An analysis of how supply chain management can help produce sales revenue for fast moving consumer goods firms in Zambia : a case study of Yalelo limited and Java foods.

Thesis of Master of Business Administration (MBA)-General.Th Fast moving consumer good industry is one of the most vital industries in the Zambian economy, this industry is one of the main sources of employment for thousands of Zambians working in manufacturing, distribution, retail, and marketing, among other areas of the supply chain. This industry is fast paced and due to the short shelf life, high demand, and poor profit margins of FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) products, efficient supply chain management is critical in this industry’s survival. This study’s aim was to analyse how supply chain management can help produce sales revenue for FMCG firms in Zambia. The research data was obtained by means of a quantitative paradigm aided by a structured questionnaire that was administered through structured interviews. The questionnaire contained questions regarding, whether Supply chain management contributes to speed to market, overall organization performance and an organization’s competitive advantage. A total of 275 members of the target population participated in the research. The selected respondents were either employees of Yalelo Limited, Java Food or any of their supply chain partners. Prior to administering the questionnaire, it underwent a pilot study to ensure validity and reliability. The research findings revealed that supply chain management contributes to speed to market, and it also creates competitive advantage for the FMCG firms under study. However, the collected data revealed that overall organizational performance does not depend on SCM, but the hypothesis test that was conducted using a Z-test on the collected data indicated that organizational performance does depend on supply chain management. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected. In conclusion, the researcher concluded that supply chain management is vital to the FMCG firm’s quest for revenue generation. Finally, in line with the research questions, the researcher concluded by recommending industry wide awareness on the importance of SCM, employee training, and that policy makers should ensure to take into account the importance of this industry when formulating policies that affects it. Lastly a recommendation to future researchers on the topic was also made

Accelerated Simple Preparation of Curcumin-Loaded Silk Fibroin/Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

The development of new biomaterials from natural fibres in the field of biomedicine have attracted great interest in recent years. One of the most studied fibres has been silk fibroin produced by the Bombyx mori worm, due to its excellent mechanical properties and its biodegradability and bioavailability. Among the different biomaterials that can be prepared from silk fibroin, hydrogels have attracted considerable attention due to their potential use in different fields, such as scaffolding, cell therapy and biomedical application. Hydrogels are essentially a three-dimensional network of flexible polymer chains that absorb considerable amounts of water and can be loaded with drugs and/or cells inside to be used in a wide variety of applications. Here we present a simple sonication process for the preparation of curcumin-hyaluronic acid-silk fibroin hydrogels. Different grades of hydrogels were prepared by controlling the relative amounts of their components. The hydrogels were physically and morphologically characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and their biological activity was tested in terms of cell viability in a fibroblast cell line

Internal structure and linear viscoelastic properties of EVA/asphalt nanocomposites

The effect of the addition of two different organoclays as a third component in polymer modified asphalts has been investigated. Ternary mixtures were prepared by adding clay and poly(ethylene-co-vinylacetate) to the asphalt, either separately, or in the form of a premixed master batch. The performed characterizations allowed the determination of how the two methods of mixing influence the interactions between asphalt and polymer and therefore the final rheological properties. In particular, it was shown that the clay had a compatibilizing effect on asphalt and polymer and that a high compatibility between clay and polymer led to a better dispersion of the polymer in the asphalt, thus influencing the final rheological properties of the studied systems