage by the implementation and development of learnerships.

This research addresses the application of Value Stream Mapping in the automotive component industry. The goal of this research is to investigate how Value Stream Mapping can identify waste, and to evaluate its benefits on a specific application instance. Value Stream Mapping is used to first map the current state and then used to identify sources of waste and to identify lean tools to try eliminate this waste. The future state map is then developed with lean tools applied to it. A South African company, Federal Mogul South Africa (FMSA), has experienced the impact of globalisation and the need to become globally competitive first hand. FMSA will be used as a case study to illustrate the impact of using Value Stream Mapping as a tool for identify waste and the need for improving the performance of a company’s value stream in achieving the international goals set for the company and its supply chain.

Information technology in mature organisations is viewed as an enabler of teams working together in the product development process. Technology is no longer pursued as an end in itself, but for its contribution to cost control, product quality, and most importantly, time to profit. The focus of this research is the analysis of methodologies used to implement the Teamcenter Engineering Product Data Management (PDM) system at Delta Motor Corporation, which manages all of Delta’s CAD data. The main problem of this research is as follows: How can Delta Motor Corporation successfully implement the “Teamcentre Engineering” Product Data Management System? The main problem will be broken down into three distinct parts, namely the developing of a best practice process, analysing Delta’s implementation and making recommendations for improvement. The literature survey provides the basis for developing a best-practice process, which serves as a benchmark against which to evaluate the methodology used by Delta. Interviews were conducted with selected personnel who were involved in the implementation, and Tesch’s model for content analysis used to analyse the responses. The implementation process of Teamcenter Engineering at Delta was conducted in three phases and only the first was completed at the time of writing this research paper. For this reason, analysis revolves around the first phase of implementation, which was limited to the drawing office, while recommendations are made for the implementation of phase two and three, which roll-out this system to the rest of Delta and it’s supplier base.

Today's successful manufacturing organisations require a significant competitive advantage, hence the need to implement and develop a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) strategy. This research paper addresses the impact of TPM on manufacturing performance at the Colt production facility (DCSA). A literature survey was undertaken into the elements and benefits of TPM. Questionaires were also sent to all levels of people at the Colt production facility for their views on TPM and the impact, they believe, it has had on manufacturing performance. In conclusion, this research paper has also led to the development of recommendations to improve TPM activities at the Colt production facility. From the research, it was shown that top management support for TPM activities is needed and that training is an essential factor for TPM's success in improving manufacturing performance.

Over the past couple of decades traditional manufacturing techniques have been replaced by lean production around the world. This change in production methodology brought about the opportunity for numerous companies to reduce costs and customer lead time through the application of this lean philosophy. The worldwide shift from traditional manufacturing to lean manufacturing can be ascribed to the success of Toyota Motor Company. Lean manufacturing refers to a manufacturing improvement process in order to minimize or eliminate waste while maximizing production flow (Tapping, et al., 2002:30). A value stream includes all the operations and processes to transform raw material into finished products or services. Value stream is a management tool used for the planning of a production process involving lean techniques through systematic data capturing and analysis (Tapping 2002 et al., 41). Value stream is a proven process for planning the improvements that will allow companies to develop lean practices. One key to Toyota’s success that GMSA and many other South African companies have not been able to emulate is the transformation of their suppliers to apply the lean philosophy. This lack of supplier transformation is due to various reasons including supplier proximity, supplier relationships, supplier performance levels, and the ordering policies used for supplied parts. Even though many manufacturing organizations realize the importance of practicing lean manufacturing techniques, few organizations apply lean techniques with the required knowledge and tools to transform their organization from traditional manufacturing to lean manufacturing. This research project is based purely on the lean manufacturing principles and philosophies. The aim of the study is to make GMSA’s suppliers aware of the principles and processes of lean manufacturing and to develop a lean implementation strategy to assist organizations with the successful implementation of lean practices. In order to correctly implement and sustain lean manufacturing practices this study will also focus on supplier support and development and the behavior an organization must exhibit to make this transformation a success. The research methodology comprised the following steps: • A literature study was performed by the researcher to get a better understanding of the principles and philosophies of lean manufacturing; • A second literature study was also performed to get a better understanding of the continuous improvement philosophies of lean manufacturing including supplier support & development; and • To accomplish the objectives of this study, interview sessions were conducted with four senior managers of General Motors South Africa. The researcher selected the interviewees from the following departments within General Motors South Africa: Global Purchasing and Supply Chain; Supplier Quality and Development; Vehicle Assembly Operations and Material Supply. The interviewees from General Motors South Africa were identified as qualified data sources for this research project, as their professional opinions and viewpoints could best address the research questions.

Lean manufacturing has become an integral part of the global automotive industry where manufacturers strive to improve quality, reduce costs while providing customers with more variety. Organisations are implementing the Lean Production System (LPS) as a process improvement methodology to deliver their products faster, better quality and at a lower cost (Laureani & Antony, 2012). This is accomplished through the elimination of waste and continuous improvement (Kaizen). Through the effective implementation of lean principles, an organisation can realise cost competitiveness, process improvement and ultimately gain a competitive advantage. Although the theory of lean manufacturing is based on the implementation of tools, techniques and operational methods, many organisations that have implemented Lean have not reaped its full benefit. Thus, the realisation that lean manufacturing must consist of more than the summation of its operational based principles, tools and techniques. It has to be approached as a philosophy, which encompasses the entire organisation (Womack & Jones, 1996). Lean is a way of thinking and not merely the implementation of thoughts (Bhasin & Burcher, 2006). Laureani & Antony (2012) added that the fundamentals behind Lean are continuous improvement, waste elimination and employee empowerment. Lean introduction is more than the redesign of processes; the most important change must be in the knowledge of the employees (Dombrowski, Mielke & Engel, 2012). The literature clearly states that the successful implementation of a lean production system depends on more than the application of lean tools and techniques. Many authors and researchers hint that another critical factor associated with its implementation is the human aspect of the organisation. Hence, this study will examine the human related Key Success Factors (KSF‟s) required for the successful implementation of a lean system.

Organisations are constantly expected to be more competitive while working in an environment in which time and cost are limited, thereby preventing such organisations from taking the time required to be responsive. The supply chain provides a critical linkage between various organisations which should seek collective opportunities to improve performance. It is, therefore, important that organisations 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 supply chain best practice. An optimal supply chain is one that continuously strives to reduce unnecessary cost and eliminate waste, thereby increasing the percentage of time that may be devoted to value-adding activities. Supply chain technology principles were assessed and the application thereof, sought to understand its efficiency and effectiveness. This study was intended to identify supply chain cost dimensions with a focus on the optimal use of supply chain technology. Within the current supply chain context, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was explored to identify opportunities. A supply chain audit tool (SCAT) was developed which had proven to be an effective tool to analyse it’s logistics functions. Implementation of remedial tools through the SCAT could result in a leaner, cost optimal and more value-adding process. The result of conducting individual organisational improvements is expected to result in an overall improvement in the total supply chain. These supply chain cost drivers were rooted in cost, quality, safety and product performance. Recommendations on further improvements were also offered.

Cette thèse cherche à comprendre et développer comment les trajectoires institutionnelles émergent, tant empiriquement que théoriquement. Sur la base d’une étude de cas de l’industrie et la culture automobile, elle identifie les trajectoires de PATH DEPENDENCY, historiquement (chap.1) et théoriquement (chap.2). Dans une approche méthodologique qualitative, les chapitres 4 et 5 identifient les effets des conflits environnementaux dans l’industrie que remettent en cause la justification de sa structure même. L’analyse empirique de différents conflits autour des standards des émissions des voitures, les innovations technologiques comme le moteur électrique montrent que l’automobilité de demain, et le secteur, vont évoluer de manière plus pluraliste et hétérogène qu’avant. Si parmi les deux scenarios de développement une trajectoire institutionnelle stable émerge, elle dépend de si un narratif cohérent peut émerger, qui rend compréhensible et évident les relations entre offre, demande et réglementation pour les acteurs. La conclusion (ch.6) identifie les conditions d’émergence de nouvelles trajectoires institutionnelles : dans les conflits où un narratif alternatif est déjà présent, mais sous-jacent, des nouvelles structures organisationnelles et sémantiques peuvent émerger. / This PhD thesis seeks to understand how institutional paths emerge, theoretically and empirically. Taking the case of the European automobile industry and culture it revisits how path dependency can emerge historically (chapter 1) and theoretical patterns of path production (chapter 2). Based on qualitative research design (chapter 3), the case study identifies possibilities of path rupture through environmental conflicts in automobile history (chapter 4 and 5). It shows that through path ruptures and the emergence of new paths following new environmental requirements, 21st century automobility builds pluralistic and more heterogeneous semantic and organizational structures. Geographic and local conditions such as city planning and infrastructure matter in shaping vehicle use and culture in the future, as well does the distribution of decision making power on different political levels. Chapter 6summarize s and reflects the results of my micro-analytical study as parts of an emerging theory of path creation. If the analyzed trajectories of scenarios for the automobile sector become reality, either electrified automobility or electric multimodality, depends on whether they build a coherent narrative that ‘make sense’ of offer, demand and regulation in the sector. The case study showed that these coherent narratives can emerge when conflicts render visible already existing counter-narratives. These counter-narratives emerge in situations of crisis, such as when new environmental regulation determines technological development and behavioural adaptation in automobility. Once accepted, they create a new path – a new semantic and organizational structure in society.