This article reports on an exploration of challenges experienced in the field of procurement within the South African public sector. To institute procurement best practices, a supply chain management system was adopted in South Africa in 2003. The procurement process was granted constitutional status and has been used to address past inequitable policies and practices. It promotes aims which are, arguably, secondary to the primary aim of procurement. For the exploration, a conceptual analytical approach was employed and some of the key guiding pillars of public procurement in South Africa divulged. The challenges restraining effective and efficient implementation of public procurement are also revealed. The article concludes by recommending the development of competency through customised (separate) training materials and programmes, the involvement of stakeholders in the bidding process and the employment of good strategic sourcing practices.
The main objective of this paper is to explore the concept of agile supply chain and to determine the link between agile supply chain and competitive advantage. The 21 st century has led to increase in global competition and customer demands, with higher levels of turbulence and volatility in the market place. Businesses, economics and political environments are increasingly subjected to unexpected shocks and discontinuities. As a result of these uncertainties, organisations today are faced with a number of challenges in the supply chain which include among others the ability to meet up with changes in demand variability, service improvements, lowering inbound costs, improving ontime delivery and shorter customer lead times. In order to survive, companies need to respond to ever-increasing levels of volatility in demand and focus their efforts upon achieving greater agility. Agility has the ability to rapidly respond to changes in market and customer demands as the bearer of competitive advantage. Therefore, companies need to re-design their supply chain to tackle issues of agility in order to stay ahead in a highly competitive global market.
This article investigates key indicators for optimising supply chain performance of light vehicle manufacturers in South Africa. The article is based on a survey conducted among light vehicle manufacturers in South Africa with origins in Asia and Europe. Semi-structured interview questionnaire was used based on purposive sampling technique and the data was analysed using SPSS. The findings revealed that quality, final product delivery reliability and cost were highly rated and the most important indicators for the South African automotive market. Innovation (radical and incremental changes) was the least important among the indicators sampled. The article further revealed that there is a perceived difference on the importance of supply chain indicators between manufacturers of Asian and European origins. Final product delivery reliability and order delivery lead time tended to be more important to European manufacturers compared to Asian manufacturers. The article attests to the fact that competitiveness in cost, quality and product offerings are paramount to automotive manufacturers in todays turbulent environment. It also reveals key competitive criteria used by European and Asian manufacturers based in South Africa. The article contributes to literature on SCM and reveals the way in which vehicle manufacturers in South Africa do business.
Since the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa, public procurement has been used explicitly to pursue socio-economic objectives. Beyond the primary goal of advancing social objectives, public procurement in South Africa is also leveraged towards generating employment, enhancing domestic manufacturing capacity, and supporting the nascent renewable energy industry. This article explores public procurement practices in South Africa, and highlights the trends and developments that have emerged since 2004 based on a theoretical review. The article reveals that the lack of clearly defined strategic goals and various misconceptions about the concept of supply chain management, have led to the need for continuous transformation of procurement practices in the quest for better services to the citizens of the country. Some of the key public procurement trends and developments that have occurred since 2004 are discussed. This article recommends that, for South Africa government to gain the full benefit of procurement processes there is an urgent need for a shared vision among key stakeholders, ethical leadership and the development of sophisticated curricula by academic institutions.
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the development of a supply chain model for the automotive industry that would respond to changing consumer demand. Now more than ever, businesses need to improve the efficiency of their supply chains in order to maintain a competitive advantage. The principles of lean manufacturing and just-intime (JIT) inventory control that were renowned for helping companies like Toyota, Dell and Walmart to rise to the top of their respective industries are no longer adequate. Leading companies are applying new technologies and sophisticated analytics to make their supply chains more responsive to customer demand. This challenge is driven by fierce competition, fluctuating market demand and rising customer requirements that have led to customers becoming more demanding with increased preferences. The article is based on theoretical reviews and suggests guidelines for the implementation of an automotive supply chain model for a demand-driven environment.
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