Williams, Hansell Hatfield2007-02-152007-02-152007-02-15http://hdl.handle.net/10539/2000Student Number : 8609118F - MSc(Eng) project report - School of Electrical Engineering - Faculty of Engineering and the Built EnvironmentTechnical support organisations (TSOs) and service groups are becoming increasingly important in the upkeep and maintenance of the highly sophisticated and optimised automation equipment and systems that drive production in the mining and manufacturing industries. This study presents a methodology for designing and analysing the performance of a TSO, with a view to ongoing optimisation. The method of approach is the ‘System Dynamics’ (SD) simulation technique, which has at its core a mathematical model of the organisational unit, and which attempts to model its behaviour over time. The organisational design is based on Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) principles. It was found that the System Dynamics modelling approach was useful for a technical support organisation. For managers and organisational strategists, the quantitative ability of SD provides an intuitive and practical way to evaluate the impact of different structural and operational scenarios in response to ever-demanding business imperatives.1293685 bytesapplication/pdfenSystem DynamicsOrganisational SimulatorTechnical SupportThesis