Water & Wine in the Spotlight at SAPICS 2019

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Experts predict a dire shortage of freshwater by 2030, with a growing manufacturing sector contributing to the escalating water crisis.

Recognising the importance of water as a life-sustaining resource and reflecting its commitment to the critical drive for environmentally sustainable supply chains, SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management, has put water management in the spotlight at the upcoming SAPICS Conference. This event, which is Africa’s leading knowledge sharing and networking event for supply chain professionals, takes place in Cape Town from 9 to 12 June 2019.

A presentation by water expert Professor Bettie Lodolo is one of a series of seminars that will be offered at SAPICS 2019 in collaboration with the International Production and Operations Management Society (POMS).

“Water is of vital importance to all living organisms and is a fundamental resource for life. Freshwater constitutes only 2.5% of the total global water reserves. These freshwater reserves are not only threatened by global warming and the changes in weather patterns, but also by human activities, which tend to pollute water as it moves through the water cycle. A study published by the 2030 Water Resources Group, in which both SABMiller and WWF (The World Wide Fund for Nature) were involved, concluded that competing demands for water resources may lead to an average gap of 40% between global demand and supply by 2030.”

Professor Bettie Lodolo

Lodolo asserts that the opportunity exists for companies to take a two-pronged approach to the water crisis:

“Site water usage should be optimised, firstly through the prevention and reduction of waste; for example, by improving efficiencies and focusing on asset care, such as required maintenance and the prevention of leaks. Secondly, plants must maintain sound hygiene standards so that optimisation opportunities can be introduced. Achieving water hygiene enables more effective water savings projects,”

Lodolo is the project development manager at energy solutions specialist Next Renewable Generation and an affiliated Professor in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State, with experience that includes focusing on water hygiene and brewing science at SABMiller as well as quality management at AB-InBev.

In another SAPICS 2019 presentation enabled by POMS, Marianca Koegelenberg will offer design guidelines for improved best practices implementation at South African wine packaging facilities. Koegelenberg is an aspiring Industrial Engineer who graduated in 2017 and is currently completing her dual master’s degree at Stellenbosch University in conjunction with Reutlingen University in Germany. Her aim is to help transform the wine industry with industry related best practices and new digital supply chain technologies to increase its market competitiveness.

“In recent years, the South African wine industry has started focusing on building an adaptable and competitive industry with a sustainable future. The Wine Industry Strategic Exercise (WISE), launched in 2014, is the core of this vision and set several objectives to be achieved by 2025, including increasing the ratio of packaged to bulk export from its current ratio of 40:60 to 60:40,”

“Wine bottling and packaging is key to realising this vision. Exporting packaged wine rather than bulk wine will promote the South African brand internationally, gaining a larger packaged export market share. This calls for the reduction of all unnecessary costs and delays incurred during the planning and execution phases involved up until wine is packaged, as well as a responsive and reliable supply chain. The drive towards increased packaged wine calls for improved collaboration among all the role players involved, including grape growers, wine producers, dry goods suppliers, bottling facilities and SAWIS (SA Wine Industry Information & Systems),”

Marianca Koegelenberg

In his SAPICS Conference presentation, Professor Normal Faull, who is currently POMS vice president for Europe and Africa, will highlight lean implementation successes in the South African public healthcare sector. Faull is the Founder and Chairman of the Lean Institute Africa (LIA).

“The Disruptive Nature of Additive Manufacturing on Supply Chain Management” is the topic of the SAPICS Conference presentation by Henk Harmse and Professor J Holm, who are also part of the event’s POMS line-up. 3D printing, which is also known as additive manufacturing, is widely regarded as the technological tool most likely to transform supply chains.

SAPICS president Mungo Park says that The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management is delighted to be partnering with POMS to offer these powerful presentations to this year’s SAPICS Conference delegates.

“Our thanks to Dino Petrarolo in his capacity as VP for Africa and the Middle East POMS for the contribution the organization has made to the programme.”

The Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) is an international professional organisation representing the interests of production and operations management professionals from around the world.

For further information or to register for SAPICS 2019, call 011 023 6701 or email info@SAPICS.org.za.