Browsing by Author "Lubbe, Nikola"

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    Developing a selection and evaluation packaging framework for retail supply chains: a South African retail supply chain case study
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-02) Lubbe, Nikola; Van Eeden, Joubert; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Packaging has undergone a transformation, shifting from a supporting role to a key strategic element that impacts all aspects of modern supply chains. With products now traveling globally, the need for a structured process to select and assess packaging is evident. Packaging systems play a vital role in logistics, involving various resources. Current industry trends show a shift towards optimizing packaging supply chains to enhance logistics and environmental performance. This emphasizes the importance of effective collaboration between packaging systems and supply chain stakeholders to achieve superior supply chain performance and gain a competitive edge. This thesis focuses on developing a structured framework for selecting, evaluating, and implementing packaging solutions in retail supply chains. The framework aims to reposition packaging as a strategic element in the supply chain. The study employs a systematic approach to review existing packaging frameworks and identifies five relevant ones. Design requirements were extracted through surveys, interviews, and field observations and cross-referenced with specific existing packaging frameworks and utilized as input toward the framework development phase. The framework development phase outlines a structured process with six steps: identifying stakeholders, clarifying the packaging role, selecting evaluation criteria, weighting, and rating criteria, assessing environmental and cost impact, and testing and reviewing the packaging system. Each step provides clarity on input, action, and output, ensuring that the framework can be easily understood and implemented. A three-phase validation process verified the framework's comprehensiveness, adaptability, and effectiveness. The research concludes that the proposed framework effectively fills gaps in existing frameworks while maintaining flexibility for measurement inclusion or modification. It solidifies the framework's merit to be considered alongside packaging frameworks in the literature. This research contributes to the packaging industry by providing a comprehensive and adaptable framework that redefines packaging as a strategic component within the supply chain, promoting informed decision-making and addressing environmental and cost concerns.