Developing a framework for the adaption of lean manufacturing principles for state-owned entities in South Africa

Abstract

Imagine a South Africa where state-owned entities (SOEs) not only drive economic growth but also deliver impeccable services to citizens, all while operating efficiently and sustainably. Unfortunately, this vision is currently marred by governance issues, mismanagement, and waste within SOEs. Although much has been discovered about lean manufacturing as a methodology that promises to reduce waste and improve efficiency, the examination of various lean manufacturing frameworks revealed certain gaps. The first gap is that none of the frameworks proposed in the literature review offers a tailored fit for the adaption of lean principles within the public sector environment. The second gap is a noticeable inclination to a top-down approach among the reviewed lean manufacturing frameworks. This propensity, although appropriate in certain contexts, may face constraints when implemented in the case of SOEs in South Africa. Drawing upon insights from contingency theory, this study revealed both the potential advantages and hurdles associated with the application of lean manufacturing principles to SOEs in South Africa. The researcher examined the systematic interplay of lean principles within the SOE context through the lens of viable systems theory (VST). The study therefore laid out an argument for developing an effective lean framework that is tailored for the reinterpretation of lean principles and concepts according to the unique nature of the public sector. The Schedule 2 SOEs in South Africa constituted the target population of the study. The qualitative sample comprised 10 participants from each entity. The systematic interaction of the lean principles with the context of the SOEs was explored from the perspective of VST and contingency theory, laying out an argument for a framework that demonstrates that it is possible to adapt lean principles to SOEs for value creation and the reduction of waste. A qualitative methodology in the interpretivist paradigm was employed to investigate three Schedule 2 SOEs. Thirty participants were purposively selected for semi-structured online interviews. It was found that value creation by an organisation's leadership requires the participation of both internal and external stakeholders. It is essential to have the backing of important external stakeholders, including government, partners, users, interest groups, and donors, to create value effectively. Through stakeholder consultation, the leadership of an organisation can gain insights into the needs and expectations of the organisation's customers, enabling it to tailor its services and initiatives to meet these needs effectively. The implications of ignoring the reinterpretation of these themes may lead to the use of inappropriate or unhelpful measurements involving the numerical quantification of quality through targets and create impossible expectations in citizens, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. The implementation of lean manufacturing principles should begin with understanding and determining the context within which SOEs operate. The context of an organisation includes factors such as the organisation's structure, culture, strategic goals, and stakeholders, together with legislative and other requirements, which is important when considering the implementation of lean manufacturing principles.

Stel jou ’n Suid-Afrika voor waar staatsentiteite nie net ekonomiese groei aandryf nie maar ook onberispelike dienste aan burgers lewer, terwyl dit doeltreffend en volhoubaar funksioneer. Ongelukkig word hierdie visie tans geskend deur regeringskwessies, wanbestuur en vermorsing in staatsentiteite. Hoewel daar baie ontdek is oor skraal vervaardiging as ’n metodologie met die belofte om vermorsing te verminder en doeltreffendheid te verbeter, het die ondersoek van verskeie skraal ververvaardigingsraamwerke sekere gapings getoon. Die eerste gaping is dat nie een van die raamwerke wat in die literatuuroorsig voorgestel is ’n aangemete passing bied vir die aanname van skraal beginsels in die openbaresektoromgewing nie. Die tweede gaping is ’n merkbare geneigdheid vir ’n afwaartse benadering onder die hersiende skraal vervaardigingsraamwerke. Hierdie geneigdheid, hoewel toepaslik in sekere kontekste, kan beperkings hê wanneer dit in die geval van staatsentiteite in Suid-Afrika geïmplementeer word. Met insigte van die gebeurlikheidsteorie het hierdie studie sowel die potensiële voordele as die struikelblokke getoon wat geassosieer word met die toepassing van skraal vervaardigingsbeginsels op staatsentiteite in Suid-Afrika. Die navorser het die stelselmatige interaksie van skraal beginsels in die staatsentiteitskonteks ondersoek deur die lens van ’n uitvoerbare stelselteorie. Die studie het dus ’n argument uiteengelê vir die ontwikkeling van ’n doeltreffende skraal raamwerk wat gemaak is vir die hervertolking van skraal beginsels en konsepte volgens die unieke aard van die openbare sektor. Die Skedule 2-staatsentiteite in Suid-Afrika het die teikenpopulasie van die studie uitgemaak. Die kwalitatiewe steekproef het bestaan uit tien deelnemers van elke entiteit. Die stelselmatige interaksie van die skraal beginsels met die konteks van die staatsentiteite is verken uit die perspektief van die uitvoerbare stelselteorie en gebeurlikheidsteorie, en lê ’n argument vir ’n raamwerk uiteen wat demonstreer dat dit moontlik is om skraal beginsels aan te neem vir staatsentiteite vir waardeskepping en die vermindering van vermorsing. ’n Kwalitatiewe metodologie in die interpretivistiese paradigma is aangewend om drie Skedule 2-staatsentiteite te ondersoek. Dertig deelnemers is doelbewus gekies vir halfgestruktureerde aanlyn onderhoude. Daar is gevind dat waardeskepping deur ’n organisasie se leierskap die deelname van beide interne as eksterne belanghebbers benodig. Dit is noodsaaklik om die ondersteuning van belangrike eksterne belanghebbers te hê, insluitende die regering, vennote, gebruikers, belangegroepe en skenkers, om doeltreffend waarde te skep. Die leierskap van ’n organisasie kan deur belanghebberkonsultasie insigte verkry in die behoeftes en verwagtings van die organisasie se kliënte, en die organisasie in staat stel om sy dienste en inisitiewe doeltreffend te verander om te pas by hierdie behoeftes. Die implikasies daarvan om die hervertolking van hierdie temas te ignoreer kan lei tot die gebruik van ontoepaslike en onbehulpsame maatreëls wat die numeriese kwantifikasie van gehalte behels deur teikens en om onmoontlike verwagtings te skep by burgers, wat lei tot frustrasie en ontevredenheid. Die implementering van skaars vervaardigingsbeginsels moet begin deur die konteks waarbinne staatsentiteite funksioneer, te verstaan en te bepaal. Die konteks van ’n organisasie sluit in faktore soos die organisasie se struktuur, kultuur, strategiese doelwitte en belanghebbers, tesame met wetlike en ander vereistes, wat belangrik is wannneer die implimentering van skaars vervaardigingsbeginsels oorweeg word.

Yiba nomfanekisongqondweni woMzantsi Afrika apho amaqumrhu karhulumente (iiSOE) angaqhubeli phambili nje ukukhulisa uqoqosho kodwa enikezela ngeenkonzo ezigqibeleleyo kubemi, ngelixa esebenza ngokufanelekileyo nangokuzinzileyo. Ngelishwa, lo mbono okwangoku unyhashwa yimiba yolawulo, ulawulo olugwenxa, kunye nenkcitho kwiiSOE. Nangona kuninzi okuye kwafunyaniswa malunga nemveliso yokunciphisa inkcitho njengendlela ethembisa ukunciphisa inkcitho kunye nokuphucula indlela yokusebenza, uphuhliso lwezikhokelo ngezikhokelo zemveliso yokunciphisa inkcitho luveze umsantsa othile. Umsantsa wokuqala kukuba akukho nasinye isikhokelo esiphakanyisiweyo kuphononongo loncwadi olusetyenzisiweyo kuphando esibonelela ngokulungelelaniswa kwemigaqo yokunciphisa inkcitho kwicandelo likarhulumente. Umsantsa wesibini lutyekelo oluthe lwahlolwa olubonakalayo kwindlela yolawulo esuka kwabaphetheyo eya kubemi phakathi kwezikhokelo zemveliso yokunciphisa inkcitho. Olu tyekelo, nangona lufanelekile kwiimeko ezithile, lunokujongana nemiqobo xa luphunyezwa kwimeko yeeSOE eMzantsi Afrika. Ngokusekelwe kwiimbono ezisuka kwingcingane yendlela yolawulo ngokwemeko (icontingency theory), olu phando lubonise uncedo kunye nemiqobo eyayanyaniswa nokusetyenziswa kwemigaqo yemveliso yokunciphisa inkcitho kwiiSOE zoMzantsi Afrika. Umphandi uphonononge ukusebenzisana okucwangcisiweyo kwemigaqo engqingqwa yokunciphisa inkcitho ngaphakathi kwimeko yeSOE ngokusebenzisa inkalo yengcingane yolawulo olucwangcisiweyo ye-viable systems theory (iVST). Olu phando ngoko ke lwandlale ingxoxo yokuphuhlisa isikhokelo esisebenzayo sokunciphisa inkcitho esilungele ukuqubulisana kwakhona nemigaqo nengcamago yokunciphisa inkcitho ngokohlobo olulodwa kwicandelo likarhulumente. IShedyuli yesi2 yeeSOE eMzantsi Afrika ibandakanye abantu ekujoliswe kubo kolu phando. Isampulu yophandontyilazwi ibinabathathinxaxheba abali10 kwiziko ngalinye. Kuphononongwe intsebenziswano ecwangcisiweyo yemigaqo yokunciphisa inkcitho ngokwakwimeko yeeSOE ngokwembono yeVST kunye nengcingane yendlela yolawulo ngokwemeko, eyondlala ingxoxo yesikhokelo esibonisa ukuba kuyenzeka ukulungelelanisa imigaqo yokunciphisa inkcitho kwiiSOE zokudala imveliso enexabiso kunye nokunciphisa inkcitho. Kusetyenziswe indlela yophandontyilazwi kwindlela yokufumana ubunzulu obungakumbi ngokukhangela amava neengcamango zomxholo othile wezentlalo ukuphanda iiSOE ezintathu zeShedyuli yesi2. Kukhethwe abathathinxaxheba abangamashumi amathathu ngenjongo yodliwanondlebe olucwangciswe mayane lwangeintanethi. Kufunyaniswe ukuba ukudalwa kwemveliso enexabiso ziinkokheli zequmrhu kufuna intathonxaxheba yabo ababandakanyekayo bangaphakathi nabangaphandle. Kubalulekile ukuba nenkxaso yababandakanyekayo ababalulekileyo bangaphandle, kubandakanywa urhulumente, amahlakani, abasebenzisi bemveliso, amaqela anomdla, kunye nabaxhasi/abanikeli, ukudala imveliso enexabiso ngempumelelo. Ngokubonisana nababandakanyekayo, iinkokheli zequmrhu zinokufumana ulwazi ngeemfuno kunye nokulindelekileyo kubathengi belo qumrhu, olunozenza ukuba zilungelelanise iinkonzo namaphulo alo okuhlangabezana nezi mfuno ngempumelelo. Iziphumo zokungahoyi ukuqubulisana kwakhona nale mixholo zinokukhokelela ekusetyenzisweni kwemilinganiselo engafanelekanga okanye engancedisiyo ebandakanya ubungakanani ngokwamanani bomgangatho koko ekujoliswe kuko nokudala ukuba abemi balindele okungenakwenzeka, okukhokelela emsindweni nasekunganelisekeni kwabo. Ukuphunyezwa kwemigaqo yemveliso yokunciphisa inkcitho kufuneka kuqale ngokuqonda kunye nokufumanisa imeko iiSOE ezisebenza phantsi kwayo. Imeko yequmrhu ibandakanya izinto ezifana nolwakhiwo lwequmrhu, inkqubo, iinjongo zobuchule, nababandakanyekayo, uwisomthetho nezinye iimfuneko, ezibalulekileyo xa kuqwalaselwa ukuphunyezwa kwemigaqo yemveliso yokunciphisa inkcitho.