A mechanism for waste reduction in structural design process in South Africa construction

Published ArticleStructural design process (SDP) consists of three processes of inception; preliminary design and detail design. Each of these processes is laden with wastes that adversely affect project performance. Therefore, this study seeks to identify such wastes so as to develop a mechanism for its effective management. To achieve this, action research study will be conducted in some consulting engineering firms situated in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It is expected that the results will provide the platform for the development of a suitable mechanism for reduction / elimination of wastes in structural design process

Assessment of Cost Management Functions of Quantity Surveyors with Lean Methodology

The Construction industry in Nigeria is made up of a wide variety of activities which include the provision of professional and technical services to clients in the built environment. Despite the provision of these services to a large number of clients worldwide, the construction industry is still awash by the chronic problems of low productivity, insufficient quality, time over-runs, and poor safety, which hinder customer delivered value. The Just-In-Time phenomenon is a characteristic of lean production systems which operate with very little “fat” (e.g. excess inventory extra workers, wasted space).This study aimed at assessing the construction management function of the quantity surveyor in line with the principle of lean methodology (Just-In-Time). This was achieved by exploring the cost management function of the quantity surveyor, to investigate the current practice of cost management by quantity surveying firms. Data for the study were sourced primarily with the use of questionnaire and the subsequent data analysis, which employed the use of descriptive analysis of presenting the data as obtained on tables during the field survey and attempts a rudimentary establishment of patterns using percentages. The study concluded amongst others, that: all activities involved in the cost management function of the quantity surveyor are important, and value adding, corresponding to conversion activities in line with the Just-In-time/lean methodolog

Service Implementation Framework in Manufacturing Firms: A Case Study

The culture and the operational methods of service management have become a formidable competitive weapon even for manufacturing firms. The term "service factory" has been proposed for identifying that particular integration of products and services, achieved by the excellent manufacturing firm, where "service is a multidimensional concept". The creation of a service factory necessarily implies a radical change in the operational and organizational characteristics of the firm. In order to support manufacturing firms in adopting a service strategy, it is relevant on the one hand to identify the bundle of services which have to be provided for the customers and, on the other hand, to understand the implications for firm management model. As regards the first point, the paper proposes a framework which classifies the services along with two dimensions: Timedimension and target-dimension. The proposed framework is of interest for manufacturing firms because it allows a better recognition of services that are more perceptible for the customers. In the second part of the paper, authors discuss the implications of a service strategy adoption on the management model of manufacturing firms. In order to carry out this analysis, authors propose a model that combines four service dimensions with three decision-making categories (Organization, Methodologies and Technologies). In the end, the proposed framework has been applied in a sample of Italian hot water heater manufacturers and a case study analysis has been carried out

How can SMEs benefit from big data? Challenges and a path forward

Big data is big news, and large companies in all sectors are making significant advances in their customer relations, product selection and development and consequent profitability through using this valuable commodity. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have proved themselves to be slow adopters of the new technology of big data analytics and are in danger of being left behind. In Europe, SMEs are a vital part of the economy, and the challenges they encounter need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. This paper identifies barriers to SME uptake of big data analytics and recognises their complex challenge to all stakeholders, including national and international policy makers, IT, business management and data science communities. The paper proposes a big data maturity model for SMEs as a first step towards an SME roadmap to data analytics. It considers the ‘state-of-the-art’ of IT with respect to usability and usefulness for SMEs and discusses how SMEs can overcome the barriers preventing them from adopting existing solutions. The paper then considers management perspectives and the role of maturity models in enhancing and structuring the adoption of data analytics in an organisation. The history of total quality management is reviewed to inform the core aspects of implanting a new paradigm. The paper concludes with recommendations to help SMEs develop their big data capability and enable them to continue as the engines of European industrial and business success. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Lean Implementation Frameworks:The Challenges for SMEs

Implementation of lean manufacturing in any type of organizations can bring many benefits, such as reducing waste and improving operating efficiency. However, lean implementation is not a straightforward process. Although a number of frameworks have been presented, still many companies find it difficult to implement lean. Furthermore, most of these roadmaps are for large manufacturing companies, and not for small and medium enterprises. Unfortunately, there is not a recipe that if used can guarantee a successful implementation. Furthermore, unsuccessful implementation can have a great impact on organization's resources, but even more importantly, affect employees and their confidence in lean philosophy. In the present paper, the most prominent lean implementation frameworks will be discussed, under the prism of the needs of SMEs. The challenges for the SMEs in their lean journey are discussed

Management in engineering consultancies: with special reference to the Carl Bro Group and Peter Deer and Associates: executive summary

In my portfolio I have attempted, through projects and post module work in both a large and a small start up company, to examine consulting engineering firms as businesses. Firstly identifying the key issues then developing a framework of ideas that could be used by others. Because of the lack of literature directly related to the practice of consultipg engineering in construction I have looked outside that industry for references to guide me. In this summary I have attempted to consolidate the information gained. This would be useful as a starting point when assessing an existing businesses or as guidance for start-up firms

Development of a lean principles framework for ERP implementation process

The aim of this research is to develop a novel framework based on lean principles and tools to be exploited in managing ERP implementation processes in order to enhance the overall success rate of the implementation project, which in turn minimises cost and time overruns. The framework consists of three stages built in a logical sequence taking into consideration the requirements of ERP projects implementations and the lean transformation principles. The first stage starts with an assessment model to measure the organisational readiness for implementing ERP system using leanness assessment approach. The second stage of the framework introduces the use of the Obeya lean tool along with a change management model to help visualize and streamlining the process of ERP implementation. In the final stage, a value stream mapping technique is used to identify potential waste occurrence and eliminate non-value adding activities from the process. As a result, a new eight stages ERP implementation process is developed and presented with descriptions on the activities encompassed in each stage. A research methodology consisting of four major phases was employed to attain the targeted objectives of the research; beginning with project initiation and contextual definition followed by data collection and field study. The data acquired from the previous two phases were used to conduct a thorough analysis from which key findings were drawn and used in the creative development of the readiness assessment model and the framework. Finally, elementary aspects of the framework were put to scrutiny through live case studies and professional expert judgement. The author made use of both qualitative and quantitative research measures. A validation for the ERP readiness assessment model is conducted initially on three case studies, and then the whole framework is validated through two other case studies and experts’ judgments. The results and overall feedback reflected a high level of acceptance of the framework structure and approach. The novel framework has the capability to improve the ERP implementation process providing it is utilised fully. It helps organisation to successfully deliver ERP systems on time, on budget, and with the required functionalities with high-level of acceptance from all stakeholders