Reconfigurable Supply Chain management: A key to enhance competitiveness of the South African Press Tool industry

The aim of this paper is to analyze literature related to Reconfigurable Supply Chains (RSC) and how it can be used to assist the South African Press Tool Manufacturing Industry to become more competitive globally. The method used is an Inductive Approach where it starts by looking at the current state of the South African Manufacturing Industry and then moves to how Reconfigurable Supply Chains can assist to improve the South African Press Tool industry´s competitiveness. Globalization has created new views of the Manufacturing industry specifically looking at the Press Tool Industry which sees the South African Manufacturing Industry currently being ranked 24^th in the world. Authors recommend that future supply chains take reconfigurability into consideration to enhance the survivability of the South African Press Tool industry in the global environment that is driven by very tough competition, shorter marketing opportunities, frequent product introductions and rapid changing customer product demands. Supply Chain Management is coupled by various approaches such as Internet based supply chain management, Enterprise Resource Planning and Agent Oriented supply chain management. This paper will compare and contrast the available approaches and then select the approach that will best enhance competitiveness of the South African Press Tool Manufacturing Industry.