The development of a decision support tool to assist manufacturing SMEs during adoption and exploitation of novel manufacturing technologies.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH SUMMARY: The efficacy of manufacturing and industrialization activities for improving the economic growth of developing countries has been proven over the last 25 years in countries such as China and India. Participation in the manufacturing domain of lower-income developing counties is only possible if these countries prepare their operations for sustained growth and improvement. One mechanism that can support long-term growth, is the adoption and successful implementation of novel manufacturing technologies, however, it is a growth mechanism that is accompanied by considerable risk. Adopting unproven technologies can be extremely costly and does not necessarily guarantee significant operational or financial gain. Manufacturing small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries are therefore incentivised to reduce this adoption uncertainty by employing various analysis techniques. This study aimed to help reduce the risk associated with novel manufacturing technology adoption, by developing a decision support tool that can support the decision-making of manufacturing SMEs during the technology adoption and exploitation process. To achieve this goal, the researcher identified four theoretical models within the realms of technology readiness, R&D risk assessment, external maturity, and internal operational maturity, and integrated them into an easy-to-use digital tool. This study achieved its goal of developing such a decision support tool by completing three distinct design cycles. The first design cycle dealt with the initial tool creation and was largely supported by an extensive literature review. The review led to the identification of multiple relevant theoretical models on which various comparison and elimination activities were performed to select the final four models used in the decision support tool. Finally, the first design cycle also saw the initial iteration of a fully functioning digital interface for the tool. The second design cycle dealt with further development and refinement of the decision support tool. The first refinement step was done by conducting multiple additional literature searches to analyse and refine various details of the existing models selected for use in the tool. This helped to align the tool to the contextual and theoretical requirements of this study. A second refinement step was completed which involved interviews with various industry and subject matter experts who could rate and comment on the details of the tool, thereby increasing the tool’s efficacy in practical application. The third design cycle dealt with the final validation of the newly developed decision support tool. The tool was validated by identifying and applying the tool to a manufacturing SME looking to implement a novel manufacturing technology. The validation stage found that the decision support tool developed in this study successfully fulfilled its purpose. The tool accurately reflected the development position of both the novel manufacturing technology and the SMEs' operational activities. The tool strengthened the decision-making capabilities of the SME and helped the SME with road-mapping activities. Lastly, the tool was useful not only for the analysis of a novel technology but also for the analysis of a novel manufacturing process encapsulating the technology. Ultimately, the tool was developed for use by the cemented tungsten carbide industry for decision support during the commercialization of cemented carbide additive manufacturing technologies.AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die doeltreffendheid van vervaardigings- en industrialisasie -aktiwiteite om die ekonomiese groei van ontwikkelende lande te verbeter, is die afgelope 25 jaar bewys in lande soos China en Indië. Deelname van laerinkomste ontwikkelende lande in die vervaardigingsdomein is slegs realisties indien dié lande hul bedrywighede voorberei vir volgehoue groei en verbetering. Een meganisme wat langtermyngroei kan ondersteun, is die aanvaarding en suksesvolle implementering van nuwe vervaardigingstegnologieë, maar dit is 'n meganisme wat gepaard gaan met groot risiko’s. Die implimentering van onbewese tegnologie kan uiters duur wees en waarborg nie noodwendig beduidende bedryfs- of finansiële wins nie. Vervaardigings KMOs in ontwikkelende lande word dus aangemoedig om hierdie implementeringsonsekerheid te verminder deur 'n aantal ontledingstegnieke te gebruik. Hierdie studie was daarop gemik om die risiko wat verband hou met die implementering van nuwe vervaardigingstegnologie te verminder, deur 'n hulpmiddel vir besluitneming te ontwikkel wat besluitneming van vervaardigings KMOs kan ondersteun tydens die aannemings- en implementeringsproses. Om hierdie doel te bereik, het die navorser vier teoretiese modelle geïdentifiseer binne die gebied van tegnologiese gereedheid, Navorsing & Ontwikkelings risiko-assessering, eksterne volwassenheid en interne operasionele volwassenheid, en dié modelle geïntegreer in 'n bruikbare digitale hulpmiddel. Hierdie studie het sy doel bereik om so 'n besluitnemingshulpmiddel te ontwikkel deur drie verskillende ontwerpsiklusse te voltooi. Die eerste ontwerpsiklus het gehandel oor die aanvanklike ontwikkeling van gereedskap en is grootliks ondersteun deur 'n intensiewe literatuuroorsig. Die literatuuroorsig het gelei tot die identifisering van verskeie relevante teoretiese modelle waarop vergelykings- en eliminasie -aktiwiteite uitgevoer is om die finale vier modelle te kies. Laastens is die eerste iterasie van ʼn digitale koppelvlak vir die hulpmiddel voltooi tydens die eerste ontwerpsiklus. Die tweede ontwerpsiklus het gehandel oor verdere ontwikkeling en verfyning van die besluitnemingshulpmiddel. Die eerste verfyningsstap is gedoen deur verskillende aspekte van die bestaande modelle wat gebruik is in die hulpmiddel, te ontleed en te verfyn deur verskeie addisionele literatuurondersoeke uit te voer. Dit het gehelp om die instrument aan te pas vir die kontekstuele en teoretiese vereistes van hierdie studie. 'n Tweede verfyningsstap is voltooi deur onderhoude met verskillende bedryfs- en vakdeskundiges, wat die besonderhede van die instrument kon beoordeel en kommentaar lewer, te voer en sodoende is die doeltreffendheid van die instrument in die praktiese toepassing verhoog. Die derde ontwerpsiklus het gehandel oor die validering van die hulpmiddel. Die validering is gedoen deur 'n vervaardigings-KMO te identifiseer wat 'n nuwe vervaardigingstegnologie wil implementeer en die hulpmiddel kan gebruik. Dit is gevind tydens die valideringstadium dat die besluitnemingshulpmiddel wat in hierdie studie ontwikkel is, sy doel suksesvol bereik het. Die hulpmiddel het die posisie van die nuwe tegnologie en die KMO-aktiwiteite akkuraat weerspieël en het die besluitnemingsvermoëns van die KMO versterk. Die hulpmiddel het die KMO ook gehelp met padkaartaktiwiteite. Laastens was die instrument nie net nuttig vir die ontleding van 'n nuwe tegnologie nie, maar ook vir die ontleding van 'n nuwe vervaardigingsproses wat met die tegnologie gepaard gaan. Uiteindelik is die hulpmiddel ontwikkel vir gebruik deur die sement-wolframkarbied-industrie vir besluitondersteuning tydens die kommersialisering van sementkarbied-byvoegvervaardigingstegnologieë.Master