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 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.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Statistical Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Watson, Neil Mark

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Stewart, Theodor J
• Scott, Leanne

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11775

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11775