Challenges facing projects due to a lack of resources
- Authors: Bhika, Bervesh D.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Project management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/383375 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/269310 , uj:28609
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: One of the major challenges facing many Engineering companies today is the lack of sufficient resources to staff all projects concurrently. The objective of this study is to understand the challenges on engineering projects due to the lack of resources. The aim is to assess the problem in South Africa and develop a suitable strategy and action, to manage the challenge of limited Engineering resources. This dissertation will be limited to researching the challenges facing Civil Engineering projects due to the lack engineering resources in South Africa. All projects require human resources because they play an important role in any project. These resources may contribute to either a projects success or failure. Therefore having the correct people for the project is extremely important. Projects compete against each other for resources, and this result in Engineers assigned to several projects at the same time. The most common and widely experienced challenge on a project is insufficient team skills. Organisations should consider outsourcing of work versus in-house; leadership’s skills; human management and skills management, to ensure project success when it comes to skilled resources. The main findings of this research study revealed that the highest impact on a projects success is to comply with the planned budget, time frame and performance criteria. This is followed by having competent project team members. Other factors for a projects success included having clearly defined goals, directions, roles and responsibilities. Further improvements from various organisations (viz. Government, Companies and Universities) are also required for a project to succeed.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Bhika, Bervesh D.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Project management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/383375 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/269310 , uj:28609
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: One of the major challenges facing many Engineering companies today is the lack of sufficient resources to staff all projects concurrently. The objective of this study is to understand the challenges on engineering projects due to the lack of resources. The aim is to assess the problem in South Africa and develop a suitable strategy and action, to manage the challenge of limited Engineering resources. This dissertation will be limited to researching the challenges facing Civil Engineering projects due to the lack engineering resources in South Africa. All projects require human resources because they play an important role in any project. These resources may contribute to either a projects success or failure. Therefore having the correct people for the project is extremely important. Projects compete against each other for resources, and this result in Engineers assigned to several projects at the same time. The most common and widely experienced challenge on a project is insufficient team skills. Organisations should consider outsourcing of work versus in-house; leadership’s skills; human management and skills management, to ensure project success when it comes to skilled resources. The main findings of this research study revealed that the highest impact on a projects success is to comply with the planned budget, time frame and performance criteria. This is followed by having competent project team members. Other factors for a projects success included having clearly defined goals, directions, roles and responsibilities. Further improvements from various organisations (viz. Government, Companies and Universities) are also required for a project to succeed.
- Full Text:
Sensitiwiteit van rentabiliteit van ingenieursprojekte
- Authors: Cheney, Peter Vincent
- Date: 2014-04-03
- Subjects: Civil engineering - Estimates , Engineering - Management , Construction industry - Cost control , Building - Estimates
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:4641 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9982
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Capital intensive engineering projects involve the flow of large sums of money over the project life. During the pretender phase of the project, estimates of the forecast cash flow and associate return on investment are made based on certain assumptions which at the time are, at best, only informed guesses. As the project progresses, the uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and the timing of these cash flows and rate of return, diminishes. By recognising the time value of money and the importance of the synthesis of time and cash flow as well as the interdependence of project activities, it is desirable to obtain an estimate of the PROBABLE outcome of the return on investment~ should the bid be accepted. This outcome can only be 'guessed' at by means of a probabilistic analysis of the parameters that go to make up the nett cash flow. This study is an attempt to find a model suitable for use in the construction industry which accurately describes the construction process, and presents an overall analysis of the variation in the rate of return as a result of the probabilistic nature of the original parameters. Various models were investigated. All were found suitable under limited conditions.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Cheney, Peter Vincent
- Date: 2014-04-03
- Subjects: Civil engineering - Estimates , Engineering - Management , Construction industry - Cost control , Building - Estimates
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:4641 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9982
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Capital intensive engineering projects involve the flow of large sums of money over the project life. During the pretender phase of the project, estimates of the forecast cash flow and associate return on investment are made based on certain assumptions which at the time are, at best, only informed guesses. As the project progresses, the uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and the timing of these cash flows and rate of return, diminishes. By recognising the time value of money and the importance of the synthesis of time and cash flow as well as the interdependence of project activities, it is desirable to obtain an estimate of the PROBABLE outcome of the return on investment~ should the bid be accepted. This outcome can only be 'guessed' at by means of a probabilistic analysis of the parameters that go to make up the nett cash flow. This study is an attempt to find a model suitable for use in the construction industry which accurately describes the construction process, and presents an overall analysis of the variation in the rate of return as a result of the probabilistic nature of the original parameters. Various models were investigated. All were found suitable under limited conditions.
- Full Text:
Reliability evaluation of an electric power distribution system : a case study in Gauteng Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Choma, August M.
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Electric power distribution , Electric power systems
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/293822 , uj:31957
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The electrical power is a basic public service. The electrical power reliability is very essential since most of the infrastructures are dependent on it. Unplanned power outages may compromise the services such as transport, communications systems and emergency and the security services. Unplanned power outages are also inconvenient and very costly to both commercial and residential customers. As a result, the research study identify the factors that contribute to poor reliability of distribution networks and from the findings the alternative strategies are proposed and discussed. The study is intended to help electrical utilities such as municipalities to efficiently investigate the distribution network that is affected and apply the scheduled reliability development tactics to achieve the best performance. The literature review was carry out to review the existing body of the knowledge in relation to the root causes of unplanned power outages, overview of distribution reliability performance indices and the solutions that can be used to improve the performance of distribution system. A case study strategy was presented within one of the Gauteng Metropolitan Municipality with three year (2015-2017) historical power outage data of medium voltage feeders. It was found that most of these failures of medium voltage feeders under the case study take place due to equipment failures contributing high (total of 37 fault incidents in three years). Equipment failures presented a high risk, in particular the LV (Low voltage) transformer fault. Overhead line faults contributed to total of 29 fault incidents, 25 faults incidents for underground cable faults, 14 fault incidents for copper/cable theft, 12 fault incidents for electricity theft, 9 fault incidents for vandalism and 7 faults incident for extreme weather events. New factors such as motor vehicle accident, Feld fire and found no fault (unknowns) were discovered from the case study and not covered from the literature review. Metropolitan Municipality currently uses only expected reliability indices of each year to assess the distribution network performance. The research study presented the predictive reliability assessment strategy that can be used by managers and engineers of the municipality for predicting the distribution network problems of medium voltage feeders, which is by using the probability distribution of both SAIFI and SAIDI of each year.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Choma, August M.
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Electric power distribution , Electric power systems
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/293822 , uj:31957
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The electrical power is a basic public service. The electrical power reliability is very essential since most of the infrastructures are dependent on it. Unplanned power outages may compromise the services such as transport, communications systems and emergency and the security services. Unplanned power outages are also inconvenient and very costly to both commercial and residential customers. As a result, the research study identify the factors that contribute to poor reliability of distribution networks and from the findings the alternative strategies are proposed and discussed. The study is intended to help electrical utilities such as municipalities to efficiently investigate the distribution network that is affected and apply the scheduled reliability development tactics to achieve the best performance. The literature review was carry out to review the existing body of the knowledge in relation to the root causes of unplanned power outages, overview of distribution reliability performance indices and the solutions that can be used to improve the performance of distribution system. A case study strategy was presented within one of the Gauteng Metropolitan Municipality with three year (2015-2017) historical power outage data of medium voltage feeders. It was found that most of these failures of medium voltage feeders under the case study take place due to equipment failures contributing high (total of 37 fault incidents in three years). Equipment failures presented a high risk, in particular the LV (Low voltage) transformer fault. Overhead line faults contributed to total of 29 fault incidents, 25 faults incidents for underground cable faults, 14 fault incidents for copper/cable theft, 12 fault incidents for electricity theft, 9 fault incidents for vandalism and 7 faults incident for extreme weather events. New factors such as motor vehicle accident, Feld fire and found no fault (unknowns) were discovered from the case study and not covered from the literature review. Metropolitan Municipality currently uses only expected reliability indices of each year to assess the distribution network performance. The research study presented the predictive reliability assessment strategy that can be used by managers and engineers of the municipality for predicting the distribution network problems of medium voltage feeders, which is by using the probability distribution of both SAIFI and SAIDI of each year.
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The management of a research and development organisation with a view to corporatisation
- Authors: Du Plessis, Pieter
- Date: 2012-08-20
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Organizational change , Privatization
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/382187 , uj:2748 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6188
- Description: M.Phil. , Within the South African context a government of national unity has been elected. Before and after the election, mention was made of the corporatisation and/or the privatisation of state owned assets and parastatals such as Eskom, Telkom and Spoomet. The corporatisation and/or privatisation of these state assets would result in an increase in funds for the government to spend on the Reconstruction and Development Programme, as well as lead to the increase in efficiency of some of these state owned assets. Every day more comment is being made on the possibility of Eskom corporatising. This research proposed to study certain current management philosophies and methodologies being used within Eskom's Technology, Research and Investigations (T-R-I) with a view to corporatisation. This was done by comparing current management practices found in T-R-I, to both literature and prominent engineering companies in South Africa. Topics included the concept of engineering management, marketing, organisational structures, project management and change management. A literature review on strategic planning was also performed and this lay the foundation for personalised interviews with managers in prominent South African engineering companies. The interviews were conducted by means of a structured questionnaire and a statistical analysis, and comparisons of the various methodologies in terms of strategic planning within these engineering companies, were subsequently performed. A visit was also undertaken to Australian utilities which have already been through the corporatisation process. Here, first hand knowledge of the various experiences of corporatisation was obtained. T-R-I is a multi-disciplinary engineering consulting organisation which undertakes investigations, studies, applied research and testing for Eskom and other companies. It employs 308 technical people in modem laboratories. T-R-I operates in an engineering environment and following from the literature search, it is believed that T-R-I should apply the principles of engineering management. A comprehensive overview of marketing and all the aspects associated therewith was performed. It is recommended that T-R-I develop a marketing intelligence system and one comprehensive marketing plan. T-R-I also needs to develop a decision support system that will assist in making better analyses and decisions as far as product development and entry into the market is concerned. Competitors also need to be studied in more detail. Three organisational designs were investigated, i.e. the functional organisation, the product organisation and the matrix organisation. Since all of T-R-I's work is based on projects, it is recommended that T-R-I follow a matrix type structure for the effective execution of its projects. Six key activities for successful change implementation were highlighted in this study. Strategic planning was analysed by means of what literature promotes as an effective business plan. The purpose of the vision, mission, philosophy, environmental analysis and goals was discussed and comparisons were made between the literature studies and T-R-I's business plan. A structured questionnaire was developed in order to facilitate interviews with managers of five prominent South African engineering companies. A detailed statistical analysis of the resultant discussions is presented in the thesis. The questionnaire extracted information on organisational nature, organisational principles of operation, people development, management aspects and strategic planning. By comparing T-R-I's current methodology and detailed contents of the business plan to these five engineering companies, it was found that T-R-I acknowledged and responded to all of the main issues and methodologies. The Australian electricity industry has already been corporatised. A visit to five utilities in Australia was undertaken to discuss how corporatisation has affected them. What was very clear in the discussions, was that T-R-I will not survive as an "Eskom only" service provider but that it needs to expand its market. T-R-I cannot take it for granted that it has a captive market in Eskom. All of the Australian utilities visited, however, indicated that they believed that corporatisation was well worth it. It is, however, recommended that comparative studies be performed in order to evaluate what companies did to transform from parastatals or military supporting companies to successful companies in the private sector (eg. Denel, Sentech and the Atomic Energy Corporation). In-depth studies focusing on these organisations will add to the identification of those inefficiencies within T-R-I that would enhance its capabilities, should they be positively addressed, in order to sustain itself in the future and be a successfully corporatised entity.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Du Plessis, Pieter
- Date: 2012-08-20
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Organizational change , Privatization
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/382187 , uj:2748 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6188
- Description: M.Phil. , Within the South African context a government of national unity has been elected. Before and after the election, mention was made of the corporatisation and/or the privatisation of state owned assets and parastatals such as Eskom, Telkom and Spoomet. The corporatisation and/or privatisation of these state assets would result in an increase in funds for the government to spend on the Reconstruction and Development Programme, as well as lead to the increase in efficiency of some of these state owned assets. Every day more comment is being made on the possibility of Eskom corporatising. This research proposed to study certain current management philosophies and methodologies being used within Eskom's Technology, Research and Investigations (T-R-I) with a view to corporatisation. This was done by comparing current management practices found in T-R-I, to both literature and prominent engineering companies in South Africa. Topics included the concept of engineering management, marketing, organisational structures, project management and change management. A literature review on strategic planning was also performed and this lay the foundation for personalised interviews with managers in prominent South African engineering companies. The interviews were conducted by means of a structured questionnaire and a statistical analysis, and comparisons of the various methodologies in terms of strategic planning within these engineering companies, were subsequently performed. A visit was also undertaken to Australian utilities which have already been through the corporatisation process. Here, first hand knowledge of the various experiences of corporatisation was obtained. T-R-I is a multi-disciplinary engineering consulting organisation which undertakes investigations, studies, applied research and testing for Eskom and other companies. It employs 308 technical people in modem laboratories. T-R-I operates in an engineering environment and following from the literature search, it is believed that T-R-I should apply the principles of engineering management. A comprehensive overview of marketing and all the aspects associated therewith was performed. It is recommended that T-R-I develop a marketing intelligence system and one comprehensive marketing plan. T-R-I also needs to develop a decision support system that will assist in making better analyses and decisions as far as product development and entry into the market is concerned. Competitors also need to be studied in more detail. Three organisational designs were investigated, i.e. the functional organisation, the product organisation and the matrix organisation. Since all of T-R-I's work is based on projects, it is recommended that T-R-I follow a matrix type structure for the effective execution of its projects. Six key activities for successful change implementation were highlighted in this study. Strategic planning was analysed by means of what literature promotes as an effective business plan. The purpose of the vision, mission, philosophy, environmental analysis and goals was discussed and comparisons were made between the literature studies and T-R-I's business plan. A structured questionnaire was developed in order to facilitate interviews with managers of five prominent South African engineering companies. A detailed statistical analysis of the resultant discussions is presented in the thesis. The questionnaire extracted information on organisational nature, organisational principles of operation, people development, management aspects and strategic planning. By comparing T-R-I's current methodology and detailed contents of the business plan to these five engineering companies, it was found that T-R-I acknowledged and responded to all of the main issues and methodologies. The Australian electricity industry has already been corporatised. A visit to five utilities in Australia was undertaken to discuss how corporatisation has affected them. What was very clear in the discussions, was that T-R-I will not survive as an "Eskom only" service provider but that it needs to expand its market. T-R-I cannot take it for granted that it has a captive market in Eskom. All of the Australian utilities visited, however, indicated that they believed that corporatisation was well worth it. It is, however, recommended that comparative studies be performed in order to evaluate what companies did to transform from parastatals or military supporting companies to successful companies in the private sector (eg. Denel, Sentech and the Atomic Energy Corporation). In-depth studies focusing on these organisations will add to the identification of those inefficiencies within T-R-I that would enhance its capabilities, should they be positively addressed, in order to sustain itself in the future and be a successfully corporatised entity.
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Harvesting mining engineering graduate’s potential for value added to the organisation
- Authors: Gaula, Mabatho
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Mining engineering , Engineering - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/297324 , uj:32411
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The research was conducted at Sibanye Stillwater, a gold and platinum group metals (PGM) mining company with operations in the Witwatersrand Basin, along the platinum belt and in the United States (US). The research was titled “Harvesting mining engineering graduate’s potential for adding value to the organisation” and aimed at producing a framework for mining engineering graduate utilisation and retention within the organisation. A quantitative study was done by means of a questionnaire with a population of 53 and a sample size of 17 participants. The composition of graduates in terms of their qualifications is as follows: 47% BSc, 35% B Tech, 6% BEng and 12% chose not to specify their qualifications. The composition of their current roles is as follows: 10% miners, 32% production supervisors, 16% other (shadowing production supervisor), 26% chose not to specify their role, 5% other roles, 11% other roles in service departments. The questionnaire was divided into three sections namely; Technical Knowledge Utilisation, Job Satisfaction and Potential to Add Value. The results generally indicated that when analysed as per individual responses, the result was negative for technical knowledge utilisation. However, in the various groups (per qualification, per role), utilisation was found to be adequate. Job satisfaction was found to be generally dissatisfactory and this being largely attributed to working conditions and company culture, key performance indicators that do not reflect the true performance of the graduates and unattainable targets targets. Potential to add value yielded inconclusive results since equal proportions of the participants responded positively as those who were neutral. Based on the results of the study obtained, the researcher proposed a theoretical framework as a means through which the organisation can harvest the full potential of its mining engineering graduates such that they add value to the organisation. The framework identified 3 components: Talent Management, Competency Development and Retention as foundational pillars which the organisation can use to aid the organisation in harvesting the full potential of its mining engineering graduates to add value to the organisation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Gaula, Mabatho
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Mining engineering , Engineering - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/297324 , uj:32411
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The research was conducted at Sibanye Stillwater, a gold and platinum group metals (PGM) mining company with operations in the Witwatersrand Basin, along the platinum belt and in the United States (US). The research was titled “Harvesting mining engineering graduate’s potential for adding value to the organisation” and aimed at producing a framework for mining engineering graduate utilisation and retention within the organisation. A quantitative study was done by means of a questionnaire with a population of 53 and a sample size of 17 participants. The composition of graduates in terms of their qualifications is as follows: 47% BSc, 35% B Tech, 6% BEng and 12% chose not to specify their qualifications. The composition of their current roles is as follows: 10% miners, 32% production supervisors, 16% other (shadowing production supervisor), 26% chose not to specify their role, 5% other roles, 11% other roles in service departments. The questionnaire was divided into three sections namely; Technical Knowledge Utilisation, Job Satisfaction and Potential to Add Value. The results generally indicated that when analysed as per individual responses, the result was negative for technical knowledge utilisation. However, in the various groups (per qualification, per role), utilisation was found to be adequate. Job satisfaction was found to be generally dissatisfactory and this being largely attributed to working conditions and company culture, key performance indicators that do not reflect the true performance of the graduates and unattainable targets targets. Potential to add value yielded inconclusive results since equal proportions of the participants responded positively as those who were neutral. Based on the results of the study obtained, the researcher proposed a theoretical framework as a means through which the organisation can harvest the full potential of its mining engineering graduates such that they add value to the organisation. The framework identified 3 components: Talent Management, Competency Development and Retention as foundational pillars which the organisation can use to aid the organisation in harvesting the full potential of its mining engineering graduates to add value to the organisation.
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Asset modelling framework for use in computerised physical asset management systems
- Authors: Henry, C.A.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Assets (Accounting) - Management , Engineering - Management , Information technology , Reliability (Engineering)
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/269606 , uj:28642
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The objective of the research is to formulate a simplified physical asset modelling framework that is universal to any industry or any asset type, for use in the chosen Computerised Physical Asset Management System (CPAMS) such that it provides the benefit of improved management of physical assets over its lifecycle. The research highlights that there are numerous CPAMS, whether branded as ERPS, CMMS, EAMS or CFMS as example, however the track record of providing organisational benefit given the significant initial and ongoing investment, is limited. The literature review highlights that the configuration of the CPAMS is one of the contributors to limited benefit, where configuration refers to the structuring and organisation of the CPAMS to do that which the user require. One aspect of the CPAMS configuration is the physical asset modelling framework within which the physical assets are recorded in the CPAMS along with its myriad of data, information and various settings. In addition to that which is entered by the user, the processing of various performances and reporting against the asset modelling framework is equally critical. The development of the physical asset modelling framework involved two independent approaches, firstly deriving a framework from literature review of reliability and logistics engineering theory, and secondly, a framework derived from the research of existing industry asset and asset hierarchy naming conventions, standards or frameworks. The theory-derived framework was validated by the existing industry frameworks with the difference that majority of the existing industry frameworks has an additional organisation level in the hierarchy. A single physical asset modelling framework was derived from the nine existing industry frameworks and since this also validated the theory-derived framework, the industry-derived framework was concluded as the universal simplified physical asset modelling framework. A CPAMS is a necessity for the optimised management of physical assets over its lifecycle to achieve levels of sustained performance required by the organisation’s long-term business strategy and real-time operations. A CPAMS has the potential to realise this optimised management, however, and this is to be emphasised, this potential is only realisable when the CPAMS is configured and maintained by skilled asset management professionals having detailed understanding of what is required for lifecycle asset management, and therefore how the CPAMS must enable this management. This research has developed one such critical requirement which is a universal simplified physical asset modelling framework.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Henry, C.A.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Assets (Accounting) - Management , Engineering - Management , Information technology , Reliability (Engineering)
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/269606 , uj:28642
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The objective of the research is to formulate a simplified physical asset modelling framework that is universal to any industry or any asset type, for use in the chosen Computerised Physical Asset Management System (CPAMS) such that it provides the benefit of improved management of physical assets over its lifecycle. The research highlights that there are numerous CPAMS, whether branded as ERPS, CMMS, EAMS or CFMS as example, however the track record of providing organisational benefit given the significant initial and ongoing investment, is limited. The literature review highlights that the configuration of the CPAMS is one of the contributors to limited benefit, where configuration refers to the structuring and organisation of the CPAMS to do that which the user require. One aspect of the CPAMS configuration is the physical asset modelling framework within which the physical assets are recorded in the CPAMS along with its myriad of data, information and various settings. In addition to that which is entered by the user, the processing of various performances and reporting against the asset modelling framework is equally critical. The development of the physical asset modelling framework involved two independent approaches, firstly deriving a framework from literature review of reliability and logistics engineering theory, and secondly, a framework derived from the research of existing industry asset and asset hierarchy naming conventions, standards or frameworks. The theory-derived framework was validated by the existing industry frameworks with the difference that majority of the existing industry frameworks has an additional organisation level in the hierarchy. A single physical asset modelling framework was derived from the nine existing industry frameworks and since this also validated the theory-derived framework, the industry-derived framework was concluded as the universal simplified physical asset modelling framework. A CPAMS is a necessity for the optimised management of physical assets over its lifecycle to achieve levels of sustained performance required by the organisation’s long-term business strategy and real-time operations. A CPAMS has the potential to realise this optimised management, however, and this is to be emphasised, this potential is only realisable when the CPAMS is configured and maintained by skilled asset management professionals having detailed understanding of what is required for lifecycle asset management, and therefore how the CPAMS must enable this management. This research has developed one such critical requirement which is a universal simplified physical asset modelling framework.
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Determining the potential benefits of the engineering mentoring programs for graduates
- Authors: Ilemobade, Ozofu Olabisi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , College graduates , Mentoring
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393628 , uj:32575
- Description: Abstract: Engineering graduates’ inability to apply theoretical knowledge in actual practice has become a major challenge in getting them integrated into the workplace and the industry. This inability has also affected the prospect of preparing and developing the future generations of engineering professionals. As a result, both the engineering and construction industries in South Africa are faced with the difficulty of sourcing the relevant engineering workforce. Furthermore engineering graduates cannot be successful in the industry without the relevant competency. Mentoring has been established as a tool for personal and professional development. This study explores mentoring benefits and how mentoring can be utilised to build practical skills needed by the engineering graduates for the purpose of integration and establishment in the industry. Existing engineering professionals should endeavour to engage in mentoring in order to bridge the skills gap between them and the engineering graduates by creating opportunities for them to access practical skills. This study used a qualitative research methodology. Interviews were conducted with seven engineering, construction and academic professionals who perceived mentoring as one of the vital tools in getting the graduates competent. Based on the analysis of data collected during a semi-structured interview with the participants, it was evident that participants viewed mentoring as a vital tool in equipping graduates with the relevant skills for the workplace and the industry. The implication of this study is that engineering graduates will acknowledge the significance of mentoring in exposing them to experiential learning, and organisations will be encouraged to support mentoring in generating competent human resources. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ilemobade, Ozofu Olabisi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , College graduates , Mentoring
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393628 , uj:32575
- Description: Abstract: Engineering graduates’ inability to apply theoretical knowledge in actual practice has become a major challenge in getting them integrated into the workplace and the industry. This inability has also affected the prospect of preparing and developing the future generations of engineering professionals. As a result, both the engineering and construction industries in South Africa are faced with the difficulty of sourcing the relevant engineering workforce. Furthermore engineering graduates cannot be successful in the industry without the relevant competency. Mentoring has been established as a tool for personal and professional development. This study explores mentoring benefits and how mentoring can be utilised to build practical skills needed by the engineering graduates for the purpose of integration and establishment in the industry. Existing engineering professionals should endeavour to engage in mentoring in order to bridge the skills gap between them and the engineering graduates by creating opportunities for them to access practical skills. This study used a qualitative research methodology. Interviews were conducted with seven engineering, construction and academic professionals who perceived mentoring as one of the vital tools in getting the graduates competent. Based on the analysis of data collected during a semi-structured interview with the participants, it was evident that participants viewed mentoring as a vital tool in equipping graduates with the relevant skills for the workplace and the industry. The implication of this study is that engineering graduates will acknowledge the significance of mentoring in exposing them to experiential learning, and organisations will be encouraged to support mentoring in generating competent human resources. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
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Managerial aspects for the engineering entrepreneur
- Authors: Khota, Irfaan Abubakr
- Date: 2012-08-13
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Engineering - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9096 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5555
- Description: M.Ing. , This dissertation aims to identify the skills, characteristics and management principles necessary for engineers who are involved in entrepreneurial activity. The dissertation covers the fundamental concepts influencing engineering managers; the marketing skills and processes which serve as a basis for successful entrepreneurship; training and development of entrepreneurial engineers; the engineer's function within the entrepreneurial environment; consulting engineering as a facet of entrepreneurship; business planning and financial controls, and finally a case study to correlate theory and practice and to provide a reference for future study. The primary objectives of the research are: to assess the realm of entrepreneurship; to determine what the engineering management principles required are in order to become a successful entrepreneur; to discuss the engineering process from an entrepreneurial perspective; to assess the engineering population in order to determine the potential for entrepreneurship and to formulate a proposal for successful entrepreneurial engineering. This study aims to serve as a reference for engineers who may decide to enter into an entrepreneurial at some point in their career.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Khota, Irfaan Abubakr
- Date: 2012-08-13
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Engineering - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:9096 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5555
- Description: M.Ing. , This dissertation aims to identify the skills, characteristics and management principles necessary for engineers who are involved in entrepreneurial activity. The dissertation covers the fundamental concepts influencing engineering managers; the marketing skills and processes which serve as a basis for successful entrepreneurship; training and development of entrepreneurial engineers; the engineer's function within the entrepreneurial environment; consulting engineering as a facet of entrepreneurship; business planning and financial controls, and finally a case study to correlate theory and practice and to provide a reference for future study. The primary objectives of the research are: to assess the realm of entrepreneurship; to determine what the engineering management principles required are in order to become a successful entrepreneur; to discuss the engineering process from an entrepreneurial perspective; to assess the engineering population in order to determine the potential for entrepreneurship and to formulate a proposal for successful entrepreneurial engineering. This study aims to serve as a reference for engineers who may decide to enter into an entrepreneurial at some point in their career.
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Leading key performance indicator development requirement for a steel manufacturing organisation
- Authors: Khumalo, Zipho Blessed
- Date: 2015-06-25
- Subjects: Steel industry and trade - Safety measures , Engineering - Management , Performance standards
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13621 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13802
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , The steel industry is considered a very harsh working environment that has been seen to be a major contributor to the occupational health and safety incidents occurring in the manufacturing sector. Due to the nature of the steel making process, the steel industry remains dangerous to employees. Leading key performance indicators of safety are a control mechanism that can be used in contributing to the improvement of safety performance. The aim of the research conducted was to determine if leading key performance indicators of safety are being utilised in organisations in the steel industry, to determine the KPI in use was informative of the root cause of the safety incident and to identify the initial KPI development requirements in a steel manufacturing organisation in South Africa. A literature review centred on leading key performance indicators of safety was conducted to establish the meaning of KPI and their application in other similar industries. A benchmark for the research was established from the literature review. The research was influenced by the methods that were applied by Grabowski, Ayalasomayajula, Wang, Merrick, Mc Cafferty, Meador & Kinney, 2007, that were successfully used in the derivation of leading KPI in the shipping industry. The research done by Toellner, 2001 on leading indicators of safety was also influential in conducting this study. The data was obtained through random sampling in a population of production staff, engineering, personnel, specialists and managerial staff, whose experience in the industry ranged from two years to forty years. The questionnaire was randomly distributed to a population consisting of fourteen supervisors, twelve engineering staff, eighty-six production personnel, twenty-one specialists and six management staff. The respondents’ level of experience in the industry varied from two years to forty years and a combined experience level of one-hundred and thirty-five years. It was found that the key performance indicators of safety that were being utilised have not evolved significantly over the past fifteen years and they do not provide insight to the root cause of the accident. This research provides the strategic requirements needing for developing leading key performance indicators of safety in a steel manufacturing organisation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Khumalo, Zipho Blessed
- Date: 2015-06-25
- Subjects: Steel industry and trade - Safety measures , Engineering - Management , Performance standards
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13621 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13802
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , The steel industry is considered a very harsh working environment that has been seen to be a major contributor to the occupational health and safety incidents occurring in the manufacturing sector. Due to the nature of the steel making process, the steel industry remains dangerous to employees. Leading key performance indicators of safety are a control mechanism that can be used in contributing to the improvement of safety performance. The aim of the research conducted was to determine if leading key performance indicators of safety are being utilised in organisations in the steel industry, to determine the KPI in use was informative of the root cause of the safety incident and to identify the initial KPI development requirements in a steel manufacturing organisation in South Africa. A literature review centred on leading key performance indicators of safety was conducted to establish the meaning of KPI and their application in other similar industries. A benchmark for the research was established from the literature review. The research was influenced by the methods that were applied by Grabowski, Ayalasomayajula, Wang, Merrick, Mc Cafferty, Meador & Kinney, 2007, that were successfully used in the derivation of leading KPI in the shipping industry. The research done by Toellner, 2001 on leading indicators of safety was also influential in conducting this study. The data was obtained through random sampling in a population of production staff, engineering, personnel, specialists and managerial staff, whose experience in the industry ranged from two years to forty years. The questionnaire was randomly distributed to a population consisting of fourteen supervisors, twelve engineering staff, eighty-six production personnel, twenty-one specialists and six management staff. The respondents’ level of experience in the industry varied from two years to forty years and a combined experience level of one-hundred and thirty-five years. It was found that the key performance indicators of safety that were being utilised have not evolved significantly over the past fifteen years and they do not provide insight to the root cause of the accident. This research provides the strategic requirements needing for developing leading key performance indicators of safety in a steel manufacturing organisation.
- Full Text:
Project management in the small engineering business
- Authors: Legg, Tyrone Anthony
- Date: 2012-07-31
- Subjects: Project management , Engineering - Management , Quality control
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5336
- Description: M.Ing. , Many small emerging engineering companies, in especially South Africa, employ only a single engineer (this is mainly due to the shortages of qualified engineering staff). The engineers in many small engineering companies find themselves in the situation where they are responsible for many areas and fields, from design, management and in some cases finances too. This leaves very little time to plan projects with the detailed attention that each and every project requires no matter how small or large. It was the famous and true words of Harvey MacKay, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”, that if any project is undertaken without planning is going to fail on some level. It is undertaken, in this dissertation, to investigate the classical project management process and to ascertain the possibility of simplifying this process so that engineers in small engineering companies have an effective project management process that is economically feasible and will fit into already tight project time lines. A survey was conducted in order to get a good understanding of how project management is viewed in small engineering companies. The results of the survey support the theory that project management in small engineering companies is sadly lacking, and is viewed as an expense rather than a tool. Two case studies were performed; these highlight the value of project management. Initially poor project management leads to successful although late projects; with an improvement of the project breakdown structure and improved project management skills the second case study had some very surprising results. Finally the conclusion highlights that project management has very positive impacts on even the smallest of projects. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts when it comes to project management and what you put in is what you can expect to get out.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Legg, Tyrone Anthony
- Date: 2012-07-31
- Subjects: Project management , Engineering - Management , Quality control
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5336
- Description: M.Ing. , Many small emerging engineering companies, in especially South Africa, employ only a single engineer (this is mainly due to the shortages of qualified engineering staff). The engineers in many small engineering companies find themselves in the situation where they are responsible for many areas and fields, from design, management and in some cases finances too. This leaves very little time to plan projects with the detailed attention that each and every project requires no matter how small or large. It was the famous and true words of Harvey MacKay, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”, that if any project is undertaken without planning is going to fail on some level. It is undertaken, in this dissertation, to investigate the classical project management process and to ascertain the possibility of simplifying this process so that engineers in small engineering companies have an effective project management process that is economically feasible and will fit into already tight project time lines. A survey was conducted in order to get a good understanding of how project management is viewed in small engineering companies. The results of the survey support the theory that project management in small engineering companies is sadly lacking, and is viewed as an expense rather than a tool. Two case studies were performed; these highlight the value of project management. Initially poor project management leads to successful although late projects; with an improvement of the project breakdown structure and improved project management skills the second case study had some very surprising results. Finally the conclusion highlights that project management has very positive impacts on even the smallest of projects. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts when it comes to project management and what you put in is what you can expect to get out.
- Full Text:
The analysis of the application and implementation of public private partnerships (PPP) projects in South Africa
- Authors: Lewis, Claude Pierre
- Date: 2015-06-26
- Subjects: Project Management - South Africa , Public-private sector cooperation - South Africa , Project management - South Africa , Project management - Finance , Engineering - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13633 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13813
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Please refer to full text to view abstract
- Full Text:
- Authors: Lewis, Claude Pierre
- Date: 2015-06-26
- Subjects: Project Management - South Africa , Public-private sector cooperation - South Africa , Project management - South Africa , Project management - Finance , Engineering - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13633 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13813
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Please refer to full text to view abstract
- Full Text:
A methodology for benchmarking in an engineering business environment
- Authors: Lindemann, Werner Philip
- Date: 2014-02-12
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Benchmarking (Management)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3922 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9285
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Most new generation organisations have management models and organisational performance measurement systems in place. All these new kinds of models and systems will not be enough in the race for survival. Organisations needs a clear point of view of where they are going -a vision about tomorrow and what they should do to overcome the gap, from their current situation in order to get there successfully. It is also important for organisations to have a solid foundation to base such a visioning process on. Reengineering, continuous renewal, total quality management, lean production, downsizing - these all have proven vital to survival. But getting better at what we do is just about keeping ourselves in the race - it's not about winning the race. To win, we will have to know what the strategic intent and business priorities of the competition are (where are they going), in order to make sure we get there first. Charles Handy said about the winners of the race, "... it will be those who invent the world, not those who respond to it." Benchmarking is a means to ensure the above, where one basically have to say, "Let's look honestly at ourselves and determine what we do well and what we do badly. And where we do things badly, let's figure out what the world standards are, and then find some way to commit ourselves to reaching those standards." The purpose of this study was therefore to ensure a means for an organisation to get ahead in the race. It is important to note that performance measurement plays an integral role in management and benchmarking, because no process or action can be managed if it can be measured. Organisations are also not solely based on actual detail processes. There are other more strategic as well as "softer" issues of an organisation that will become much more important in the future, than concrete processes. These factors are the visioning processes within an organisation and their impact on change, as well as the creation and mobilisation of certain knowledge for certain purposes. The end-result of the study was therefore a scientific analysis of an engineering business environment, in order to create a means/methodology to do benchmarking, whilst ensuring a balance between the strategic, operational and knowledge aspects.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Lindemann, Werner Philip
- Date: 2014-02-12
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Benchmarking (Management)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3922 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9285
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Most new generation organisations have management models and organisational performance measurement systems in place. All these new kinds of models and systems will not be enough in the race for survival. Organisations needs a clear point of view of where they are going -a vision about tomorrow and what they should do to overcome the gap, from their current situation in order to get there successfully. It is also important for organisations to have a solid foundation to base such a visioning process on. Reengineering, continuous renewal, total quality management, lean production, downsizing - these all have proven vital to survival. But getting better at what we do is just about keeping ourselves in the race - it's not about winning the race. To win, we will have to know what the strategic intent and business priorities of the competition are (where are they going), in order to make sure we get there first. Charles Handy said about the winners of the race, "... it will be those who invent the world, not those who respond to it." Benchmarking is a means to ensure the above, where one basically have to say, "Let's look honestly at ourselves and determine what we do well and what we do badly. And where we do things badly, let's figure out what the world standards are, and then find some way to commit ourselves to reaching those standards." The purpose of this study was therefore to ensure a means for an organisation to get ahead in the race. It is important to note that performance measurement plays an integral role in management and benchmarking, because no process or action can be managed if it can be measured. Organisations are also not solely based on actual detail processes. There are other more strategic as well as "softer" issues of an organisation that will become much more important in the future, than concrete processes. These factors are the visioning processes within an organisation and their impact on change, as well as the creation and mobilisation of certain knowledge for certain purposes. The end-result of the study was therefore a scientific analysis of an engineering business environment, in order to create a means/methodology to do benchmarking, whilst ensuring a balance between the strategic, operational and knowledge aspects.
- Full Text:
The identification of common leadership competencies for engineering managers
- Authors: Magada, Tshilidzi
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Engineering - Technological innovations - Management , Core competencies , Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/297423 , uj:32424
- Description: Abstract: The rate of techno-globalization remains one of the aspects forcing organizations to evaluate their leadership competencies. Organizations now seek leaders who are excellent in the art of leadership and also have the technical acumen to lead the organization in the age of technology. This is even more so in developing countries such as South Africa where technology will play a major role in improving the economic outlook. This global shift has seen the emergence and rise to prominence of degrees such as engineering management and technology management to equip generally technical people with management skills. Engineering management is a discipline that includes the efficient allocation and management of organizational resources to ensure organizational efficiency and competitiveness. It aims to equip engineers with management and leadership skills to act in a leadership role. Engineering managers equipped with adequate leadership competencies assist organizations to greatly increase performance. This study focus area is in the science and art of leadership for engineering managers. In general, the career path of engineers may lead to management activities as a leader of a unit or project. The promotion of an engineer to a management role is primarily driven by their technical performance. This is even truer in the age where technology has become so pervasive and central to organizational competitiveness. However, many engineers struggle to transition to the new role of management due to their penchant need for logical thinking and high dependency on evidence. This study focused on the leadership competencies engineering managers must harness and their importance as perceived by those involved within the engineering related industries. Research has shown that lack of leadership competencies appear to be one common cause of failure when it comes to engineers transitioning into leadership roles. Even though there is a vast literature on the leadership competencies engineers must acquire to be effective leaders, empirical evidence on specific leadership competencies is very limited. This study investigated the 18 specific leadership competencies grouped into three categories; individual (i.e. innate), engineer (i.e... , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
- Authors: Magada, Tshilidzi
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Engineering - Technological innovations - Management , Core competencies , Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/297423 , uj:32424
- Description: Abstract: The rate of techno-globalization remains one of the aspects forcing organizations to evaluate their leadership competencies. Organizations now seek leaders who are excellent in the art of leadership and also have the technical acumen to lead the organization in the age of technology. This is even more so in developing countries such as South Africa where technology will play a major role in improving the economic outlook. This global shift has seen the emergence and rise to prominence of degrees such as engineering management and technology management to equip generally technical people with management skills. Engineering management is a discipline that includes the efficient allocation and management of organizational resources to ensure organizational efficiency and competitiveness. It aims to equip engineers with management and leadership skills to act in a leadership role. Engineering managers equipped with adequate leadership competencies assist organizations to greatly increase performance. This study focus area is in the science and art of leadership for engineering managers. In general, the career path of engineers may lead to management activities as a leader of a unit or project. The promotion of an engineer to a management role is primarily driven by their technical performance. This is even truer in the age where technology has become so pervasive and central to organizational competitiveness. However, many engineers struggle to transition to the new role of management due to their penchant need for logical thinking and high dependency on evidence. This study focused on the leadership competencies engineering managers must harness and their importance as perceived by those involved within the engineering related industries. Research has shown that lack of leadership competencies appear to be one common cause of failure when it comes to engineers transitioning into leadership roles. Even though there is a vast literature on the leadership competencies engineers must acquire to be effective leaders, empirical evidence on specific leadership competencies is very limited. This study investigated the 18 specific leadership competencies grouped into three categories; individual (i.e. innate), engineer (i.e... , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
A comparison of financial evaluation methods used in projects
- Mamogobo, Stephen Mmakgegane
- Authors: Mamogobo, Stephen Mmakgegane
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Project management - Finance , Project management - Decision making , Engineering - Management , Rate of return - Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/242401 , uj:25000
- Description: M.Phil. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mamogobo, Stephen Mmakgegane
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Project management - Finance , Project management - Decision making , Engineering - Management , Rate of return - Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/242401 , uj:25000
- Description: M.Phil. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract
- Full Text:
Maintenance strategy optimization for load haul dumpers operating at an underground mine
- Authors: Manenzhe, M.T.
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Mineral industries - South Africa , College graduates - Employment - South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393759 , uj:32591
- Description: Abstract : The mining sector is one of the biggest economy drivers in South Africa. Most of mining companies are experiencing high operational cost and production pressure. Research suggests that 30% to 60% of total operational cost is accounted for by ore handling mobile machines. The literature reviewed suggest that little is done relating to understanding aspects influencing reliability and maintenance cost of LHD (Load Haul Dumper) fleet in South African hard rock underground mines. This study attempts to determine data centric factors influencing reliability and maintenance cost of LHD fleet in one of South African underground mine. The main objective is to analyze the LHD fleet data relative to best practice to determine categorization. The research study uses multiple data collection methods to answer study research questions and also gain the knowledge of the subject at hand. Data collection focuses on operational values comprising of maintenance and financial values for LHD fleet operating at the expansion project being executed at the South African hard rock underground mine. Data centric identification of improvement to optimize maintenance strategy of LHD fleet is outlined. The study used real case data of LHD fleet utilized at the South African underground hard rock mine. The study outcome suggest that the expansion project LHD fleet is operating with subsystems which are in the middle of the wear out stage. The expansion project maintenance team does not use condition based maintenance strategy, this strategy can be used to predict possible failures and can assist the maintenance department to proactively prevent breakdowns from occurring. There is a correlation between four subsystems forming part of the top twenty percentile subsystems which caused eighty percentile failures and the associated cost. Tyres are found to be the component which accounted for the highest maintenance spend, the researcher suggest that although tyres are managed by the maintenance department, the expenditure thereof does not necessarily mean that poor maintenance is conducted, however, replacement is required due to the expected wear and tear. To achieve the effective development of the underground mine, the expansion project maintenance team must consider the implementation of risk based inspection which assists in planning, selecting cost effective and condition based maintenance execution and techniques. The implementation of LHD fleet refurbishment program must also be given priority, subsystems which forms part of top twenty percentile for both failures and cost must be given priority one. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
- Authors: Manenzhe, M.T.
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Mineral industries - South Africa , College graduates - Employment - South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393759 , uj:32591
- Description: Abstract : The mining sector is one of the biggest economy drivers in South Africa. Most of mining companies are experiencing high operational cost and production pressure. Research suggests that 30% to 60% of total operational cost is accounted for by ore handling mobile machines. The literature reviewed suggest that little is done relating to understanding aspects influencing reliability and maintenance cost of LHD (Load Haul Dumper) fleet in South African hard rock underground mines. This study attempts to determine data centric factors influencing reliability and maintenance cost of LHD fleet in one of South African underground mine. The main objective is to analyze the LHD fleet data relative to best practice to determine categorization. The research study uses multiple data collection methods to answer study research questions and also gain the knowledge of the subject at hand. Data collection focuses on operational values comprising of maintenance and financial values for LHD fleet operating at the expansion project being executed at the South African hard rock underground mine. Data centric identification of improvement to optimize maintenance strategy of LHD fleet is outlined. The study used real case data of LHD fleet utilized at the South African underground hard rock mine. The study outcome suggest that the expansion project LHD fleet is operating with subsystems which are in the middle of the wear out stage. The expansion project maintenance team does not use condition based maintenance strategy, this strategy can be used to predict possible failures and can assist the maintenance department to proactively prevent breakdowns from occurring. There is a correlation between four subsystems forming part of the top twenty percentile subsystems which caused eighty percentile failures and the associated cost. Tyres are found to be the component which accounted for the highest maintenance spend, the researcher suggest that although tyres are managed by the maintenance department, the expenditure thereof does not necessarily mean that poor maintenance is conducted, however, replacement is required due to the expected wear and tear. To achieve the effective development of the underground mine, the expansion project maintenance team must consider the implementation of risk based inspection which assists in planning, selecting cost effective and condition based maintenance execution and techniques. The implementation of LHD fleet refurbishment program must also be given priority, subsystems which forms part of top twenty percentile for both failures and cost must be given priority one. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
Identification of stakeholders in the capital project life cycle for a state owned enterprise
- Authors: Maphanga, Penny
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Industrial management , Project management , Technological innovations - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393703 , uj:32584
- Description: Abstract : The aim of this study was to identify stakeholders in Capital projects and to assess the process of identification of stakeholders in capital projects. The stakeholder identification process was assessed throughout the stages of a project cycle in a State Owned Enterprises (SOE). The research followed a case study approach and it was conducted in a bulk water supplier SOE. The study found that identification of stakeholders is a known phenomenon in the organization however it has not fully matured. This study has also formed a foundation for academics who want to study and advance stakeholder identification within the SOE environment. It has thus recommended that the organization advance their stakeholder identification processes to ensure that project delays due to unhappy stakeholders is minimized. The advantage of proper stakeholder identification is that it will minimize project variations and improve projects completion time as stakeholder identification will be part of the organization project management processes. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
- Authors: Maphanga, Penny
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Industrial management , Project management , Technological innovations - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/393703 , uj:32584
- Description: Abstract : The aim of this study was to identify stakeholders in Capital projects and to assess the process of identification of stakeholders in capital projects. The stakeholder identification process was assessed throughout the stages of a project cycle in a State Owned Enterprises (SOE). The research followed a case study approach and it was conducted in a bulk water supplier SOE. The study found that identification of stakeholders is a known phenomenon in the organization however it has not fully matured. This study has also formed a foundation for academics who want to study and advance stakeholder identification within the SOE environment. It has thus recommended that the organization advance their stakeholder identification processes to ensure that project delays due to unhappy stakeholders is minimized. The advantage of proper stakeholder identification is that it will minimize project variations and improve projects completion time as stakeholder identification will be part of the organization project management processes. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
- Full Text:
The impact of cultural differences on construction project performance
- Authors: Maphosa, Samantha Glenda
- Date: 2015-06-29
- Subjects: Project management - South Africa , Construction industry - South Africa - Management , Diversity in the workplace - South Africa , Organizational effectiveness , Performance - Management , Engineering - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13643 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13827
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Construction project success is the number one goal for every client, stakeholders and for project team members who are involved with construction projects. However, construction projects often exceed the stipulated budget, are completed beyond the scheduled period and are not even to the required quality. Despite its poor record, the construction industry contributes a lot to the country’s economy and as such, it should be ensured that it performs better than it has currently. Besides the technical issues/factors which are a norm for influencing construction project performance, recent studies have shown that other factors relating to people and how they interact in teams may in fact have a significant influence on project performance. Consequently, culture and cultural differences seem to be one of the important issues that need to be dealt with and managed properly if projects are to be successful; given the nature of contracting, where joint ventures and partnerships seem to be prevalent (Kivrak et.al, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of cultural differences on construction project performance. Because culture is seen as a ‘soft’ issue, it makes it hard to be measured empirically (Ankrah, 2007), and therefore requires to be assessed through the perceptions of the individuals who operate within that particular culture (Palmer, Cooper and Burns, 2010). Five dimensions of culture, namely: age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational background and organisational culture background were investigated and chosen to be measured against the three traditional project outcomes, namely: time, cost and quality, while taking into account safety and productivity. A questionnaire was issued to 310 participants drawn from construction projects across South Africa, and 109 responses were received, giving a response rate of 35.16%. The study reviewed that the construction industry’s performance is poor and it can also be attributed to differences in individuals’ cultural background because culture affects one’s mind in terms of behaviour and decision making. Findings from the study showed that a relationship existed between culture and project performance, and that cultural differences had an impact on construction project performance.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Maphosa, Samantha Glenda
- Date: 2015-06-29
- Subjects: Project management - South Africa , Construction industry - South Africa - Management , Diversity in the workplace - South Africa , Organizational effectiveness , Performance - Management , Engineering - Management
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13643 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13827
- Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Construction project success is the number one goal for every client, stakeholders and for project team members who are involved with construction projects. However, construction projects often exceed the stipulated budget, are completed beyond the scheduled period and are not even to the required quality. Despite its poor record, the construction industry contributes a lot to the country’s economy and as such, it should be ensured that it performs better than it has currently. Besides the technical issues/factors which are a norm for influencing construction project performance, recent studies have shown that other factors relating to people and how they interact in teams may in fact have a significant influence on project performance. Consequently, culture and cultural differences seem to be one of the important issues that need to be dealt with and managed properly if projects are to be successful; given the nature of contracting, where joint ventures and partnerships seem to be prevalent (Kivrak et.al, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of cultural differences on construction project performance. Because culture is seen as a ‘soft’ issue, it makes it hard to be measured empirically (Ankrah, 2007), and therefore requires to be assessed through the perceptions of the individuals who operate within that particular culture (Palmer, Cooper and Burns, 2010). Five dimensions of culture, namely: age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational background and organisational culture background were investigated and chosen to be measured against the three traditional project outcomes, namely: time, cost and quality, while taking into account safety and productivity. A questionnaire was issued to 310 participants drawn from construction projects across South Africa, and 109 responses were received, giving a response rate of 35.16%. The study reviewed that the construction industry’s performance is poor and it can also be attributed to differences in individuals’ cultural background because culture affects one’s mind in terms of behaviour and decision making. Findings from the study showed that a relationship existed between culture and project performance, and that cultural differences had an impact on construction project performance.
- Full Text:
A socio-technical view of the requirements engineering process
- Authors: Marnewick, Annlizé
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: Business requirements analysis , Engineering - Management , Business planning , Business analysts
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8751
- Description: D.Ing. (Engineering Management) , The requirements discipline is at the heart of systems engineering, software engineering and business analysis. When a solution needs to be developed, built or bought that will be useful to the users and that will achieve the intended business goals, the problem needs to be understood before a possible solution can be developed. This process of understanding the problem that needs to be solved and what the solution should achieve is referred to as the requirements process. Requirements are the input to the solution development process. If the requirements are incorrect, the developed solution will not be useful. The purpose of this study was to discover the social behaviour of practitioners that causes the communication breakdowns during the requirements engineering process. Requirements emerge from the social interaction and communication between the requirements practitioner and the various stakeholders. The main problems with the requirements engineering process are communication and coordination breakdowns, as well as the lack of domain knowledge or understanding of the problem. These challenges are all related to the social interaction during the requirements engineering process that impacts the quality of requirements. Researchers have made significant progress in the development of methodologies. Tools and techniques are available for improving the quality of requirements. However, in practice, requirements are still produced with errors which then leads to unsuccessful solutions to problems. The requirements engineering process is executed within a social context. These social elements should be taken into consideration to improve quality. Based on the results collected from real-world practice as well as people’s behaviour in the real world, a complete understanding of the influence on the requirements process was derived. This understanding was used to identify the social elements required during the requirements engineering process. A socio-technical view is provided of the social and the technical activities that should be facilitated by the requirements engineering process. This framework integrates the required communicative activities with the traditional requirements activity. This socio-technical framework for the requirements engineering process was developed based on a survey. The aim of this framework is to overcome the social behaviour that causes communication breakdowns and impacts on the quality of the requirements. The research contributes to the existing requirements knowledge base. The socio-technical framework developed for the requirements process concerns the communication breakdowns continuously highlighted as a contributing factor to poor requirements, by providing the social activities required during the requirements process as guidance. Secondly, the knowledge acquired provides adequate data on requirements practice for future research. Specific focus areas for practitioners and managers on how to improve the requirements engineering process without the adoption of any new tools or methodologies are also included in the results. Additionally, practitioners’ behaviour was determined. By determining these interaction and relationship patterns, communication can be improved and made more effective.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Marnewick, Annlizé
- Date: 2013-12-09
- Subjects: Business requirements analysis , Engineering - Management , Business planning , Business analysts
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8751
- Description: D.Ing. (Engineering Management) , The requirements discipline is at the heart of systems engineering, software engineering and business analysis. When a solution needs to be developed, built or bought that will be useful to the users and that will achieve the intended business goals, the problem needs to be understood before a possible solution can be developed. This process of understanding the problem that needs to be solved and what the solution should achieve is referred to as the requirements process. Requirements are the input to the solution development process. If the requirements are incorrect, the developed solution will not be useful. The purpose of this study was to discover the social behaviour of practitioners that causes the communication breakdowns during the requirements engineering process. Requirements emerge from the social interaction and communication between the requirements practitioner and the various stakeholders. The main problems with the requirements engineering process are communication and coordination breakdowns, as well as the lack of domain knowledge or understanding of the problem. These challenges are all related to the social interaction during the requirements engineering process that impacts the quality of requirements. Researchers have made significant progress in the development of methodologies. Tools and techniques are available for improving the quality of requirements. However, in practice, requirements are still produced with errors which then leads to unsuccessful solutions to problems. The requirements engineering process is executed within a social context. These social elements should be taken into consideration to improve quality. Based on the results collected from real-world practice as well as people’s behaviour in the real world, a complete understanding of the influence on the requirements process was derived. This understanding was used to identify the social elements required during the requirements engineering process. A socio-technical view is provided of the social and the technical activities that should be facilitated by the requirements engineering process. This framework integrates the required communicative activities with the traditional requirements activity. This socio-technical framework for the requirements engineering process was developed based on a survey. The aim of this framework is to overcome the social behaviour that causes communication breakdowns and impacts on the quality of the requirements. The research contributes to the existing requirements knowledge base. The socio-technical framework developed for the requirements process concerns the communication breakdowns continuously highlighted as a contributing factor to poor requirements, by providing the social activities required during the requirements process as guidance. Secondly, the knowledge acquired provides adequate data on requirements practice for future research. Specific focus areas for practitioners and managers on how to improve the requirements engineering process without the adoption of any new tools or methodologies are also included in the results. Additionally, practitioners’ behaviour was determined. By determining these interaction and relationship patterns, communication can be improved and made more effective.
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Selection process for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products used as defence equipment
- Authors: Mathopo, Ngako Sonia
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Chemical agents (Munitions) - Selection , Chemical agents (Munitions) - Evaluation , Engineering - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/242421 , uj:25003
- Description: Abstract: The main objective of this research study is to present a well-defined customised framework for the evaluation and selection process of COTS products for use as military defence equipment. In an attempt to reduce the time and cost associated with the research and development of military defence equipment, the department of defence worldwide have shifted to the procurement of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. However, it has been reported that organisations are still facing challenges in the evaluation and selection of the right COTS products amongst a set of competing products. One of the reasons for this is that there is a variety of COTS products on the market and they are not designed to meet the requirements of a particular military organisation but a wide range of users. Therefore, with a variety of COTS products offered by the defence industry that differ in cost and quality, the problem is how the defence acquisition organisation select the right COTS products that meet military requirements and client expectations. This research study investigates the process that should be followed to ensure successful evaluation and selection of the right COTS products amongst many competing products offered by the defence industry. In addition, the research aims to investigate how evaluators do overcomes the challenges associated with the evaluation and selection of COTS products so as to ensure the procurement project success. The acquisition of new chemical warfare agents defence equipment project was used as a case study. It was found that the process followed by the organisation to select COTS products does not include the user requirements phase as it is considered the client’s responsibility. However, the organisation process includes user requirements review to validate the completeness of the user requirement specification submitted by the client. The finding showed that one of the challenge faced by the organisation is user requirements that are not clear, uncomplete and can be misunderstood by the evaluation team. The gap identified was a lack of support to the client during the user requirements phase. In this research a framework for the evaluation and selection of COTS products used as military defence equipment is proposed. The aim is to close the gap identified in this research and to help the organisation improve its selection process for COTS products by supporting the client to define the requirements. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
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- Authors: Mathopo, Ngako Sonia
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Chemical agents (Munitions) - Selection , Chemical agents (Munitions) - Evaluation , Engineering - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/242421 , uj:25003
- Description: Abstract: The main objective of this research study is to present a well-defined customised framework for the evaluation and selection process of COTS products for use as military defence equipment. In an attempt to reduce the time and cost associated with the research and development of military defence equipment, the department of defence worldwide have shifted to the procurement of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. However, it has been reported that organisations are still facing challenges in the evaluation and selection of the right COTS products amongst a set of competing products. One of the reasons for this is that there is a variety of COTS products on the market and they are not designed to meet the requirements of a particular military organisation but a wide range of users. Therefore, with a variety of COTS products offered by the defence industry that differ in cost and quality, the problem is how the defence acquisition organisation select the right COTS products that meet military requirements and client expectations. This research study investigates the process that should be followed to ensure successful evaluation and selection of the right COTS products amongst many competing products offered by the defence industry. In addition, the research aims to investigate how evaluators do overcomes the challenges associated with the evaluation and selection of COTS products so as to ensure the procurement project success. The acquisition of new chemical warfare agents defence equipment project was used as a case study. It was found that the process followed by the organisation to select COTS products does not include the user requirements phase as it is considered the client’s responsibility. However, the organisation process includes user requirements review to validate the completeness of the user requirement specification submitted by the client. The finding showed that one of the challenge faced by the organisation is user requirements that are not clear, uncomplete and can be misunderstood by the evaluation team. The gap identified was a lack of support to the client during the user requirements phase. In this research a framework for the evaluation and selection of COTS products used as military defence equipment is proposed. The aim is to close the gap identified in this research and to help the organisation improve its selection process for COTS products by supporting the client to define the requirements. , M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
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Conflict management in outsourced engineering projects in South Africa
- Authors: Mdontsane, Bulali
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Project management , Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/263100 , uj:27807
- Description: M.Phil. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate conflict management in engineering projects in South Africa. Improved management of project failure is possible if the relationship between conflict management and project success is known. Organizations turn to project management to unlock opportunities and fulfil strategic objectives. This study provides a framework to address and manage conflict in outsourced engineering projects for the benefit of organizations and engineering professionals who are involved in projects. The constructs of Conflict Management and Project Success were delineated and analysed with structural equation modelling in SPSS. The statistical analysis confirmed that effective conflict management positively impacts project success.
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- Authors: Mdontsane, Bulali
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Engineering - Management , Project management , Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/263100 , uj:27807
- Description: M.Phil. (Engineering Management) , Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate conflict management in engineering projects in South Africa. Improved management of project failure is possible if the relationship between conflict management and project success is known. Organizations turn to project management to unlock opportunities and fulfil strategic objectives. This study provides a framework to address and manage conflict in outsourced engineering projects for the benefit of organizations and engineering professionals who are involved in projects. The constructs of Conflict Management and Project Success were delineated and analysed with structural equation modelling in SPSS. The statistical analysis confirmed that effective conflict management positively impacts project success.
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