Sustainable value stream mapping at a rolling stock manufacturer
- Authors: Mdingi Sifundile
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Manufacturing processes , Manufacturing industries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58268 , vital:58851
- Description: This research was conducted considering the continued losses in both a rolling stock manufacturing business and the engineering operating division of a state owned company, resulting in sustainable being the highest risk. This study entailed gathering view from management level employees of the engineering operating division's local businesses on sustainability of current high speed Mark Five Variant (MK V) bogie manufacturing processes. The views were validated through a cross-sectional guide case study using a sustainable value stream map, a visualization and analytical measuring tool, to assess sustainability of the MK V bogie assembly process. The assessment was based on a Lean-Six sigma methodology of defining, measuring, analysing, improving, and controlling (DMAIC), to provide a current state process map (PM) and sustainable value stream map ( Sus-VSM) , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic sciences, 2022
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Mdingi Sifundile
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Manufacturing processes , Manufacturing industries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58268 , vital:58851
- Description: This research was conducted considering the continued losses in both a rolling stock manufacturing business and the engineering operating division of a state owned company, resulting in sustainable being the highest risk. This study entailed gathering view from management level employees of the engineering operating division's local businesses on sustainability of current high speed Mark Five Variant (MK V) bogie manufacturing processes. The views were validated through a cross-sectional guide case study using a sustainable value stream map, a visualization and analytical measuring tool, to assess sustainability of the MK V bogie assembly process. The assessment was based on a Lean-Six sigma methodology of defining, measuring, analysing, improving, and controlling (DMAIC), to provide a current state process map (PM) and sustainable value stream map ( Sus-VSM) , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic sciences, 2022
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Optical surface quality and molecular dynamics modelling of ultra-high precision optical silicon machining
- Authors: Abdulkadir, Lukman Niyi
- Date: 2019-04
- Subjects: Lasers -- Industrial applications , Manufacturing processes , Materials science
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/66551 , vital:75600
- Description: Hard and brittle materials, such as silicon, silicon carbide etc., are widely used in aerospace, integrated circuit, and other fields due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. However, these materials display poor machinability owing to hardness, brittleness, non-linearity in machining process and complexities in selecting suitable machining parameters and tool geometry. These leads to low quality lenses due to subsurface damage and surface micro-crack. Additionally, it is experimentally very difficult to observe all nanoscale physical phenomena due to in-process measurement problems, inaccessible contact area of tool and workpiece, and the difficulty of surface analysis. With the use of molecular dynamics (MD) which is a comprehensive nanoscale modelling technique, proper selection of process parameters, tool geometry and online monitoring techniques, production of freeform optics is possible through Ultra-high precision diamond turning (UHPDT). Though, depending on view point, machinability in UHPDT may be in terms of tool wear rate, hardness, chip morphology, surface roughness, and other benchmarks. These situations have called for more insights, which on the long run will help to achieve high precision manufacturing with predictability, repeatability, productivity and high infrared (IR) optical quality. In this thesis, UHPDT of monocrystalline silicon at atomistic scale was conducted to investigate combined effects of edge radius, feed rate, cutting speed, depth of cut, rake and clearance angles hitherto not done so far. Using appropriate potential functions with the MD algorithm, comprehensive analysis of thermal effects, diamond tool wear, phase change, cutting forces and machining stresses (normal, shear, hydrostatic and von Mises) were carried out. Dislocation extraction algorithm (DXA) and radial distribution function (RDF) were used to evaluate dislocation nucleation, variations in bond lengths, microstructural transformation and represents structural changes in histogram form. Selected parameters for optical quality surface roughness were afterwards compared and optimized through response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box Behnken (BBD) and Taguchi L9 methods. The results indicated that, silicon atoms in the chip formation zone undergo high pressure phase transformation (HPPT) at high hydrostatic pressure and temperature Silicon microstructure transformed from four-coordinated diamond cubic structure (Si-I) to unstable six-coordinated body-centered tetragonal structure (β-silicon) which then transformed to amorphous silicon atoms (a-Si) through amorphization. These resulted in plastic deformation and defects in the machining zone causing subsurface damage. Stress analysis indicated that the compressive stress in the machining zone (i.e.amorphous region) suppressed crack formation contributing to continuous plastic flow which is responsible for silicon ductile-mode cutting. Furthermore, formation of silicon carbide which constituted diamond wear was observed to be by sp3 - sp2 diamond carbon atom disorder and tribochemistry. The tribochemistry occurred through both multiphase and solid-state single-phase reaction between diamond tool and silicon workpiece at cutting temperatures above and below 959 K. Both the experimental findings and the simulation results reveal that, at edge radius less than uncut chip thickness, tool wear was more of rake wear than flank wear. Tool wear and kinetic friction reduced as the edge radius approached the uncut chip thickness while forces, stresses and SCE increased. When machining silicon at different ratio, silicon stress state, SCE, SSD, forces (reduced with increase in clearance angle), shear plane, chip velocity and chip ratio increased as edge radius and rake angle increased, while, kinetic friction, chip length and thickness reduced. The crystal lattice of the machined surfaces and subsurface deformed layer depth increased with increase in edge radius, feed and rake angle. Amongst all tested and analysed parameters, feed rate had the highest influence on surface quality while depth of cut showed the least. Acoustic emission was also monitored during machining and its results statistically analysed. The trends of the monitored acoustic emissions showed its capability to adequately represent and predict surface roughness results. Based on the developed simulation model a novel method for quantitative assessment of tool wear was proposed. The proposed model can be used to compare tool wear using graphitization and tribochemistry to decide the path and mode of the diamond tool wear. Finally, based on the experiment results and predictive model, a novel combination and hierarchical arrangement of the considered factors capable of suppressing tool wear and improve attainable machined surface roughness when turning hard-to-machine materials was proposed. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Engineering, 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019-04
- Authors: Abdulkadir, Lukman Niyi
- Date: 2019-04
- Subjects: Lasers -- Industrial applications , Manufacturing processes , Materials science
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/66551 , vital:75600
- Description: Hard and brittle materials, such as silicon, silicon carbide etc., are widely used in aerospace, integrated circuit, and other fields due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. However, these materials display poor machinability owing to hardness, brittleness, non-linearity in machining process and complexities in selecting suitable machining parameters and tool geometry. These leads to low quality lenses due to subsurface damage and surface micro-crack. Additionally, it is experimentally very difficult to observe all nanoscale physical phenomena due to in-process measurement problems, inaccessible contact area of tool and workpiece, and the difficulty of surface analysis. With the use of molecular dynamics (MD) which is a comprehensive nanoscale modelling technique, proper selection of process parameters, tool geometry and online monitoring techniques, production of freeform optics is possible through Ultra-high precision diamond turning (UHPDT). Though, depending on view point, machinability in UHPDT may be in terms of tool wear rate, hardness, chip morphology, surface roughness, and other benchmarks. These situations have called for more insights, which on the long run will help to achieve high precision manufacturing with predictability, repeatability, productivity and high infrared (IR) optical quality. In this thesis, UHPDT of monocrystalline silicon at atomistic scale was conducted to investigate combined effects of edge radius, feed rate, cutting speed, depth of cut, rake and clearance angles hitherto not done so far. Using appropriate potential functions with the MD algorithm, comprehensive analysis of thermal effects, diamond tool wear, phase change, cutting forces and machining stresses (normal, shear, hydrostatic and von Mises) were carried out. Dislocation extraction algorithm (DXA) and radial distribution function (RDF) were used to evaluate dislocation nucleation, variations in bond lengths, microstructural transformation and represents structural changes in histogram form. Selected parameters for optical quality surface roughness were afterwards compared and optimized through response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box Behnken (BBD) and Taguchi L9 methods. The results indicated that, silicon atoms in the chip formation zone undergo high pressure phase transformation (HPPT) at high hydrostatic pressure and temperature Silicon microstructure transformed from four-coordinated diamond cubic structure (Si-I) to unstable six-coordinated body-centered tetragonal structure (β-silicon) which then transformed to amorphous silicon atoms (a-Si) through amorphization. These resulted in plastic deformation and defects in the machining zone causing subsurface damage. Stress analysis indicated that the compressive stress in the machining zone (i.e.amorphous region) suppressed crack formation contributing to continuous plastic flow which is responsible for silicon ductile-mode cutting. Furthermore, formation of silicon carbide which constituted diamond wear was observed to be by sp3 - sp2 diamond carbon atom disorder and tribochemistry. The tribochemistry occurred through both multiphase and solid-state single-phase reaction between diamond tool and silicon workpiece at cutting temperatures above and below 959 K. Both the experimental findings and the simulation results reveal that, at edge radius less than uncut chip thickness, tool wear was more of rake wear than flank wear. Tool wear and kinetic friction reduced as the edge radius approached the uncut chip thickness while forces, stresses and SCE increased. When machining silicon at different ratio, silicon stress state, SCE, SSD, forces (reduced with increase in clearance angle), shear plane, chip velocity and chip ratio increased as edge radius and rake angle increased, while, kinetic friction, chip length and thickness reduced. The crystal lattice of the machined surfaces and subsurface deformed layer depth increased with increase in edge radius, feed and rake angle. Amongst all tested and analysed parameters, feed rate had the highest influence on surface quality while depth of cut showed the least. Acoustic emission was also monitored during machining and its results statistically analysed. The trends of the monitored acoustic emissions showed its capability to adequately represent and predict surface roughness results. Based on the developed simulation model a novel method for quantitative assessment of tool wear was proposed. The proposed model can be used to compare tool wear using graphitization and tribochemistry to decide the path and mode of the diamond tool wear. Finally, based on the experiment results and predictive model, a novel combination and hierarchical arrangement of the considered factors capable of suppressing tool wear and improve attainable machined surface roughness when turning hard-to-machine materials was proposed. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Engineering, 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019-04
Enablers for lean process sustainability within South African manufacturing industries
- Authors: Roth, Benlloyd Koekemoer
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Lean manufacturing , Manufacturing processes , Process control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6591 , vital:21122
- Description: James Womack and his colleagues Daniel Jones and Daniel Roos changed the way western civilization approached manufacturing. In 1990, they published a book called ‘The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production’. It was a concept that had slowly filtered from the east but had not made its mark on the manufacturing sector. The concept of lean, born out of the Japanese Toyota Manufacturing System, was first thought to be impossible to duplicate outside of Japan. Since Womack and company popularised this “new” way of producing goods and delivering services it spread across industries finding popularity in the medical, engineering, accounting and especially the manufacturing industries. Over the last few decades lean practices has been synonymous with efficiency, cost reduction, supply chain optimisation and innovative problem solving (Anvari Norzima, Rosnah, Hojjati and Ismail, 2010; Pieterse et al., 2010; Womack et al., 1990). Lean process implementation has been researched in abundance, as has failed attempts at lean implementation. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess enablers of lean sustainability in organisations where lean processes are already being implemented. The literature study found Organisational Culture, Leadership, Employee Engagement and Trade Unions participation as factors that contributed to successful lean implementations. The author developed a model to test Organisational Culture, Leadership, Employee Engagement and Trade Unions as enablers to sustain lean practices in organisations in South Africa’s manufacturing industries. The results proved that Organisational Culture, Leadership and Employee Engagement were considered enablers for lean sustainability. These three enablers have an interlinked relationship and together help sustainability. Lacking just one factor would surely result in unsustainable lean practices. The study was conducted in the quantitative paradigm, as the hypothesised relationship was statistically tested. The data was collected from a homogenous group via an email sent with a link to the questionnaire. The data was statistically analysed with Statistica software and Microsoft Excel.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Roth, Benlloyd Koekemoer
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Lean manufacturing , Manufacturing processes , Process control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6591 , vital:21122
- Description: James Womack and his colleagues Daniel Jones and Daniel Roos changed the way western civilization approached manufacturing. In 1990, they published a book called ‘The Machine That Changed the World: The Story of Lean Production’. It was a concept that had slowly filtered from the east but had not made its mark on the manufacturing sector. The concept of lean, born out of the Japanese Toyota Manufacturing System, was first thought to be impossible to duplicate outside of Japan. Since Womack and company popularised this “new” way of producing goods and delivering services it spread across industries finding popularity in the medical, engineering, accounting and especially the manufacturing industries. Over the last few decades lean practices has been synonymous with efficiency, cost reduction, supply chain optimisation and innovative problem solving (Anvari Norzima, Rosnah, Hojjati and Ismail, 2010; Pieterse et al., 2010; Womack et al., 1990). Lean process implementation has been researched in abundance, as has failed attempts at lean implementation. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess enablers of lean sustainability in organisations where lean processes are already being implemented. The literature study found Organisational Culture, Leadership, Employee Engagement and Trade Unions participation as factors that contributed to successful lean implementations. The author developed a model to test Organisational Culture, Leadership, Employee Engagement and Trade Unions as enablers to sustain lean practices in organisations in South Africa’s manufacturing industries. The results proved that Organisational Culture, Leadership and Employee Engagement were considered enablers for lean sustainability. These three enablers have an interlinked relationship and together help sustainability. Lacking just one factor would surely result in unsustainable lean practices. The study was conducted in the quantitative paradigm, as the hypothesised relationship was statistically tested. The data was collected from a homogenous group via an email sent with a link to the questionnaire. The data was statistically analysed with Statistica software and Microsoft Excel.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Cost comparison between repackaging bulk oral solid medicines and purchasing manufacturer-prepared patient-ready packs in the public sector in South Africa
- Authors: Abahamye, Aloysius
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Packaging -- Cost control , Business logistics -- Costs , Drugs -- Packaging , Manufacturing processes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: vital:10163 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020596 , Drugs -- Packaging
- Description: In an attempt to have medicines available in patient-ready packs (PRPs) prior to the dispensing process, the provincial medicine depots in South Africa have, for many years, been repackaging bulk medicines into PRPs. Notwithstanding the fact that bulk medicine packages may have been the only packages available from the manufacturers to service the Primary Health Care (PHC) sector, the main aim of this process was to ensure that medicines were available in PRPs for dispensing to patients, thus, minimising the time spent on each prescription by the pharmacist, pharmacist’s assistant or Nurse. Currently, some medicines are being procured in PRPs from the manufacturers, whereas others are still procured in bulk packs which must be repackaged into PRPs. After a thorough literature search, it was established that, up until this point in time, no studies have been performed to compare costs of repackaged medicines from bulk packs with costs of medicines procured from manufacturers in PRPs. There was very scanty literature comparing the use of medicines procured either in PRPs or bulk packs. However, literature on cost comparison between repackaging and purchasing of commercially available manufacturer-prepared PRPs was not identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Abahamye, Aloysius
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Packaging -- Cost control , Business logistics -- Costs , Drugs -- Packaging , Manufacturing processes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: vital:10163 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020596 , Drugs -- Packaging
- Description: In an attempt to have medicines available in patient-ready packs (PRPs) prior to the dispensing process, the provincial medicine depots in South Africa have, for many years, been repackaging bulk medicines into PRPs. Notwithstanding the fact that bulk medicine packages may have been the only packages available from the manufacturers to service the Primary Health Care (PHC) sector, the main aim of this process was to ensure that medicines were available in PRPs for dispensing to patients, thus, minimising the time spent on each prescription by the pharmacist, pharmacist’s assistant or Nurse. Currently, some medicines are being procured in PRPs from the manufacturers, whereas others are still procured in bulk packs which must be repackaged into PRPs. After a thorough literature search, it was established that, up until this point in time, no studies have been performed to compare costs of repackaged medicines from bulk packs with costs of medicines procured from manufacturers in PRPs. There was very scanty literature comparing the use of medicines procured either in PRPs or bulk packs. However, literature on cost comparison between repackaging and purchasing of commercially available manufacturer-prepared PRPs was not identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Integration of an electrical discharge machining module onto a reconfigurable machine tool
- Authors: Roberts, Bryndan
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Machine-tools -- Numerical control , Electric discharges , Manufacturing processes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering (Mechatronics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6182 , vital:21047
- Description: Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-contact manufacturing process in which material is removed from a metal workpiece by high frequency electrical pulses produced between an electrode and the workpiece. EDM machines are usually stand-alone devices, and are quite expensive. The objective of this research was to integrate an EDM machine and an existing reconfigurable CNC machine tool, using a modular approach, to enable conventional milling and EDM to be conducted in a co-ordinated fashion on the same machine tool.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Roberts, Bryndan
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Machine-tools -- Numerical control , Electric discharges , Manufacturing processes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering (Mechatronics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6182 , vital:21047
- Description: Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-contact manufacturing process in which material is removed from a metal workpiece by high frequency electrical pulses produced between an electrode and the workpiece. EDM machines are usually stand-alone devices, and are quite expensive. The objective of this research was to integrate an EDM machine and an existing reconfigurable CNC machine tool, using a modular approach, to enable conventional milling and EDM to be conducted in a co-ordinated fashion on the same machine tool.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A model for assessing the anticipated relative financial impact of implementing the tools of lean manufacturing on a manufacturing concern
- Authors: Francis, Merwin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Production management , Manufacturing processes , Production planning , Industrial efficiency , Total productive maintenance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8972 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1326 , Production management , Manufacturing processes , Production planning , Industrial efficiency , Total productive maintenance
- Description: 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.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Francis, Merwin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Production management , Manufacturing processes , Production planning , Industrial efficiency , Total productive maintenance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8972 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1326 , Production management , Manufacturing processes , Production planning , Industrial efficiency , Total productive maintenance
- Description: 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.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Enhancing the role of the Kaizen suggestion tool in South African lean automotive companies of the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Adedeji, Adeyemi Charles
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Lean manufacturing , Manufacturing processes , Production management -- Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:8644 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008157 , Lean manufacturing , Manufacturing processes , Production management -- Mathematical models
- Description: The Toyota manufacturing system, aptly referred to as Lean manufacturing, has received a reasonable appreciation and awareness over the past decade in South African industry. This production phenomenon constitutes an organizational culture that encourages world-class production success through the liberation of factory resources, while employees are empowered and encouraged to contribute ideas for the improvement of processes and products. However, despite lean awareness and the crucial role of employee participation in the suggestion of ideas in world-class organizations, the performance level of lean manufacturing in South African industry is largely devoid of the Kaizen suggestion tool, particularly in the automotive companies of the Eastern Cape. The aim of this research was to proffer appropriate recommendations, improved awareness, understanding and practice for the improvement of the Kaizen suggestion principle in the automotive companies of the Eastern Cape. The research primarily focused on the ‘management/employees’ paradigm within the organisational context. The methodology employed in the study included a thorough review of the relevant literature and a questionnaire, which was developed and administered to both the management and employees of the thirty automotive components suppliers in Eastern Cape. The target companies constituted the units of analyses and therefore provided the opportunity for a detailed investigation of the links between management and employees as well as a submission of ideas for operational and organisational processes as established in the literature review. Epistemologically, the research is objectivist and paradigmically, positivist. However, some qualitative aspects of the data were relevant to the study and, therefore, were used in a complementary manner. The case approach utilized mixed methods by applying a range of data collection techniques and evidence from multiple sources while the sampling technique was sequential, involving both purposive and stratified random sampling. The study reveals the apparent lack of a systematic mechanism for the practice and administration of the Kaizen suggestion tools in most Eastern Cape automotive companies. This demerit is found to have negatively affected maximum employee participation and involvement in organizational decision making within the Province. The study has established a basic level of awareness and understanding among employees / employers relations that the Kaizen suggestion scheme is a vital tool for delivering strategic objectives in the management of decision making and organizational growth. The study strongly advocates the inclusion of employee suggestion systems as part of the organizational process.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Adedeji, Adeyemi Charles
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Lean manufacturing , Manufacturing processes , Production management -- Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:8644 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008157 , Lean manufacturing , Manufacturing processes , Production management -- Mathematical models
- Description: The Toyota manufacturing system, aptly referred to as Lean manufacturing, has received a reasonable appreciation and awareness over the past decade in South African industry. This production phenomenon constitutes an organizational culture that encourages world-class production success through the liberation of factory resources, while employees are empowered and encouraged to contribute ideas for the improvement of processes and products. However, despite lean awareness and the crucial role of employee participation in the suggestion of ideas in world-class organizations, the performance level of lean manufacturing in South African industry is largely devoid of the Kaizen suggestion tool, particularly in the automotive companies of the Eastern Cape. The aim of this research was to proffer appropriate recommendations, improved awareness, understanding and practice for the improvement of the Kaizen suggestion principle in the automotive companies of the Eastern Cape. The research primarily focused on the ‘management/employees’ paradigm within the organisational context. The methodology employed in the study included a thorough review of the relevant literature and a questionnaire, which was developed and administered to both the management and employees of the thirty automotive components suppliers in Eastern Cape. The target companies constituted the units of analyses and therefore provided the opportunity for a detailed investigation of the links between management and employees as well as a submission of ideas for operational and organisational processes as established in the literature review. Epistemologically, the research is objectivist and paradigmically, positivist. However, some qualitative aspects of the data were relevant to the study and, therefore, were used in a complementary manner. The case approach utilized mixed methods by applying a range of data collection techniques and evidence from multiple sources while the sampling technique was sequential, involving both purposive and stratified random sampling. The study reveals the apparent lack of a systematic mechanism for the practice and administration of the Kaizen suggestion tools in most Eastern Cape automotive companies. This demerit is found to have negatively affected maximum employee participation and involvement in organizational decision making within the Province. The study has established a basic level of awareness and understanding among employees / employers relations that the Kaizen suggestion scheme is a vital tool for delivering strategic objectives in the management of decision making and organizational growth. The study strongly advocates the inclusion of employee suggestion systems as part of the organizational process.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
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