Lean manufacturing adoption and implementation barriers in Botswana manufacturing companies
- Authors: Mapfaira, Herbert , Mutingi, Michael , Lefatshe, Koketso , Mashaba, Thabo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Lean manufacturing - Botswana , Manufacturing industries - Botswana , Industrial productivity - Botswana
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5098 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13743
- Description: Lean manufacturing, has been identified as one of the most powerful productivity improvement tools. Many accompanies across the world, especially in the developed economies have aggressively implemented lean, resulting in drastic improvements in productivity. Since 2008, Botswana has suffered from a decline in productivity. Though productivity awareness training has been provided to Botswana business, productivity remains very low and on a downward trend. This indicates that there are either barriers stopping companies from adoption of productivity improvement tools or hindering the successful implementation of productivity improvement tools. The main purpose of this study was to investigate lean manufacturing adoption and implementation barriers for Botswana manufacturing industry. The study was carried out through a survey of manufacturing companies in Botswana. Results indicate that most manufacturing companies are unfamiliar with productivity improvement tools or lack the technical know-how of implementing the tools.
- Full Text:
Simulation and analysis of a bank queuing system
- Authors: Mutingi, M. , Mapfaira, Herbert , Moakofi, N. P. K. , Moeng, S. A. , Mbohwa, Charles
- Date: 2015-03-03
- Subjects: Banks and banking - Customer services , Bank queuing systems
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5219 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14505
- Description: Improving service quality in the banking sector is essential for customer satisfaction. Decision makers are especially concerned about the time that customers wait before receiving their service. To stay competitive, decision makers have to continuously improve their service quality, measured in terms of suitable performance indicators. In this study, we focus on modelling and analysis of bank queuing systems. The study comprises three phases: (i) identify suitable performance indicators that influence customer perception with regards to service quality, (ii) simulate the behavioral performance of bank queuing systems, and (ii) evaluate and improve the service quality of the system. An illustrative case study is presented, showing the utility of proposed simulation approach.
- Full Text:
Grouping genetic algorithm for industrial engineering applications
- Authors: Mutingi, Michael , Mapfaira, Herbert , Dube, Partson
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Grouping problems , Grouping genetic algorithms , Genetic algorithms , Metaheuristics , Industrial engineering
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:4734 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11560
- Description: Industry is inundated with grouping problems concerned with formation of groups or clusters of system entities for the purpose of improving the overall system efficiency and effectiveness. Various extant grouping problems include cell formation problem, vehicle routing problem, bin packing problem, truck loading, home healthcare scheduling, and task assignment problem. Given the widespread grouping problems in industry, it is important to develop a tool for solving such problems from a common view point. This paper seeks to identify common grouping problems, identify their common grouping structures, present an outline of group genetic algorithm (GGA), and map the problems to the GGA approach. The practicality of the GGA tool in is highly promising in Industrial Engineering applications.
- Full Text:
An alternative framework for managing engineering change
- Authors: Mutingi, Michael , Mbohwa, Charles , Mapfaira, Herbert
- Date: 2015-03-03
- Subjects: Engineering change management , Engineering change
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5216 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14502
- Description: Effective engineering change management (ECM) procedures are very important over the whole life cycle of every engineering change (EC), from EC proposal to implementation and documentation. However, the success of an EC procedure depends on the amount of focus on the critical areas of the EC project. The purpose of this research to develop an alternative ECM framework based on critical success factors of ECM. The study follows through three steps: (i) identify the common focus areas of ECM, (ii) identify, from past empirical studies, the critical success factors for ECM, and (iii) develop a proposed framework that incorporates the identified critical success factors for ECM. The proposed ECM framework provides practitioners with a change management process that incorporate ECM critical success factors, to guide in implementation of ECM projects.. This is anticipated to increase the chance of success for the ECM projects.
- Full Text:
Developing performance management systems for the green supply chain
- Authors: Mutingi, Michael , Mapfaira, Herbert , Monageng, Robert
- Date: 2015-04-15
- Subjects: Performance measurement , Performance management systems , Supply chain management
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5085 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13656
- Description: As “green” issues continue to become a global concern in the manufacturing supply chain, developing appropriate performance measurement systems for specific supply chains is imperative. Various green supply chain management strategies have been proposed in different contexts. On the other hand, a number of performance management systems (PMS) have been proposed. However, given the variations in the contexts of the available green strategies and the performance measurement approaches, selecting or developing suitable performance measures and the ensuing PMS under a given supply chain context is not trivial. The purpose of this study is to develop a structured taxonomic approach to developing PMS under various green supply chain conditions, contexts, and business objectives. Therefore, we (i) explore extant empirical studies on green supply chain activities and environmental management, (ii) develop a taxonomy of green supply chain strategies, (iii) derive a structured approach to developing green performance management systems, and, (iv) provide a taxonomic performance measurement framework consisting of environmental, economic and social performance metrics. Unlike past studies, the taxonomic framework forms a practical platform to assist decision makers when developing a suitable set of performance measures and the ultimate PMS while considering the particular context of specific green strategies under which the PMS is supposed to operate.
- Full Text: false