Die beskikbaarheid van gespesialiseerde onderdele by die verskillende handelstakke van 'n landboukoöperasie : 'n moontlikheidstudie
Abstract
Agricultural Cooperatives are currently
experiencing a problem in that specialised
spare parts are not readily available at
their various branches. The underlying
reason for this situation being that proper
stock control and administration is not
possible under the present system.
The purpose of this study is to analise
the present system and to consider possible
alternatives as potential solutions to the
problem. An attempt is made to oppose
centralisation versus decentralisation as
possibilities. Consideration is also
given to the employment of Electronic Data
Processing in the control and administration
of inventories.
The method employed so ensure that the study
is representative entailed analyses and
surveys based on questionnaire-type studies
conducted amongst twenty farmer members
of an Agricultural Cooperative. The
farms selected were geographically adjacent
to one another in an area more
than fifty kilometres distant from Lichtenburg.
The study clearly indicated that four out
of the existing twenty six branches already
account for 65,04% of all spares sold,
thus indicating the large measure of natural
centralisation which has already evolved.
The possibility of limiting the outlet of
specialised spares to four supply points or
branches can be extremely advantageous to
the Cooperative. The results of our survey
indicated that the four supply points
should be situated in Lichtenburg, Ottosdal,
Delareyville and Mareetsane. This split
was not derived at from a pure geographic
division since factors such as the number
of farms, farmers and tractor ·sales over
the last year were also considered.
It is therefore suggested that in the case
of Noordwes Coop the maintenance and
supply of specialised spares be limited
to the four supply points discussed.
The adoption of this suggestion will also
be ideally suited to the utilisation of the
advantages to be gained from Electronic
Data Processing.
Another finding of the study is that the
four supply points can at very reasonable
cost be coupled on line to the mainframe
computer at Lichtenburg. Such an on line
facility will provide many advantages in
relation to the control and administration
of spares inventories.
Such a system also gives rise to the fact
that the inventory system can be integrated
with the debtors system through the implementation
of intelligent terminals at the four
branches. Other administrative departments
will also benefit from such a system.
One example would be that the cardex cards
will be completely replaced by the computer
system. In addition the system will
control all inventories at any branch
without being limited to specialised
spares items for tractors and implements.
This amounts to a total of some fifty
thousand stock items.
The study showed that the farmer members
of Noordwes Coop are in agreement that
specialised spares should be centralised
to four supply points spread over the
geographic territory of the cooperative,
in order to ensure that stocks were readily
available when called for.
Many farmers were of the opinion that such
a step would bring about financial savings
in spite of the fact that some of them would
be further removed from a supply point.
It is however difficult to carry out an
exact cost study exercise in order to prove
whether or not centralisation of spares
inventories will in fact be cheaper to the
farmer. There are just too many variable
factors which can influence the results in
each individual case.