Browsing by Author "Von Leipzig, Konrad H."

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    A conceptual framework to increase competitiveness in a biltong factory
    (Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2018-11-09) Henning, Mieke; Hagedorn-Hansen, Devon; Von Leipzig, Konrad H.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The global annual biltong market value was estimated at roughly R640 million to R1.1 billion in 2003. By 2015, biltong sales were reported to be more than R2.5 billion. To stay competitive as a biltong manufacturing company in an ever-changing landscape, the company’s success is determined by efficient operations. To achieve efficient operations, the accurate determination of performance measurements is of utmost importance. In world-class manufacturing facilities, one of the primary features of performance measurement is the measurement of cycle time. Although there is an emphasis, especially in Industry 4.0, on real-time data, the biltong factory where this study was conducted is still very much a manual operation. The focus of this study is, therefore, rather on performance measurements in order to achieve efficient operations and competitiveness. The aim of this study is to present different competitive advantage concepts in order to build a production management model. The biltong factory has not yet established cycle times for their production activities. A production management model has the potential to be used by the factory to manage their production processes more efficiently, and ultimately to increase their competitiveness.
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    A framework of key growth factors for small enterprises operating at the base of the pyramid
    (MDPI, 2020-11-10) Van der Merwe, Michael D.; Grobbelaar, Sara S.; Meyer, Isabel A.; Schutte, Cornelius S. L.; Von Leipzig, Konrad H.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Enterprises operating at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) find it difficult to simultaneously achieve economic (profitable growth) and social (poverty alleviation) outcomes. This study builds on a previously published systematic literature review that identified the key growth-promoting factors of the Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating in this space. A Grounded Theory Approach was followed to identify six core focus areas, which form the basis of a practical framework to evaluate SMMEs at the BoP, namely: Business modelling; business strategy; innovation; marketing; strategic alliances; and sustainable development. Expert screening interviews were conducted to evaluate the framework for credibility and confirmability. Thereafter, 57 for-profit South African enterprises were surveyed to empirically explore how SMMEs view and implement these framework components. The outcome of the study is a validated high growth-promoting BoP portfolio framework against which SMME owners can evaluate their enterprises to identify areas of growth and development.