To Identify A Business Process (Model) Design To Capture And Transfer Knowledge And Technology To Support Facility Development On A Global Footprint



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University

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TABLE OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Research Question1

CHAPTER TWO : LITERATURE REVIEW2

Knowledge Management2

Knowledge2

Origins and Development of the Knowledge-Based View3

Why consider culture? Hofstede (1980) refined the definition of culture as the following:5

Organizational Learning7

Organizational Memory8

Internet-Based KMS9

Knowledge-Based View of Strategy10

Supply-Chain Management13

Inventory and Forecasting17

Information and Electronic Mediated Environments18

Global Issues20

Sourcing and Supplier Management22

Technology Transfer23

Innovation as strategy27

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY30

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION42

Profitability of the Business Units42

Geographical Distribution of Revenues43

Rolls-Royce's Business Strategy44

Market Share by revenue45

Supply Chain Structure at Rolls-Royce45

Manufacturing Facilities and Suppliers47

Supply Chain Business Processes48

Analyzing elicited data49

Supplier Management and Development58

Internal business processes59

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION63

The Business Context67

KM strategy69

Knowledge Acquisition And Modeling70

REFERENCES77

CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

This chapter describes the purpose and approach of this thesis within the larger context of the objectives of the Supply Chain 2020 (SC2020) research project. It also gives a background description of salient characteristics of the aerospace industry and indicates why it is an interesting industry to study in identifying emerging best practices in supply chain management. Finally, it introduces Rolls-Royce, an important manufacturer of engines in the aerospace industry, which is the subject of a case study to provide a more fine-grained examination of key trends in supply chain management in the aerospace industry.

Research Question

The basic research question being addressed in this thesis can be defined as follows: What are the emerging best practices in supply chain management in the aerospace industry and what business strategies, operating models, goals, and processes makes the supply chain management practices of a particular case-study company's supply chain management practices exemplary? While the thesis strives to identify such emerging best practices, it does not take the position that they are necessarily widely prevalent within the industry. Further, the thesis does not necessarily endorse or intend to portray the supply chain management practices of a specific case-study company (e,g. Rolls-Royce) as necessarily being "exemplary" or "best-in-class" but rather as an illustrative example of currently observed practices.

CHAPTER TWO : LITERATURE REVIEW

Knowledge Management

Knowledge management (KM) is a hot topic in many business communities. Although, the title knowledge management might suggest a rather simple definition, there are plenty of opinions as to what it is and how it should be used, if used at all. However, because of the ever increasing pace of business development, the task of effective and competitive management of organizations becomes essential and KM, if understood and implemented properly, may be a useful tool for business transformation as well as the ...