SECTION A $[60$ MARKS$]$

Answer ALL the questions in this section.

Enhancing Supply Chain Efficiency through IT Integration $-$ A South African Case Study

Introduction:

An established logistics firm called Thrivetech Global Pvt Ltd is struggling to streamline operations, improve business

strategies, and use information technology to enhance its supply chain in the busy South African city of Johannesburg. In

order to attain operational excellence, Thrivetech set out to improve its business environment, strategy, and information

systems.

Thrivetech serves clients from a variety of industries with complex supply chain requirements while operating in a highly

competitive market environment. The organization's strategic objectives include lowering costs, speeding up delivery, and

raising client happiness. The company must change its strategy due to the unstable economic environment it operates in

and the rapidly shifting client demands it must meet. By integrating real$-$time data insights into its plans, Thrivetech Global

seeks to take a customer$-$centric approach.

The business made an investment in an integrated Business Information System $($BIS$)$ to close communication gaps

between its functional departments in light of the requirement for a technological upgrade. Order processing, inventory

management, scheduling of shipments, and customer relationship management are all included in the BIS. With the new

system, shipments can be tracked in real$-$time, inventory replenishment is automated, and consumers can obtain order

status information.

The information flow and functional domains of Thrivetech have changed as a result of the BIS deployment. The areas of

emphasis are as follows.

$$ Operations: Real$-$time information on inventory levels, order volumes, and vehicle positions is now sent to the operations

team. This improves operational efficiency overall, allows for better resource allocation, and lowers idle times.

$$ Supply Chain Management: To estimate demand, improve routing, and track supplier performance, the supply chain

management team uses the BIS. This data$-$driven strategy guarantees prompt procurement and reduces stockouts.

$$ Finance and Accounting: The finance team can produce exact invoices, monitor receivables, and efficiently manage

cash flow with the use of accurate and current transactional data from the BIS.

$$ Marketing and Sales: The CRM module of the BIS is used by the marketing and sales teams to tailor offerings based on

consumer preferences.

Thrivetech Global faced a number of obstacles during the implementation of the new BIS, including employee resistance to

change, the need for employee training, data security concerns, and initial operational disruptions. Despite these obstacles,

the BIS's implementation and integration have resulted in positive outcomes. Lead times were significantly shortened for

Thrivetech, and order accuracy and customer satisfaction also increased. Looking ahead, the company intends to use

advanced analytics to secure data security, further optimize routes, and acquire deeper insights into client behaviour.

Answer the following questions using the above case study.

Question $1(10$ Marks$)$

$1\mathrm{.}1$ Outline the strategic challenges faced by Thrivetech Global in its corporate environment,

accompanied by a comprehensive analysis of the factors that shape the company's strategic decision$-$

making processes.

$(3$ marks$)$

$1\mathrm{.}2$ Assess how well Thrivetech Global's move to a customer$-$centric strategy aligns with its strategic

goals. Assess the impact of this adjustment on the organization's overall strategic goals. Use pertinent

examples to bolster your assessment.

$(4$ marks$)$

$1\mathrm{.}3$ Analyze how Thrivetech's customer$-$centric approach has affected its operational and decision$-$

making procedures specifically. Examine how the organization's decision$-$making and operational

efficiency were affected by the incorporation of real$-$time data insights.

$(3$ marks$)$