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.