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Effects of procurement processes on project execution in a project management company in Cape Town, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.The purpose of this study was to unearth the challenges that occur in procurement processes and the effects these challenges have on project execution. Project procurement management is the production of associations with outside merchants and providers for merchandise and enterprises expected to finish a task. This process encompasses five stages: initiating and planning, selecting, contract writing, monitoring, and lastly, closing the deal. To clearly illustrate the magnitude of challenges faced in procurement processes, a project management company in Cape Town, South Africa, has been chosen as the subject of study. This study identified that procurement challenges were rooted in the company’s method of execution which comprises supplier-related issues, strategy selection issues, cost reduction and savings achievement factors, data accuracy issues and stakeholder management concerns. The aforementioned challenges resonate with various theoretical connotations by authorities who maintained that challenges in procurement could be narrowed to four areas: cost reduction, ‘going digital’, risk mitigation and supplier relationships. This study adopted a mixed research methodology incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research techniques and relied on field research conducted both through a survey of administered questionnaires as well as structured interviews. The information gathered in field research has been used to augment and corroborate theoretical information existing in literature and to proffer solutions through pragmatic recommendations for improving procurement processes with the intent of enhancing project execution efficacy and effectiveness. This study further aimed to add input to the existing body of knowledge concerning the effects of procurement processes on project execution in project management and also to contribute to the existing literature in procurement management
Dynamic superscalar grid for technical debt reduction
No full textThesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Organizations and the private individual, look to technology advancements to increase their ability to make informed decisions. The motivation for technology adoption by entities sprouting from an innate need for value generation. The technology currently heralded as the future platform to facilitate value addition, is popularly termed cloud computing. The move to cloud computing however, may conceivably increase the obsolescence cycle for currently retained Information Technology (IT) assets. The term obsolescence, applied as the inability to repurpose or scale an information system resource for needed functionality. The incapacity to reconfigure, grow or shrink an IT asset, be it hardware or software is a well-known narrative of technical debt. The notion of emergent technical debt realities is professed to be all but inevitable when informed by Moore’s Law, as technology must inexorably advance. Of more imminent concern however are that major accelerating factors of technical debt are deemed as non-holistic conceptualization and design conventions. Should management of IT assets fail to address technical debt continually, the technology platform would predictably require replacement. The unrealized value, functional and fiscal loss, together with the resultant e-waste generated by technical debt is meaningfully unattractive. Historically, the cloud milieu had evolved from the grid and clustering paradigms which allowed for information sourcing across multiple and often dispersed computing platforms. The parallel operations in distributed computing environments are inherently value adding, as enhanced effective use of resources and efficiency in data handling may be achieved. The predominant information processing solutions that implement parallel operations in distributed environments are abstracted constructs, styled as High Performance Computing (HPC) or High Throughput Computing (HTC). Regardless of the underlying distributed environment, the archetypes of HPC and HTC differ radically in standard implementation. The foremost contrasting factors of parallelism granularity, failover and locality in data handling have recently been the subject of greater academic discourse towards possible fusion of the two technologies. In this research paper, we uncover probable platforms of future technical debt and subsequently recommend redeployment alternatives. The suggested alternatives take the form of scalable grids, which should provide alignment with the contemporary nature of individual information processing needs. The potential of grids, as efficient and effective information sourcing solutions across geographically dispersed heterogeneous systems are envisioned to reduce or delay aspects of technical debt. As part of an experimental investigation to test plausibility of concepts, artefacts are designed to generically implement HPC and HTC. The design features exposed by the experimental artefacts, could provide insights towards amalgamation of HPC and HTC
Business and information strategic alignment of project and procurement management processes in the railway organisation in South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Railway organisations in South Africa are government parastatals. These organisations have embarked on mega modernisation programmes. Project and procurement process alignment is crucial to the successful implementation of such programmes, as the disconnect between the two processes may result in project cost overruns and escalations. Projects in the parastatal organisations are not completed on or executed according to the planned schedules. The two main research questions are stated as follows:
i) What factors affect the alignment between procurement and project management processes in the South African railway organisation? ii) How can the parastatal organisation align the procurement and project management processes? For the research methodology, a subjectivist ontological and interpretivist epistemological stance was followed. The research approach is inductive, with a case study as strategy. Data collection was done on a non-random, purposively selected unit of analysis and observation. Purposive sampling allows the researcher to rely on his or her own judgement when choosing to participate in the study. Participants were selected based on characteristics of a population and the objectives of the study. The participants belong to three departments, namely IT, SCM, and the Project Management Office (Project Managers). These three departments were selected because of their relevance to the study. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires. The instrument used was interview guide. Data was analysed by firstly transcribing the interviews. To confirm the correctness of the interviews, the data was validated. Data was further analysed by means of summarising, categorising, and conducting a thematic analysis. Ethical principles were followed in accordance with the policies and procedure of CPUT. The study revealed that project and procurement process misalignment in the railway sector in South Africa does exists. A detailed discussion of factors contributing to this misalignment are discussed further in chapter five and chapter six is recommendations
Development of a radiographic dental implant guide for forensic identification using current dental implants
No full textThesis (MSc (Radiography))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Introduction: Forensic dentistry plays a key role in identifying human remains that cannot be identified visually or by other means. Studies have shown that in cases of single or multiple deaths, scientific identification of human remains utilising forensic dentistry is often the most successful source of identification. Dental identification of human remains consists of a very complex procedure that makes it necessary during the investigation process to use and compare unique dental identifiers. A reliable and accurate method of identifying human remains is a positive radiological identification between ante-mortem and post-mortem images of dental radiographic images. Even if ante-mortem radiographic images may not be present during the identification process, post-mortem images may include details of dental restorations such as dental implants which cannot be seen during visual examination. The different types of dental implants vary in morphology and in conjunction with the unique appearance of dental anatomy and the placement of custom restorations such as dental implants, it has been found to accurately assist in the identification of human remains. Objectives: To establish a radiographic dental implant guide for ten commonly used dental implant types in the Western Cape, South Africa; and to identify and describe the morphological characteristics of these dental implant types as observed on pantomographs. Methods: The ten commonly used dental implant types were imaged radiographically to create a reference instrument which served as a tool for identifying and comparing different types of dental implants. The morphologies of the different dental implants, specifically the apex, thread and neck, were observed on ante-mortem pantomographs and compared to the appearance of the dental implants on the reference instrument to make a positive match. The straight tube image of all ten dental implant types in the reference instrument was used as the point of reference to positively identify the morphological characteristics of each dental implant type on the pantomographs. The morphological characteristics of the ten commonly used dental implant types used in the Western Cape were described and based on this a radiographic dental implant guide was developed. Results: A total of 384 dental implants were observed on the pantomographs. Of these, 380 dental implants could be positively identified on the pantomographs while 4 dental implants could not. A total of 350 dental implants (91%) were identified as dental implant types listed in the reference instrument while 30 dental implants were identified as a dental implant type not listed in the reference instrument. A total of 208 dental implants (54.2%) could be positively identified using the morphological characteristics namely the apex, thread and neck on the straight tube images of the dental implant type in the reference instrument. The radiographic dental implant guide was developed based on positive identification of the morphological characteristics of the dental implant types. Conclusion: This research study has illustrated that the morphology of dental implants can be used to differentiate between different dental implant types on pantomographs. Each dental implant type had unique morphological characteristics as well as similarities which enabled distinction between the different dental implant types, which facilitated dental implant identification and the development of a radiographic dental implant guide. The radiographic dental implant guide developed as part of this research study, may be useful in the field of forensic dentistry and forensic radiology
Development of a photovoltaic reverse osmosis demineralization fogging for improved gas turbine generation output
No full textThesis (Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Gas turbines have achieved widespread popularity in industrial fields. This is due to the high power, reliability, high efficiency, and its use of cheap gas as fuel. However, a major draw-back of gas turbines is due to the strong function of ambient air temperature with its output power. With every degree rise in temperature, the power output drops between 0.54 and 0.9 percent. This loss in power poses a significant problem for utilities, power suppliers, and co-generations, especially during the hot seasons when electric power demand and ambient temperatures are high. One way to overcome this drop in output power is to cool the inlet air temperature. There are many different commercially available means to provide turbine inlet cooling. This disserta-tion reviews the various technologies of inlet air cooling with a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art of inlet fogging systems. In this technique, water vapour is being used for the cooling purposes. Therefore, the water quality requirements have been considered in this thesis. The fog water is generally demin-eralized through a process of Reverse Osmosis (RO). The drawback of fogging is that it re-quires large amounts of demineralized water. The challenge confronting operators using the fogging system in remote locations is the water scarcity or poor water quality availability. However, in isolated hot areas with high levels of radiation making use of solar PV energy to supply inlet cooling system power requirements is a sustainable approach. The proposed work herein is on the development of a photovoltaic (PV) application for driv-ing the fogging system. The design considered for improved generation of Acaica power plant in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition, this work intends to provide technical infor-mation and requirements of the fogging system design to achieve additional power output gains for the selected power plant
Valorisation of industrial waste : extraction of bioactive compounds from Brewer’s spent grain
No full textThesis (Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), a solid residue obtained from brewing beer, is gaining attention in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry due to its use as natural source of colorants, texturisers, functional ingredients and preservatives. It is therefore necessary to develop an economically viable method for the extraction, isolation or enrichment of these compounds. Although literature shows the technical feasibility of extraction of bioactive compounds from BSG at laboratory bench scale, none of the reviewed literature could provide adequate information necessary to determine the economic feasibility of the process at commercial scale. The aim of this study was to investigate the technical and economic viability of a commercial process for the recovery of antioxidant rich polyphenolic compounds from brewers spent grain using organic solvents and/or water. The objectives were to select the best solvent, perform the optimisation and kinetic study, as well as to model and simulate the extraction process with the aim of performing an economic analysis. In selecting the best solvent, maceration and soxhlet extraction were used for the recovery of polyphenolic compounds. Acetone and acetone: water mixtures, ethanol and ethanol: water mixtures as well as pure water were used as solvents. The evaluation of the best solvent was measured by the total phenolic content (TPC), flavonol content, the antioxidant activity using 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The study performed optimisation for various operational parameters (time, temperature, solvent to feed ratio and shaking speed) using response surface method. The effect of temperature on the extraction kinetics was also investigated with experiments being carried out at 20°C, 40°C and 80°C. Antioxidant activity was detected in all BSG extracts, but water showed the highest global yield and rates of extraction. The optimum conditions were found at 15 min reaction time, temperature of 40 °C, shaking speed of 185 rpm and solvent to solid ratio of 27.5: 1. So-Macdonald model was a suitable fit for the experimental data with a R2-value range of (0.85 < r2 < 0.995). A processing scenario was proposed as a base case, upon which subsequent scenarios were generated to improve the operation or the economics. SuperPro Designer® (Intelligen, Inc) was used for modelling the proposed process, for simulation and for the economic evaluation. Four alternative schemes from the base case simulation were developed for optimisation of the process. The process was found to be economically feasible and attractive with a return of investment (ROI) of 48.45 % for alternative scheme 4. The results in this thesis highlight the likely economic feasibility of the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from BSG at commercial scale by the maceration method
Factors affecting port wine colour stability
No full textThesis (MTech (Food Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Port is a wine style that comes from Portugal. It is a sweet fortified dessert wine that is made in red and white styles. The taste is a balanced and complex combination of berry fruit, acidity, sweetness, alcohol and tannins. The taste should be sweet, smooth, complex, with some spiciness and a dry finish, but not astringent (Anon., 2009). There are a variety of port types in terms of flavour intensity, aroma and sweetness levels. Young immature ports can be fruity, simple, coarse, spicy and astringent. The sweetness results from the natural grape sugar in the wine, while wine spirits is added to fortify and ensure microbiological stability during aging (Anon., 2009). In this study the work was done on the ruby port style wine, ruby port wine is well known for its characteristic of being bright red in colour and therefore also very difficult to preserve in terms of colour stability in general. Colour is one of the principle parameters of the quality of not only port wine but also red wine in general, since it is the first characteristic to be perceived by the consumer in the glass. The colour of port wine also gives an indication of possible defects, the body, age and the evolution of the wine during storage. Colour, therefore, has an important influence on the overall acceptability of the product to the consumer. During aging, the wine colour changes, mainly due to progressive structural changes of anthocyanins. These changes are often perceived as undesirable by port consumers. As a result, the Cape Port Producers Association (CAPPA) requested this type of research to be done on port wine to improve the port wine making process in order to also give port wine a more stable colour. Therefore the objective of this study was to manipulate some of the parameters in port wine making, such as type of spirit used to fortify, storage temperature and also storage time in order to improve optimum stability of port wine colour.
From the first part of the study it was evident that the type of fortifying spirits, storage time and temperature had a significant effect on the colour of the port wine samples. The 96.5% (v.v-1) fortifying spirits, shorter storage time and storage temperature below 25oC resulted in a more stable ruby port colour as well as the lowest change over time. As the study progressed the design variables differed in terms of two types of cultivars used the spirits used to fortify the port wine samples with, addition of a pectolytic enzyme to some of the port wine samples, as well as storage time of 12 months and only two storage temperatures. It could be concluded that at the end of this part of the study, that port wine colour stability was affected by the interaction of the design variables in each treatment and less so by individual design variables in the study. It could also be concluded in this study that higher levels of acetaldehyde present in the spirits used to fortify port wine, did have a significant impact on ruby port wine and colour stability. The application of pectolytic enzyme preparation does not necessarily have a significant effect on its own but depends on the type of cultivar used. Storage time and temperature should also be kept to a minimum to ensure the desirable bright red colour of a ruby port wine
An analysis of environmental obligations and liabilities of a distribution division to improve ecologically sustainable development
No full textThesis (MTech (Environmental Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Worldwide, there is a growing about the protection of the environment while ensuring social and economic development for the benefit of the existing and forthcoming generation which pressures every person to take reasonable measures when conducting his/her business. Amongst the reasonable measures, there are environmental legislative provisions enacted by the international community, as well as locally, to regulate required actions for the protection of the environment. South Africa’s environmental legislation outlines ecologically sustainable development by making provisions in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution for everyone to take reasonable legislative measures to alleviate damaging impacts on the environment. International conventions have assisted South Africa and other countries worldwide in environmental protection, thus improving ecologically sustainable development. Eskom’s (the South African power utility) distribution department, referred to as the Company from here onwards, has established environmental objectives and commitments to prevent pollution, promote environmental reporting, comply with all the applicable environmental legislations and other relevant requirements to ensure performance is measured and continual improvement is achieved. The research used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to analyse environmental obligations and associated environmental liabilities of the Company to improve ecologically sustainable development. In order to answer the research questions and achieve the objectives, a set of questionnaires was distributed to sampled respondents; data were retrieved using SAP EH&S Incident Management software while independent variable (environmental obligation) and dependent variables (environmental liability and ecologically sustainable development) were identified. Site visits were also conducted. Furthermore, a correlation coefficient analysis test was calculated using Microsoft excel and a graph was used to illustrate the R-Square value. Positive (+1) relationship between variables was observed which indicates dependability of dependent variable to the independent variable. The research findings indicate that the environment can be safeguarded through understanding and implementing environmental obligations and environmental liabilities to protect the environment for the benefit of the current and future generations by improving ecologically sustainable development. South Africa (1998a) explained that the environment is held in public trust for the people, thus the beneficial use of environmental resources serves the public interest and the environment must be safeguarded as a common heritage. Therefore, anyone found to have contravened legislation will be held liable in the form of sanctions as stated in South Africa, (1998c).
An environmental obligation is a duty of care imposed on the user, landowner or a person in control of the protection of the environment and, where protection is impossible, to remediate the impact for the benefit of contemporary and upcoming generations. This is reasonably in line with the principles of sustainable development and a continual improvement of environmental quality and services. There have been dependent variables in the research where both environmental liability and ecologically sustainable development are dependent on environmental obligations (an independent variable) being realised. For this reason, every person or institution should ensure that environmental obligations are understood, adhered to and ensure that ecologically sustainable development is achieved. The Company has undertaken business activities to ensure that electricity is distributed to a wider population, bearing in mind that the interaction may have negative impact on the environment. When any incident that degrades the environment occurs, the incident is reported and managed throughout its life-cycle. There are, however, cases where environmental obligations are not understood or implemented. There is a need to ensure that all people that undertake activities that have a negative impact on the environment, such as pollution of the environment, are properly trained to be able to identify such activities, set environmental objectives and management programmes. Additionally, monitor the implementation of those programmes to ensure that these objectives are met and to achieve ecologically sustainable development. Ecologically sustainable development is achieved when environmental obligations are adhered to and required environmental liabilities are implemented and monitored. SANS ISO 14001: 2015 is an Environmental Management System which can be implemented to help any company understand its business operations, identify environmental issues, find solutions and ensure that all environmental issues are addressed, and good environmental performance is realized
Fabrication of a gold nanorod metal organic framework sensor for epidermal growth factor ; a biomarker for kidney disease
No full textThesis (Master of Applied Sciences in Chemistry)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Biosensors have been on the forefront to provide clinical diagnosis tools for various diseases. Proper selection of biomarkers as well as chemical electrode modification is key in the fabrication of electrochemical biosensors. Hence, electrode modified with nanomaterials devices to improve electroanalytical applications. These nanomaterials were functionalized to improve conductivity, accelerate signal transduction and amplify biorecognition events. Thus, resulting in novel sensing platforms that are highly sensitive and selective towards the target analyte. In this study, gold nanorods (Au NRs) capped with CTAB, zeolitic imidazole framework were synthesised using the seed mediated and hydrothermal method respectively. Composites of gold nanorods with cysteine, ZIF-8 or both were also synthesised. All synthesised materials were characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The obtained results confirmed the synthesis of the nanomaterials and composites. Identification of the ideal platform for fabrication of a transducer with the best electrochemical response was determined by studying the combinations of the synthesised nanomaterials and composites. The studied parameters were surface coverage, conductivity, rate of electron transfer constant. Cysteine-Au NRs composites platforms, had exceptional properties hence its synthesis optimisation of was undertaken. The effect of CTAB, reaction time, volume and concentration ratio of Au:Cysteine, temperature and pH on the composite properties were assessed. However, this composite’s electrochemical properties decreased when bioconjugated with the antibodies. Hence, the choice of Au NRs CTAB functionalised ZIF-8 (CTABAu/ZIF-8) as the transducer for biosensor applications due to a more favourable biocompatibility. Biosensor fabrication was done by drop coating glassy carbon electrode with the CTABAu/ZIF-8 forming a transducer followed by immobilisation of the antibody (Ab) using a covalent attachment method with glutaraldehyde (GA) as a cross linker. The target analyte, epidermal growth factor (EGF) was interacted with the Ab binding sites via electrostatic forces. All the fabrication steps were optimized for biosensor components, immobilization technique (drop coating and immersion), concentration and incubation time of linker and bioreceptor, as well as the synthesis of the CTABAu-ZIF-8 composites where in situ and ex situ techniques were compared together with the effect of the concentration ratio of Au: ZIF-8. There was also an analysis of optimum pH. Optimum conditions were found to be immersion in 3 % GA and 2 μg/ml Ab, with incubation times of 8, 10 and 5 minutes for GA, Ab and EGF respectively at a pH of 6. The following electroanalytical techniques: cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were utilised for EGF detection. The DPV showed better reproducibility, higher currents and better resolution hence; it was the method of choice. The technique’s optimisation involved assessments of the effect of step potential, starting potential and pulse amplitude. The optimum response for pulse amplitude, step potential and starting potential were 60 mV, 20 mV and 0.5 V respectively. The biosensor analytical parameters were linear towards EGF in the concentration range from 2 to 100 nM with a detection limit of 0.58 nM. Reproducibility and repeatability tests were acceptable, and the biosensor had a stability over 80 % within 15 days. There was no interference observed in the presence of glucose and creatine. The EGF biosensor was successfully applied in urine and saliva analysis, obtaining 67.5 and 3.12 nM respectively. This biosensor’s positive outcome strongly suggests its potential as a diagnosis tool for early detection of kidney disease as it was able to detect EGF concentration within physiological levels of EGF in normal kidney function
Experiences of managers at supervising work integrated learning students in selected financial services organisation in the Western Cape, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.In South Africa the government, industry and communities have placed pressure on Higher Education Institutions to deal with general skills shortage: whilst they prepare students to meet requirements and standards which industry expects. Universities of Technology are empowering students with theory, combining it with practical experience to generate graduates that are ready to meet industry’s demands and professional expectations. However, it has not proved easy to place students.The researcher has attempted to establish from companies the reasons the challenges and barriers posed during the Work Integrated Learning process. Work-Integrated Learning is important in bridging the gap between graduate attributes and industry expectations and the significant role that it plays in bridging the gap between graduate attributes and industry expectations. The workplace is a source of learning for students.The feedback from industry supervisors should be seen as an integral part of assessing students’ readiness for the world of work. The purpose of this research is to ascertain how managers deal with students during the Work-Integrated Learning period.The results of the study create foundation for future developments and research. It will also inform the development of an effective and innovative Work-Integrated Learning curriculum that is more supportive academically, and that encourages professional excellence and produces work-ready graduates. A qualitative research method was used in the study. Fifteen financial services managers from different companies were individually interviewed. Ethical approval for the study was sought and obtained. The results demonstrated that the managers experienced mixed feelings regarding their experience when supervising students in their respective companies. A closer examination of the managers’ responses, however, revealed that they had high expectations of students that participated in WIL, coupled with the quality of training provided by the Higher Education Institutions. These expectations include the following: effective time management, especially when reporting for work; regular attendance and team work, good and effective communication between company and the hosting university; and for WIL students to work independently, were all regarded as important.Although some managers had positive experiences of supervising students, there were those that expressed concerns about students’ levels of work readiness, as some indicated that students lacked self-confidence, while others raised concerns about students’ attitudes and lack of work ethics. It is recommended that the WIL programme should include activities that will enhance students’ confidence, independence and work-effectiveness. A collaborative effort should be made between various stakeholders that are involved in WIL: The need to give feedback to students on a full range of skills and competencies in the workplace, has not been extensively studied; hence an attempt by the researcher to establish some of the industry managers’ experiences in this regard