An application of the supply chain operations reference model for the service supply chain for standardised back office services

Date
2017-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is common practice to apply manufacturing practices to services, with the intention of improving services through the practices of manufacturing. One of the manufacturing practices that has proven to be valuable in recent years is Supply Chain Management. In line with this, we have seen a growing body of research in the area of Service Supply Chain Management. The greatest problem in Service Supply Chain Management, as indicated by the literature, is the ambiguity and complexity of services as opposed to manufacturing - where the concept of physical goods is easily understood. It is in this context, that researchers have found that it is challenging to apply current models for supply chain management to services in their current form. The concept of services is a very broad term and this proves to be a challenge. There is a subset of services that is more suited to have manufacturing practices, like supply chain management, directly applied to it. The main objective of this study is to show that a supply chain reference model can be developed with little adaptation to a model developed within the manufacturing industry. This model would be suitable for services that are highly standardised and repeatable, and exhibit characteristics seen in the manufacturing industry. The approach to the model adaptation is by using semantics, removal of elements (that relate to manufacturing) and limited addition of elements that relate to services. The objective is to create a model that is focused on standardised back-office services. The adapted service SCOR model is then tested for its usefulness. To test the usefulness of the adapted service SCOR model, the model is applied to a case study, which consists of two facilitated walk-throughs of services followed by a questionnaire assessment. The questionnaire was directed at assessing the usefulness of the models, which would only be the case if the constructs of the model were practical to the professionals assessing the model. An adapted service SCOR model could be created for standardised back-office services by applying a structured approach to adapting the existing SCOR model. The adapted service SCOR model was found to be valid by professionals within standardised back-office services. There is a subset of services in which the supply chain management principles are more relevant and can be applied to services with a lesser modification. An approach to the adaptation of the SCOR model is provided. This approach maintains the integrity of the original SCOR model while making the SCOR model suitable to the specific type of services. This approach may be applied by practitioners adapting the SCOR model for their specific application but specifically for service sectors. In the application, the practitioner can then utilise the SCOR model concepts without having to create new concepts for services. Therefore, it is believed to be a unique contribution in classifying services into distinct categories when applying supply chain principles, from manufacturing to service supply chains. It may also be expanded to manufacturing practices in general.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dienste organisasies ondersoek metodes om hul bestuurspraktyke te verbeter en daardeur hulself ’n kompeterende voorsprong te bied bo hul mededingers. Dit is ’n algemene praktyk om vervaardigingsbeginsels toe te pas tot dienste met die doel om hierdie dienste te verbeter soos vervaardiging ook voordeel trek deur verbeterde bestuurspraktyke toe te pas. Die motivering vir die toepassing van beproefde tegnieke uit vervaardiging tot dienste spruit uit die behoefte om dieselfde tekorte aan te spreek, naamlik: die ontwerp en bestuur van die toevoerketting, die bestuur van bates en die onsekerheid rondom die toevoerketting, en die uitdaging om kliente te verskaf met ’n diens wat hul behoeftes aanspreek terwyl dit baseer word met die beste waarde vir geld. Die literatuur wys uit dat toevoerkettings vir dienste gekompliseer word deur die vae en komplekse aard gekoppel aan dienste in teenstelling met die vervaardigingsindustrie wat gebaseer is op ’n fisisie produk wat deur die ketting vloei. Die uitdaging is dat die konsep van dienste ’n baie breë begrip is. Daar is in spesifieke groep dienste wat meer gepas is tot vervaardigingsbeginsels as ander dienste. Die hoof doel van hierdie navorsing is om te wys dat ’n model vir die toevoerketting vir dienste ontwikkel kan word deur klein wysegings toe te pas tot ’n model vir die toevoerketting uit die vervaardigingsindustrie. Die aanpassings word benader deur semantiese veranderings, verwydering van konsepte wat nie van pas is nie (vervaardegings spesifieke termonologie) en deur konsepte uniek aan dienste by te voeg tot die model. Hierdie studie wys dat ‘n aangepaste toevoerketting model ontwikkel kan word deur klein veranderinge (soos semantiese veranderinge) uit te voer op ’n bestaande toevoerketting model. Dit word toegepas op die SCOR model. Dit wys dat ’n toevoerketting model ontwikkel vir die vervaardigingindustrie aangepas kan word vir ‘n sekere groep dienste met minimale aanpassing. Die aangepaste toevoerketting model word dan getoets vir dit nut van die model. Die nut van die model word getoets deur die model toe te pas op twee gevalle wat dienste van ’n gestandardiseerde gesentraliseerde aard verteenwoordig wat gevolg word deur ’n vraelys om die nut cvan die model te toets. Die aangepaste SCOR model vir gestandardiseerde dienste kan dus ontwikkel word deur gestruktureerde stappe te volg om die oorspronklike model aan te pas na ’n model gepas vir gestandardiseerde gesentraliseerde dienste. Die model word relevant geag deur kundiges wat werk met gestandardiseerde gesentraliseerde dienste. Daar is dus ’n groep dienste waar konsepte van toevoerkettings soos ontwikkel vir vervaardiging maklik van toepassing is. Hierdie benadering laat ’n praktisyn toe om die SCOR model aan te pas vir ’n spesifieke nuts toepassing maar laat verder toe dat die volwasse beginsels van SCOR toegepas kan word tot dienste deur gebruik te maak van klein aanpassings tegnieke. Die klasifikasie van dienste gevold deur die toepassing van toevoerkettingmodelle tot hierdie dienste is ’n unieke bydrae.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Supply Chain Management., SCOR, Specifications, UCTD, Manufacturing management
Citation