An examination of shortcomings in inventory management and control in selected Saldanha Bay firms

Abstract

The dissertation focuses on sharing experiences related to the shortcomings in the discipline of inventory management and control. The research was limited to inventory management and control practices in select manufacturing and production sites in Saldanha Bay on the Cape west coast. The shortcomings identified may be seen as holistic in inventory management and control and are thus not restricted to the Saldanha Bay area only.

The results of the research provide comprehensive insight into the elementary aspects of managing inventories in fast- paced, industrial manufacturing environment. The dissertation touches on the problems that arise when inventory managers do not understand the concept of inventory management. The researcher witnessed the shortage of schooled and skilled inventory managers in both the public and privates sectors in South Africa.

It is hoped that after reading the content of this research, the reader concerned with inventory management and control will be better equipped to address these issues.