Analysis and Management of Bottlenecks in Supply Networks : Towards a Structured Approach to Stabilization of Inbound Material Flow

PhD thesis in Structural Engineering and Material ScienceAny organization whose business model is based on production relies, and is dependent, on providers of raw material which it transforms into products. Customers’ demand for products, and thus the producing firm’s demand for raw material, generally are not static but change with economic cycles, marketing, entries and exits of competitors, and changing consumer behavior, to name but a few factors. A variety of forecast methods support organizations in their effort to be prepared for demand changes, yet uncertainty about the volumes the market will demand cannot be fully eliminated. The design and management of supply networks has therefore increasingly shifted in the focus of attention as they provide levers for organizations to cope with variability. This thesis aims to augment theory and practice in the management of supply networks by providing a different perspective, a new angle, from where to analyze and to steer the buying firm’s inbound material stream. A bottleneck perspective will be developed in the course of the thesis, and it will be complemented by the identification and discussion of distinct bottleneck management activities, each of which comprised by a multitude of individual measures. Some of these measures fulfill very particular roles, and some serve multiple roles at once, so that the context in which to use these measures is important. Moreover, the discussion of supply networks and activities aimed at securing supply provides clarification as to the popular notions of supply chains and Supply Chain Management (SCM). It will be demonstrated how these concepts collide with actual network structures as well as with common practice. A comprehensive review of literature brings together insights from research fields as diverse as manufacturing systems, systems theory, complexity, and network theory. This review provides the backbone for the development of a tentative conceptual model that will guide the processes of data collection and analysis. The insights from the data analysis and how they relate to the existing body of knowledge are used to devise the foundation of a theory of bottleneck management in supply networks

Industrial social work : an exploration and an assessment of the practice of social work in industry in South Africa

Industries in South Africa have been employing social workers in increasing numbers during the last decade, and in several of the bigger industries social work seem to have succeeded in establishing itself over the course of time. Certain forces seem to be operating in both industry and social work which could facilitate the introduction and development of industrial social work as a specialised field of practice in South Africa. Very significant variables in this regard are a rapidly changing labour force, and certain socio-political developments in South Africa, that took place especially during the last decade, and in particular during the past two years. A lack of knowledge about the practice of social work in industry exists in South Africa, mainly as a result of a general lack of empirical research into this field. The main purpose of this research project was to add to the knowledge about the nature of industrial social work practice in South Africa, and to contribute to an understanding of the forces influencing its development. In order to achieve this overall purpose, an extensive review of the existing literature was done with the aim of identifying and describing the present trends and issues in industrial social work thinking. This was combined with an empirical investigation into the practice of social workers presently employed in industry in South Africa. In addition to this, the attitude of industries not employing social workers was established with a view of determining factors influencing the further development of industrial social work. A third component of the empirical investigation consisted of a survey of the attitudes and knowledge of community welfare organisations regarding industrial social work practice. This was done in an effort to establish the amount of support for industrial social work from the rest of the profession. The findings of the empirical investigation indicated an emphasis on the individual employee as far as the practice of industrial social work is concerned - an EAP model thus. Industries not employing social workers still seem to need more education as far as the true nature of social work practice is concerned, and there seem to be a reserved acceptance of industrial social work practice amongst community welfare organisations, as well as a lack of knowledge. In conclusion it can be stated that the social work fraternity in South Africa should take more serious notice of occupational social work practice in South Africa in general, and of industrial social work practice in particular, mainly because of its importance to the worker

Industrial social work : an exploration and an assessment of the practice of social work in industry in South Africa

Industries in South Africa have been employing social workers in increasing numbers during the last decade, and in several of the bigger industries social work seem to have succeeded in establishing itself over the course of time. Certain forces seem to be operating in both industry and social work which could facilitate the introduction and development of industrial social work as a specialised field of practice in South Africa. Very significant variables in this regard are a rapidly changing labour force, and certain socio-political developments in South Africa, that took place especially during the last decade, and in particular during the past two years. A lack of knowledge about the practice of social work in industry exists in South Africa, mainly as a result of a general lack of empirical research into this field. The main purpose of this research project was to add to the knowledge about the nature of industrial social work practice in South Africa, and to contribute to an understanding of the forces influencing its development. In order to achieve this overall purpose, an extensive review of the existing literature was done with the aim of identifying and describing the present trends and issues in industrial social work thinking. This was combined with an empirical investigation into the practice of social workers presently employed in industry in South Africa. In addition to this, the attitude of industries not employing social workers was established with a view of determining factors influencing the further development of industrial social work. A third component of the empirical investigation consisted of a survey of the attitudes and knowledge of community welfare organisations regarding industrial social work practice. This was done in an effort to establish the amount of support for industrial social work from the rest of the profession. The findings of the empirical investigation indicated an emphasis on the individual employee as far as the practice of industrial social work is concerned - an EAP model thus. Industries not employing social workers still seem to need more education as far as the true nature of social work practice is concerned, and there seem to be a reserved acceptance of industrial social work practice amongst community welfare organisations, as well as a lack of knowledge. In conclusion it can be stated that the social work fraternity in South Africa should take more serious notice of occupational social work practice in South Africa in general, and of industrial social work practice in particular, mainly because of its importance to the worker