Browsing by Author "Bam, Wouter"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
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    Circular supply chains and renewable chemical feedstocks : a network configuration analysis framework
    (Taylor and Francis, 2018) Srai, Jagjit Singh; Tsolakis, Naoum; Kumar, Mukesh; Bam, Wouter
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive decision-making process and a framework for exploring the commercial viability of supply chains (SCs) arising from renewable chemical feedstocks (RCFs), towards delivering value-added intermediates or end-products. To that end, we first introduce an inclusive hierarchical decision-making process that applies to all stakeholders involved in the design and management of circular SCs defined by RCF platform technologies. Thereafter, the identified decisions are encapsulated in a framework highlighting that the potential SC configuration alternatives are grounded on four essential theme areas, namely: (i) RCF, (ii) technology, (iii) market and (iv) value and viability. Our analysis highlights the significance of RCFs due to their emerging potential of replacing petrochemicals; however, existing research is evidently limited due to scope and data-related challenges, and the inherent complexity at the market side of the respective supply networks.
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    Comparing the sustainable development potential of industries : a role for sustainability disclosures?
    (MDPI, 2018-03) Du Plessis, Johan; Bam, Wouter; Industrial Engineering
    Governments often seek to facilitate sustainable growth through the targeted support of specific industries that are deemed to have considerable sustainable development potential. However, the selection of appropriate sectors generally relies on resource-intensive assessment processes. With the recent flood of sustainability information into the public domain, there appears to exist an opportunity to use this information to improve the efficiency of the initial stages of evaluating target industries. This work investigated the development of a framework that makes use of public sustainability disclosures to rapidly compare industries in terms of their sustainable development potential. The goal was to evaluate whether such a framework could usefully provide a way to prioritize the execution of more in-depth feasibility studies on industries showing superior sustainable development potential. The developed framework was based on the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and makes use of 18 indicators to compare industries in terms of various triple bottom line considerations. The framework was applied to a case study of the platinum industry in South Africa to establish its usefulness, potential and limitations. The framework facilitated a reasonably holistic, transparent and easily interpretable comparison of industries. However, its consideration of industry fit in the local economy, expected development trends and quantification of indirect economic impacts were found to be areas that could be improved. Some of these concerns might be overcome by the improved availability of public information in the future.
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    Development of a health system framework to guide the analysis of innovation adoption in low and middle income countries
    (South African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2018) Leonard, Elizabeth; De Kock, Imke; Bam, Wouter
    Healthcare systems face numerous challenges that put strain on the system. This is despite the countless resources that are expended on creating innovative healthcare solutions (ranging from innovative healthcare technologies, organisational innovations to pharmaceutical innovations). The literature on innovation and healthcare has shown that the adoption of innovations in practice within the healthcare system is hindered and limited. There is a need to explore and evaluate the role of the innovation system in South Africa insofar as it impacts the adoption of innovations into the national healthcare system. As a starting point, for assessing innovation adoption into health systems, it is necessary to be able to thoroughly describe a health system. In this paper a consolidated health system framework is developed. The purpose of this framework is to be utilised when developing a healthcare innovation adoption framework, i.e. as an input to the healthcare innovation adoption framework. The methodology used to develop the consolidated health systems framework are the eight phases of Jabareen’s conceptual framework. Jabareen’s framework is a qualitative technique for developing conceptual frameworks. The advantages of using this conceptual framework methodology include its capability to be modified, its flexibility and the focus being placed on understanding, rather than on predictions. The results of this research paper are a consolidated health systems framework which was created by considering existing health system frameworks. The consolidated health systems framework thoroughly describes all aspects of a health system by combining elements from six existing health system frameworks. The elements of the existing frameworks were categorised, integrated and synthesised, as per Jabareen’s methodology, to create a complete view of a health system; which includes health processes, building blocks, intermediate objectives and goals. This paper contributes to the field of health systems engineering by providing an extensive list of existing health system frameworks and by providing a framework that combines the major aspects of a health system to thoroughly and completely describe health systems.
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    The development of a healthcare innovation adoption readiness assessment tool (HIARAT)
    (Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2019) Leonard, Elizabeth; De Kock, Imke H.; Bam, Wouter
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A disconnect exists between innovations and the adoption of such innovations, specifically within healthcare facilities. This disconnect results in various healthcare challenges — ones that could be addressed by successfully adopting and integrating an innovation into organisational processes — not being addressed. To address the challenge of innovation adoption within healthcare, it is proposed that a tool be developed to identify areas that should be addressed to improve the chances of the successful adoption and integration of innovations into existing systems in a publichealthcare facility. By assessing a facility’s readiness for innovationadoption, it is possible to identify the barriers to the successful adoption of innovations. Knowing what such challenges or barriers to innovation adoption are will allow role players to address these challenges or barriers. The purpose of this paper is to develop the healthcare innovation adoption readiness assessment tool (HIARAT), which measures the maturity of a healthcare facility’s innovationadoption process. The HIARAT was validated through a face validation workshop, and through a case study at a South African public healthcare facility.
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    Exploring the link between ppm implementation and company success in achieving strategic goals : an empirical framework
    (Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2016) Oosthuizen, Chiara; Grobbelaar, Sara S.; Bam, Wouter
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations are constantly under pressure to innovate and grow by successfully executing their business strategies. The ever-increasing rate of change in technology has implications for product lifecycles, cost pressures, expectations of higher quality, and a larger variety of products and services. These trends result in mounting pressures and a huge increase in complexity, as the drivers of technology must be managed to achieve a competitive advantage. Project portfolio management (PPM) is a solution for unravelling the complexities of multi-projects. In theory, PPM assists an organisation to achieve this competitive advantage through implementing its business strategy, balancing its portfolios, maximising value, and ensuring resource adequacy. There is, however, a lack of empirical evidence on the use and success of PPM approaches in South Africa. This article presents a framework that lays the foundation of an empirical study that will aim to explore the link between PPM implementation and company success in achieving strategic objectives. We base our framework on the factors of good practice in PPM, which include 1) single-project-level characteristics and activities; 2) multi-project- level characteristics and activities; 3) the link between projects and strategy process; and 4) availability and quality of project information.
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    Public-private supply chain integration as a possible means to improve public health supply chains
    (South African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2018) Botes, Jessica; Bam, Wouter; De Kock, Imke
    Struggling health supply chains and poor health outcomes in developing countries, have highlighted the need to improve these supply chains. A number of different methods have been used to improve health supply chains. However, it has been argued that the results are not sufficient and sustainable, neither do they aim to resolve impending challenges. In this paper, we put forward that public-private supply chain integration may be an important tool towards improving public health supply chains. However, further research is required to establish tools that support the determination to improve the supply chains and it. Moreover, research is required to determine whether improvements can be accomplished, as well as what the impact would be on the health supply chains in specific circumstances.
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    Renewable chemical feedstock supply network design : the case of terpenes
    (Elsevier, 2019) Tsolakis, Naoum; Bam, Wouter; Srai, Jagjit Singh; Kumar, Mukesh
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Designing supply networks enabled by renewable chemical feedstocks presents complexities in terms ofundefined markets, multiple intermediate chemical compound options and uncertain chemical con-version pathways. This research addresses this gap by developing a structured approach for designingcompound class defined supply chains (SCs) through involving the analysis of: (i) renewable chemicalfeedstock sources; (ii) alternative technology and processing options; (iii) intermediate or end-usermarkets; and (iv) commercial value and viability. In particular, we apply this approach on the prom-ising case of terpenoid feedstocks. Further, in the specific case of terpenes we analyse renewable feed-stock SC options for the production of‘green’pharmaceuticals demonstrated by a case study onparacetamol. To that end, evidence is obtained through collating the dispersed literature on renewablechemical feedstocks, by semi-structured interviews and through expert panel engagements involvingindustry and academic informants. The studyfindings inform about the systemic mapping and modellingof compound class defined material-processing-supply networks, further providing a basis to identifyfeasible intermediate andfinal product options. The research contributes to the operations managementacademic and practice literature by proposing a structured approach for mapping and designingrenewable chemical feedstock SCs from a source material perspective, in this case renewable terpenoidfeedstocks, in contrast to the traditional end-market applications. From a circular economy perspective,the use of renewable feedstocks in extended SCs demonstrates the utility of the approach by integratingsupply side considerations (i.e. feedstock) with uncertainties of intermediate processing options andcommercialisation routes.
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    The status and challenges of industrial engineering in South Africa
    (SAIIE, 2016-05) Schutte, Cornelius S. L.; Kennon, Denzil; Bam, Wouter
    The industrial engineering discipline in South Africa is examined by introducing the context of the discipline and by revisiting its history. The drivers influencing the context and future of industrial engineering in South Africa are also considered, and the discipline is analysed in terms of the following aspects: university qualifications, employment in industry sectors, race and gender profiles, use and competence in industry, and income profiles. The analysis is based on a recent survey sent to practising industrial engineers, on membership data from the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE), and on two internal SAIIE investigations. The study concludes that the success of transformation, particularly in terms of race, has been limited. The results also indicate that there are an almost equal number of black and white industrial engineers, yet the majority of black industrial engineers have technical qualifications, while the majority of white industrial engineers have academic qualifications. The results indicate that this limits the use of black industrial engineers in industry and, consequently, the success of their careers. This in turn means that there are fewer black role models to attract young black students to the discipline. Some preliminary opportunities to unlock the increased transformation of the profession are identified.
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    Towards a framework to guide the evaluation of inclusive innovation systems
    (Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2016) Botha, Louisa; Grobbelaar, Sara; Bam, Wouter
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation for inclusive development aims not only to produce products and services for ‘base of the pyramid’ (BoP) markets, but also to improve innovative capacity and empower those that form part of the BoP. Although a wide range of actors aim to support innovation for inclusive development, they lack proper methods to assess the impact that these projects have. This paper sets out to identify an appropriate method or approach for evaluating systems change brought about by innovation for inclusive development projects. Based on a systematic literature review, a process-level approach is proposed. This approach is focused on the components within a system and the changes that occur in the system functions.
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    Towards a healthcare performance assessment framework : a review
    (South African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2018) Joubert, Bronwyn; Bam, Wouter
    Improving health is the fundamental goal of all health systems, and with an evident gap between the potential of the public health system and its performance, bettering the services that provide care is critical to achieving this goal. This gap creates a need to identify and understand what drives performance so as to be able to assess how the potential can be reached. Thus, this research investigates the key inputs into a performance assessment framework and develops a core set of performance dimensions that is inclusive of all the factors that affect performance.