The feasibility of adopting clothing mass customisation in South Africa

Abstract: Mass Customisation (MC) is increasingly seen as a strategy to survive in the competitive clothing fashion markets. This importance to retail sales necessitates its consideration in the South African context. There is a paucity of literature on adopting MC so exploring the feasibility of MC for South African clothing manufacturers was a step in understanding what is required from manufacturers. Three corporate clothing manufacturers were selected for qualitative interviews to determine whether they currently exhibit identified competencies from literature considered essential to undertake MC. Two manufacturers exhibited key competencies of communication, human capital, flexibility and technology needed for MC success

Expert-Based Evaluation of Digitalization and Mass Customization in the Baltic Non-Life Insurance Online Platforms

The expansion of online distribution platforms illustrates how non-life insurance companies are shifting to digital and customized personal line insurance products. This research extends previous investigations on digital insurance transformations and customization trends in the European and Baltic markets. Expert-based evidence on predominant as-is features in existing non-life insurance online platforms and evaluation on a practical spread of 3 capabilities of the Mass Customization concept are key research outcomes. Results reveal that neither the Mass Customization concept and its capabilities nor combinations with digital and personalization solutions are sufficiently widespread within the Baltic non-life insurance market. Results of the digitalization evaluation indicate that the level in the Baltic non-life insurance sector is between Satisfied and Rather Good and is equal to the level of service provider’s preparation for digital solutions. However, it is behind the actual needs of end-users. Findings show that standardization is a predominant as-is feature in the Baltic non-life insurance online platforms

The strategic importance of supply chain management in small and medium sized enterprises :a case study of the garment industry in Sri Lanka

PhD ThesisThis research concerns SMEs in the Sri Lankan garment manufacturing and export industry and explores success factors in managing their supply chains. The overall aim of the study is to better understand successful supply chain management (SCM) practices which have been implemented by SMEs in the Sri Lankan garment exporting industry and the obstacles faced in their implementation. Eight telephone interviews were followed by 20 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with senior managers in Sri Lanka. Documentary evidence was also collected and analysed. Combined with a literature review on manufacturing operations, the data collection led to the development of three criteria for the selection of cases for the research: 1) maintaining direct contacts with foreign buyers, 2) shorter lead times and 3) high value added of products. Based on these three criteria, a sample of six cases: three firms that exercised 'more successful‘ SCM strategies and three characterised by 'less successful‘ SCM strategies were selected. Data were analysed using NVivo10 software with a combination of theoretically derived codes and indigenous codes as the coding strategy. Successful SCM strategies and constraints on improving SCM performance were identified based on each factor considered: lead time, value added and direct contacts related. While both macro and micro-environmental factors influence SME performance, the micro-environmental ones (in particular the lack of strategic business thinking, a weak resource base, resistance to business risk and low profit marginal niches) were far more salient. Further to this, the lack of a fabric manufacturing base within Sri Lanka is a common barrier for both 'more‘ and 'less successful‘ companies while company-specific successful strategies and constrains also were evident. The absence of direct contact with foreign buyers is critical for 'less successful‘ companies as it has led these companies to work with intermediaries. Critical supply chain decisions have to be channelled via buying offices, which leave these companies at risk. The findings add to a growing body of literature on the role of international buying offices and their impact on the implementation of SCM strategies‘ by exporting SMEs

Multicriteria methodology for decoupling point placement under production postponement strategy

The accelerated growth of global markets and the increased bargaining power of customers, has generated a highly competitive environment with a lot of risks for manufacturing companies. In response, the literature has shown mass customization and, in particular way, the postponement strategy as new paradigms of production that allows offering simultaneously high levels of flexibility and efficiency to consumers. Regarding this issue, the decoupling point location is positioned as the most important decision in the implementation of postponement. Starting from the importance of this topic and from a review of the state of the art, it was detected the need to develop a methodology to locate the decoupling point, by integrating qualitative and quantitative criteria and that additionally allows the participation of panel of experts. Thereby, this thesis shows the development of a new multi-criteria methodology; which consists of 7 steps that allow locating the decoupling point, in a production system, according to the needs of the system and relying on the experience and knowledge of experts. Additionally, in order to validate the performance of the methodology in real cases, two study cases developed in the companies Herragro S.A. and Muebles Marco Gomez, are presentedResumen: El crecimiento acelerado de los mercados globalizados y el aumento del poder de negociación de los clientes, ha generado un ambiente fuertemente competitivo y con gran cantidad de riesgos para las empresas manufactureras. Como respuesta, la literatura ha mostrado a la personalización masiva y, de forma particular a la estrategia de aplazamiento como nuevos paradigmas de la producción que permiten ofrecer a los clientes de forma simultánea altos niveles de flexibilidad y eficiencia. Frente a este tema la ubicación del punto de desacople se posiciona como la decisión más importante en la implementación del aplazamiento. Partiendo de la importancia de este tópico y de una revisión del estado del arte, se detecta la necesidad de desarrollar una metodología que permita ubicar el punto de desacople integrando criterios cualitativos y cuantitativos y que adicionalmente permita la participación de grupos de expertos. De esta forma, la presente tesis muestra el desarrollo de una nueva metodología multicriterio; la cual está conformada por 7 pasos que permiten ubicar el punto de desacople, en un sistema de producción, acorde con las necesidades del sistema y apoyándose de la experiencia y conocimiento de los expertos. Adicionalmente, y con el objetivo de validar el funcionamiento de la metodología en casos reales, se presentan dos casos de estudio desarrollados en las empresas Herragro S.A y Muebles Marco GómezMaestrí