Assessing the benefits and challenges of inventory management practices and systems in the South African automotive sector
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The study assesses the benefits and challenges of inventory management practices and systems in the South African automotive industry. The study used a qualitative approach in which focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted on 18 supply chain professionals drawn from the automotive sector in four provinces in South Africa. ATLAS.ti software was used to analyse data. The study generated two themes: the benefits and challenges of inventory management practices and systems. This study concludes that inventory management practices play a critical role within companies in the South African automotive sector since managing inventory is an indispensable part of the more extensive supply chain management (SCM) practice. Regarding inventory management challenges, SCM professionals find it difficult to retain the resilience required to adapt and react to any disruptive circumstances due to inadequate support from the South African government. Also, it appeared difficult to deal with this challenge as some companies within the South African automotive sector have limited resources, making it extremely difficult to deal with uncertainties when they arise.