{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11775"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11775","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"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","abstract":"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.","abstract_html":"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.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Watson, Neil Mark"],"institution":"Department of Statistical Sciences","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Stewart, Theodor J","Scott, Leanne"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011","date_published":"2011","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:49Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11775","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Stewart, Theodor J","Scott, Leanne"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Watson, Neil Mark"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-01-08T19:57:03Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-01-08T19:57:03Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2011"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Statistical Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11775"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["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."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["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"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Stewart, Theodor J","Scott, Leanne"],"dc:creator":["Watson, Neil Mark"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-01-08T19:57:03Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-01-08T19:57:03Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2011"],"dc:description.abstract":["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."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11775"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Statistical Sciences"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc: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"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:49Z"}