The development of a supply chain operations reference model for the telecommunications industry

Date
1999-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: The goal of this thesis is to develop a model that will describe the Supply Chain within a telecommunications company. The telecommunications industry within South Africa is faced with a number of changes, the most important of which is the introduction of competition into the market. Telkom, South Africa's telecommunications company, has started with a project of rapid expansion of its network in response to these potential entrants. Skills are being sought that will give the company the edge over its competitors. One of these skills is Supply Chain Management. The telecommunications company is traditionally seen as a service organization. Despite this fact, it has been shown that the company does have manufacturing dimensions. These manufacturing dimensions may be improved by considering the skills used within a traditional manufacturing firm, and applying them to the telecommunications company. One way of introducing these skills is by developing a model that will describe the telecommunications company. This has been done within this thesis. It will be shown that the model is capable of describing the company. It is shown that the use of Supply Chain Management skills and the use of the model could give a telecommunications company the edge over its competitors.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is die daarstel van 'n model wat die toevoerketting van 'n telekommunikasie maatskappy beskryf. Die telekommunikasie industrie binne Suid-Afrika is besig om groot veranderinge te ondergaan, veral met die bekendstelling van kompetisie tot die industrie. Hierdie bekendstelling van kompetisie het tot 'n skielike groei in die infrastruktuur gelei, so os Suid-Afrika se telekommunikasie maatskappy, Telkom, voorberei vir hierdie kompetisie. Vaardighede word gesoek wat maatskappye die voorsprong sal gee op hul mededingers. Een so 'n voorsprong is die bestuur van die toevoerketting. Alhoewel die telekommunikasie maatskappy tradisioneel gesien word as 'n diensverskaffer, is daar gevind dat dit ook vervaardigings elemente bevat. Hierdie vervaardigings elemente kan heel moontlik beter bestuur word deur te kyk na die vaardighede van vervaardigings ondemernings, en dan hierdie vaardighede toe te pas op die telekommunikasie maatskappy. Een manier om hierdie vaardighede toe te pas, is deur 'n model te ontwikkel wat die telekommunikasie industrie beskryf. Daar is gewys dat die nuwe model wat ontwikkel is weI die industrie kan beskryf. Die tesis wys verder ook dat die tegnieke verbonde aan die bestuur van die toevoerketting sowel as die gebruik van die model, wel 'n telekommunikasie maatskappy kan onderskei van sy mededingers.
Description
Thesis (M.Ing) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.
Keywords
Business logistics, Telecommunication, Dissertations -- Industrial engineering
Citation