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Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization
There is a dearth of research on the application of hard Operational Research (OR) techniques (simulation, linear programming, goal programming, etc.) in determining optimal ordering, inventory and allocation policies for goods within distribution systems in developing countries. This study aims to...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Statistical Sciences
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613198442561536 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Watson, Neil Mark |
| author2 | Stewart, Theodor J |
| author_browse | Stewart, Theodor J Watson, Neil Mark |
| author_facet | Stewart, Theodor J Watson, Neil Mark |
| author_sort | Watson, Neil Mark |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | There is a dearth of research on the application of hard Operational Research (OR) techniques (simulation, linear programming, goal programming, etc.) in determining optimal ordering, inventory and allocation policies for goods within distribution systems in developing countries. This study aims to assist decision making at a not-for-profit organization (NPO), Foodbank South Africa (FBSA), within its allocation system through a combined ‘soft-hard’ OR approach. Two problem-structuring tools (soft OR), Causal Mapping (CM) and Soft System Methodology’s Root Definitions (RDs), are used to structure the organization's goals (in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the decision-context) and gain a better understanding of the ‘decision-issues’ in the allocation system at its Cape Town warehouse. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11775 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:20.328Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Department of Statistical Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Statistical Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11775 Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization Watson, Neil Mark Stewart, Theodor J Scott, Leanne Operational Research for Development There is a dearth of research on the application of hard Operational Research (OR) techniques (simulation, linear programming, goal programming, etc.) in determining optimal ordering, inventory and allocation policies for goods within distribution systems in developing countries. This study aims to assist decision making at a not-for-profit organization (NPO), Foodbank South Africa (FBSA), within its allocation system through a combined ‘soft-hard’ OR approach. Two problem-structuring tools (soft OR), Causal Mapping (CM) and Soft System Methodology’s Root Definitions (RDs), are used to structure the organization's goals (in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the decision-context) and gain a better understanding of the ‘decision-issues’ in the allocation system at its Cape Town warehouse. 2015-01-08T19:57:03Z 2015-01-08T19:57:03Z 2011 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11775 eng application/pdf Department of Statistical Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Operational Research for Development Watson, Neil Mark Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization |
| title_full | Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization |
| title_fullStr | Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization |
| title_short | Developing decision support for Foodbank South Africa's allocation system: an application of operational research techniques to aid decision-making at a not-for-profit organization |
| title_sort | developing decision support for foodbank south africa s allocation system an application of operational research techniques to aid decision making at a not for profit organization |
| topic | Operational Research for Development |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11775 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT watsonneilmark developingdecisionsupportforfoodbanksouthafricasallocationsystemanapplicationofoperationalresearchtechniquestoaiddecisionmakingatanotforprofitorganization |