From 2008 to now, Innocent Nkurunziza has distinguished himself by a brilliant career in the management and operation of the water supply network of the Burundi water and electricity board of (REGIDESO) through an extraordinary rise in positions of responsibility.
He has embarked on an Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (EDBA) on the theme « Influence of co-production on consumer satisfaction and quality of service: the case of REGIDESO’s public drinking water service – BURUNDI » as a managerial alternative in spite of botched liberalisation. His thesis will be defended in March 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Jean-François Lemoine, Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France.
Thesis Direction
Pr Frédéric Ponsignon
Thesis Title
Design of lean logistics processes to improve material supply in procurement and production logistics in the automotive supply industry
Abstract
The automotive industry is subject to a gradually intensifying cost pressure. This is not only due to the increasing worldwide competition, he can also be attributed to the fact that customers operate cost-conscious and increase their product requirements at the same time. Therefore, all partners in the supply-chain are facing the challenge to achieve cost savings in various areas without reducing customers benefits. An approved leverage to reduce costs is the optimization of supply chain.
This dissertation pursues the question of the extent to which the design of lean logistics processes within the automotive supply industry can contribute to improving the supply of materials in procurement and production logistics. In order to be able to answer the desired research questions and to obtain a theoretical basis for lean process interfaces, a comprehensive literature analysis is started.
The empirical part of this thesis is treated in two parts. In the first area, the topic of internal and external process interfaces is dealt with by means of guideline-based interviews with test subjects, which are then evaluated on the basis of qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. In this regard, the focus with regard to the research questions is particularly on the subjective perception of the interviewees. In the course of a single case study, the practical relevance of the process model was demonstrated in the second part by applying it using an example in the automotive supplier industry. The results of the qualitative analysis of this work show that certain framework conditions are necessary for the acquisition and development of the required skills. The dissertation contains recommendations for action in practice with a checklist for the development and optimization of lean process interfaces.
The results of this research make it clear that it is essential that colleagues from a wide range of departments and divisions cooperate more effectively in the creation and optimization of process interfaces. This cooperation forms the basis for uncovering problems and recognizing possible potential for improvement. At the same time, it is elementary that, due to a holistic view of the supply chain, pure exploitation of potential must not be based exclusively on the reduction of individual processes. It is crucial to connect the processes and interfaces as customer-oriented and resource-poor as possible.
Furthermore, the results of this research work make it clear that it would be expedient in connection with the process interfaces to validate them at regular intervals and to set up optimization loops based on them. The challenges of the cultural backgrounds will also be presented in the further course of this work. The transformation from a traditional to a multicultural society reveals changes and necessities in dealing with a wide variety of cultures. The results from the present dissertation indicate a need for further research, so that the practical results from this work could form the basis for further investigations in the field of lean process interfaces.