Kemlall Ramdass

Assessment of the reasons for failure and critical success factors implementing CI projects: Case study results from the South African Apparel and Manufacturing industry

Utilizing case studies the paper investigates the reasons for the failure of Continuous Improvement (CI) projects in the South African Apparel and Manufacturing industries. There is an ever-increasing disquiet about implementation malfunctions in industry and the reason for the failures. During the 20th century, a plethora of quick fix CI methodologies were introduced. Management of organizations implements improvements without understanding the underlying principles of the improvement methodologies they attempted to implement. It occurred due to a lack of effective implementation guidelines that management could utilize. Management expects processes to miraculously transform through implementation of a particular methodology or set of methodologies. Management erroneously believed that CI projects would succeed without their active participation. Notwithstanding the failure of CI projects, a need for improvement of processes still exists in the 21st century. There are various reasons why the improvements methodologies might fail. The authors identified the most common reason for the failure of CI projects in the South African context. As a result the authors endeavored to identify the critical success factors that would assist in a successful implementation of CI projects in South Africa.

A competitive framework for the South African clothing industry

The SA clothing industry has shed over 67 000 jobs in the past three years. There is a possibility that more jobs may be shed in the South African clothing industry over the next few years. The SA clothing industry is facing a great challenge because of the rapidly changing business environment with respect to global competition, market performance, and advancing technology. The study is part of doctoral thesis and has focused on the development of a framework that would assist to reaffirm and re-establish strategies that may improve the current plight of manufacturers and help prevent job losses through innovative thinking (www.dti.org.za). The methodology adopted in the research includes a review of existing literature and documents on the industry from Clofed, Texfed, relevant research reports from the DTI, NEPAD, newspaper articles, journal articles such as the International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology and Operations Management, interviews and discussions with organizational staff and management.

THE IMPACT OF THE ISO 9001 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON THE COSTS OF QUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICAN MANUFACTURING ORGANISATIONS

Many organisations throughout the world are aggressively adopting the ISO 9001 international quality standard. It heightens improved productivity and efficiency at an operational level. However, the astronomical costs of implementation decrease the benefits in cost savings, leaving executives disgruntled. This study seeks to explore the significance and impact of related variables in implementing the international quality system standard ISO 9001 in South African organisations. The study aims to highlight that, although there are cost implications relating to the prevention, appraisal, and failure costs of product quality, organisations become internationally competitive through the effective maintenance of the ISO quality management systems. The investigation was conducted through a qualitative exploratory research methodology involving unstructured interviews using open-ended and closed-ended questions. A total of 50 organisations from different manufacturing sectors were identified to participate in the study through non-probability snowball sampling. Five manufacturing organisations were identified to start off the snowball methodology. Questionnaires were distributed to these organisations to determine what motivated organisations to implement ISO 9000 systems. The study highlighted that the implementation of ISO standards was fundamental to customers’ requirements of all industries, while well-maintained systems can reduce quality costs and improve organisational effectiveness.

Work-Integrated Learning: A South African Challenge in a Dynamic Environment

Changes in the global economy have enabled the requirement for flexibility, adaptability and innovation that have led to new education and training demands in order to remain competitive. The most significant demand is the proposed need for a highly skilled labour force that has the ability to employ new knowledge, technologies, improvement methodologies and ultimately add value to existing goods and services in a socially changing environment. Essentially, these skills and capabilities are developed through a broad general higher education system. The clothing industry is a hands-on industry where rapid change occurred within the past few decades in terms of production, technology and skills application. It has evolved into a multifaceted industry that is not only concerned with the manufacture of clothing but also the systems of production, distribution, diffusion, reception, adoption and consumption which drive the clothing industry. The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of work integrated learning in a socially challenging environment through a case study methodology. The link between theory and practice is vital for the progress of technological improvements in industry. Therefore this study impacts technology management in a colossal way.

Absenteeism - A Major Inhibitor of Productivity in South Africa: A Clothing Industry Perspective

Absenteeism is an aspect of the organisational performance that can go unnoticed and is known to be as high as 15 percent in some companies, especially if late starting and early finishing is included. Absenteeism is a drain on productive work especially in the manufacturing industry and may be described as unorganised conflict where people show their dissatisfaction through absenteeism. Absenteeism is hampering economic growth in the region of R12 billion annually. While companies are working on continuous improvement initiatives that improve efficiency and performance, the severity of the problem of absence is a topic that has been neglected. Even though technology may enable one to work from home, the impact of what should be achieved in the workplace is hindered. To achieve a real competitive edge in industry, innovative managers are realising the crucial importance of making the most of existing resources. The clothing industry, being a labour intensive industry, was used to obtain data in the form of qualitative research, to shed light on the impact of lost productivity through absenteeism. The focus will therefore not only be on the negative issues of absence and how to improve it, but on the more positive (and critical) goal of developing an overall strategy to promote and improve attendance in industry. Absenteeism is directly related to technology management as it causes inefficiency in several ways. However the primary objective is to investigate the causes of absenteeism levels and the means of improving attendance, and the secondary objective will be to identify ways to manage and minimise absenteeism levels in the clothing industry.

Reflection as a means of improvement: A higher education perspective

Institutions of higher learning in South Africa are being plagued with changes on a regular basis. Notwithstanding internal changes, institutions are faced issues of public funding, changing student demographics and profiles and student unemployment. The calibre of students produced in the education system and the agenda for higher education is questionable. Public trust in higher education is decreasing as more graduates are unemployed. In view of these challenges, universities are required to adapt and be open to change in order to meet the demands of stakeholders that “govern” them. In order to reduce the impact of these changes, service quality is considered as a means of improving teaching and learning in the university. Attention to “service quality” can help an organisation to differentiate itself from other organisations and through it gain a lasting competitive advantage. Thus, the support departments at the university were tasked on reevaluating their processes in terms of value-add through reflection. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that best reflective methodology as a means of continuous improvement in education is imperative in order to enhance the student experience and this is achieved through a case study analysis.

Curriculum engineering: A South African case

Constructive alignment of curricula in terms of content, formative and summative assessments are imperative for student success in higher education and career pursuit. The development of curricula in an open distance learning context also considers notional hours and credits through institutional guidelines. All formal qualifications are approved by the Council of Higher Education and registered with South African Qualifications Framework, therefore cognizance is taken of portability of qualifications and learning pathways. Articulation is an important facet of curriculum development with regards to student learning progression from undergraduate to postgraduate studies. Curriculum review and the review cycle considers comparability, response to Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF), national and international benchmarks, professional bodies such as the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA), student and employer feedback and market trends. The institution follows a team approach in curriculum development with consultation from all internal and external stakeholders. In view of the theme of the conference which has a focus on technological innovation a range of resources are provided to create an enabling environment for students to be successful in their studies through open distance learning. Curriculum implementation evaluates the financial viability, alignment to the vision and mission of the institution and market penetration as well as the pedagogy and technology applicable for the qualification. This paper aims to evaluate a curriculum in open distance learning (ODL) in terms of programme offering using a case study methodology.

Comparing a Hybrid Mathematics Course with a Conventional Mathematics Course: A case study at a University of Technology

Abstract This study compares student performance in an undergraduate mathematics education course using aTraditional Learning Model and a Blended Learning Model at the University of Technology. The control andexperimental groups consisted of 150 students in each group. Student examination scores from both groups wereanalyzed quantitatively. A random sample consisting of 40 students, from the Blended Learning Model group, wasclinically interviewed and a qualitative analysis was performed. The Theory of Connectivism informed the methodused to analyze the data. The quantitative analysis indicates that the students performed better using blendedlearning. The qualitative analysis indicated that the students preferred the blended learning in terms of resources, communication and collaboration. The study has implications for both curriculum development and pedagogicalconsiderations for the training of pre-service secondary school mathematic teachers in a 21st century undergraduatecourse at a University of Technology.

Leadership challenges: A higher education perspective

Institutions of higher learning in South Africa have undergone minor as well as major changes in their core business and have applied different modes of transformational strategies to deal with the changing environment. There are problems in terms of public funding, student demographics are changing, and the marketplace is expanding in response to a technological society. Through continuous restructuring, employer-employee relations are affected as loyalty to one employer is no longer possible. Public trust in higher education is decreasing as more graduates are unemployed. In view of these challenges, universities need to adapt and be open to change. There needs to be strong, capable leadership that drives the core function of teaching and learning in this dynamic environment. In view of the diverse demographic profile of the South African workforce, both white and blue collar workers, it is perceived that each individual takes care of their own interests. With diminishing levels of trust among peers, and the escalation of costs, South Africa needs to adapt to these drastic changes to survive the global landscape as international private institutions infiltrate the higher education market. The objectives of the paper is to highlight some of the challenges experienced by staff and to emphasise that managers need professional development in management and leadership qualities in academia in order to improve relationships. It is important to note that without effective leadership, the possibility of improvement in teaching and learning is limited. Secondary literature surveys were conducted to outline the qualities that need to be instilled in a diversified society such as South Africa.

DELIVERY CHALLENGES AT A MECHANICAL TESTING CENTRE FACILITY: A CASE STUDY OF A RAILWAY SYSTEM IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Mechanical Testing Facility, which is a division within TT Pty (Ltd), provides component mechanical testing to other divisions tasked with implementing new components in the railway system. The records over seven years show a steady increase in the number of tests delivered late to clients. In this paper, the background to the facility is provided, which extensively details the processes and relationships between the resources involved in the process. An analysis of the root causes for the late delivery of tests shows that lack of training and ineffective management were among the most significant reasons for late delivery. Recommendations for improvement include more active accountability of all resources, enforcement of standard operating procedures, and technical training for each resource specific to their tasks. Quick wins identified to drive these improvements included the implementation of key performance indicators for each resource, improvement of storage methodologies, and agreement of standard service levels with partners.