Donovan Chimhandamba
CEO of Nyanza Light MetalsKeynote Speaker
Topic: Interconnected roles of engineers, capital markets, and political economy in driving Africa’s industrialization
Bio:
Donovan attained a B.Eng. (Hons) Industrial & Manufacturing as well as an MBA and began his career as an Industrial and Manufacturing Engineer at Engen Petroleum Refinery in Durban. He later moved on and occupied senior roles at PPC Cement, Vesuvius, National Empowerment Fund and Group Five. In 2011 he founded ArkeinCapital Partners with Anglo-American’s Sishen Iron Ore Community Development Trust which managed the R9 billion trust fund. Under Arkein Capital Partners, Donovan also founded Nyanza Light Metals in 2011, Razorite Healthcare Fund in 2014 with the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG) in 2016.
Nalini Sooknanan
Corporate Specialist in System Dynamics at EskomWorkshop Presenter
Workshop Title: Enhancing Systems Thinking Skills through Games
Bio:
Nalini is a Corporate Specialist in System Dynamics at Eskom. She then worked as a production engineer in the steelmaking industry, where she dealt with line expansion and optimisation projects. In 1997, she joined Eskom’s Research business unit where she was involved in generation plant related research, as well as the development of knowledge-management diagnostic programs. In 2008, she managed generation engineering research activities. At the end of 2011, she set up the Eskom System Dynamics Centre, while completing her Masters in Sustainable Energy Engineering at the University of Cape Town. In 2018, she assumed the executive role of Eskom Corporate Specialist in System Dynamics and completed her PhD in Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University. Nalini has authored several internationally recognised papers using a system dynamics modelling approach, and guest lectures at various universities. She is a founding member of the South African System Dynamics Chapter and held the post of President for several years. She started the very first System Dynamics Conference in South Africa (and Africa) in 2013. She is the author of the “Applied System Dynamics using South African Case Studies” book being used at universities.
Workshop content:
While everyone has the potential to develop systems thinking skills, not everyone naturally approaches problems or situations from a systems perspective. Some individuals may naturally have a propensity for systems thinking, while others may need to consciously develop this skill through education, training, or practice. Additionally, cultural, educational, and environmental factors can influence the extent to which people engage in systems thinking. However, with effort and exposure to systems thinking
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
The workshop aims to provide insights into the dynamic interdependencies of various components within a system and how changes in one aspect can ripple through the entire system over time. Participants will learn practical techniques to conceptualize and get a handle on a systems thinking way of tackling problems through interactive group building games.
Rudolph Oosthuizen
Professor at Graduate School of Technology Management, University of PretoriaWorkshop Co-Presenter of Workshop Titled: Enhancing Systems Thinking Skills through Games
Bio:
Rudolph joined SA Air Force in 1990 to obtain a B.Eng (Elec 1994), B.Eng (Hons) (Indus 1998) and MEM (2002) from UP. In the SA Air Force performed systems engineering roles in Electronic Warfare and Command and Control. In 2008 he joined Defence Peace Safety and Security (DPSS) at the CSIR as a Senior Systems Engineer supporting various Command and Control related projects. He obtained a PhD in Engineering Management at UP in 2015. Rudolph has initially the focussed was on modelling of Command and Control systems for requirements capturing as well as concept development. Of special interest was modelling of the human element in the sociotechnical system, focussing on cognitive and human factors using Model Based Systems Engineering practices and processes. Currently, Rudolph focuses on implementing Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for decision support and situation awareness. Since April 2023 he has been appointed as an associate professor at the GSTM for the Systems Engineering and Systems Thinking course modules. Rudolph has more than 20 years experience in conceptual system modelling and is registered as a Professional Engineer with ECSA and is also a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) with INCOSE. When not working, researching or researching Rudolph spends his time on reading, photography, precision shooting and birdwatching.
Workshop content:
While everyone has the potential to develop systems thinking skills, not everyone naturally approaches problems or situations from a systems perspective. Some individuals may naturally have a propensity for systems thinking, while others may need to consciously develop this skill through education, training, or practice. Additionally, cultural, educational, and environmental factors can influence the extent to which people engage in systems thinking. However, with effort and exposure to systems thinking.
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
The workshop aims to provide insights into the dynamic interdependencies of various components within a system and how changes in one aspect can ripple through the entire system over time. Participants will learn practical techniques to conceptualize and get a handle on a systems thinking way of tackling problems through interactive group building games.
Larissa Liebenberg
Industrial Engineer at Discovery InsureWorkshop Presenter
Workshop Title: Amazon Web Services' QuickSight: Creating dashboards and powerful analytics for your business
Bio:
Larissa is an Industrial Engineering graduate from the University of Pretoria who demonstrates a sound academic background having made the Dean's List and Golden Key recipient during her studies (2019-2023). She demonstrated her passion for IEs and their well-roundedness, serving as a member of the Tuks SAIIE committee as an undergraduate.
She is in her second year of work at Discovery Insure, working as the first Industrial Engineer on their Telematics team. Her interest lies in leveraging the data available at the company to bridge and close the gap between complex technology and our partners and clients. She strives to convey and realise the benefits of Industrial Engineering techniques in this space and to translate and adapt these concepts for the vehicle insurance, telematics and internet of things space.
Workshop content:
This workshop will demonstrate how QuickSight - a powerful business analytics and visualisation tool created by Amazon Web Services - can be used in industry, with the example of telematics and vehicle insurance at Discovery Insure. Attendees will have the opportunity to follow along in a demonstration to create a dashboard from scratch. A sample dataset will be provided to attendees and we will then build the dashboard starting with uploading data into AWS, building the dashboard, setting up anomaly detection to detect and notify of any data outliers, and finally publishing the dashboard. We will also cover how to automate refreshing the dashboard and creating an email schedule to send the dashboard out to a recipient/group of recipients. In practice, this recipient or group of recipients could be an individual or team at your company with a specific interest in the data or a need to keep a close eye on trends and anomalies.
Benefit of attending this Workshop:
- Learn how to create a dashboard in Amazon Web Services QuickSight from scratch
- Learn the benefits of using QuickSight over other dashboard creation tools
- Learn how data visibility can illuminate opportunities and shortcomings in your business
Sydney Theko
Senior Project Manager at Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC)Workshop Presenter
Workshop Title: Standardize work and Illuminate
Bio:
Sydney has over 24 years in the Automotive Industry where he accumulated extensive experience in Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering and Project Engineering. His career began at Robert Bosch where he led several layout and work study related improvements. He worked for companies such as Robert Bosch as Junior Industrial Engineer, Mercedes-Benz as Industrial Engineer responsible for the Bodyshop area and the plant productivity, Volkswagen SA as Process Project Engineer for the launch of the VW250 Polo, Ford Motor Company as Launch Engineer for the T6 Ford Ranger Project. Sydney is currently working for the Automotive Industry Development Centre as a Senior Project manager. He studied National Diploma at Wits Technikon, B-Tech in Industrial Engineering through UNISA. Sydney has a master's in industrial engineering obtained through Tshwane University of Technology. Sydney has also worked as part-time lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology's Industrial Engineering department.
He has been a speaker at the following conferences: The Lean Summit 2014, The Lean Summit 2018, SAIIE Annual conference 2016, SAIIE Annual conference 2019, and the AIDC Kaizen Seminar in 2014 and 2017.
Workshop content:
The workshop is about learning methods to standardize processes thereby making it easy to identify abnormalities. "When the house is illuminated, it is easy to recognise that something is wrong once there is darkness in the same house". Standardize work and Illuminate Workshop is based on Toyota Production System (TPS) which seeks to produce and supply parts Just-In-Time and also empowers operators to stop the production line once there is abnormality in their process (JIDOKA). The Standardized Work organises and defines operator’s motion to achieve the SAFETY of all people working in the area, to ensure the best QUALITY of products that are produced in the area and to achieve the highest EFFICIENCY and robustness of the processes involved.
This practical training will impart knowledge to the attending delegates on how to achieve the safety, quality and efficiencies required to build the products to the customer’s satisfaction.
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
Standardized work is a very important TPS concept with its main benefits being the following:
- It confirms the production method – This assist in achieving high quality as it ensures that the process is conducted the same way even when different people are carrying out this process
- It allocates full workload (operator utilisation) – It ensures that each one of the operators is utilized to the optimal level
- It identifies Kaizens – It helps to bring out abnormalities and therefore institutes the need to carry out Kaizen activities
Estie Boshoff
Industrial Engineer at dataGambitWorkshop Presenter
Workshop Title: Illuminating the supply chain: A data modelling approach
Bio:
Estie is an enthusiastic and passionate person and enjoys working with people and in teams. She has a strong sense of responsibility. She enjoys thinking, exploring and analyzing different ways of looking at problems and how to resolve them. She is passionate about quality and detail, but relish in also seeing the bigger picture. She is a registered Industrial Engineer with ECSA.
Workshop content:
The workshop will be interactive and engaging, centering on the use of data modeling techniques to illuminate supply chain operations and their associated relationships. Data modeling concepts will be reintroduced to participants and present a case study focusing on SDG12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns). Participants will then apply these techniques to understand the relationships between relevant entities, demonstrating the real-world impact of data modeling on supply chain management.
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
- Understanding data modelling entities and relationships
- Using data modelling as a communication tool
- Showcasing data modelling link/potential impact on SDG
Anthea Venter
Lecturer at Department of Industrial Engineering, University of PretoriaWorkshop Co-Presenter of Workshop Titled: Illuminating the supply chain: A data modelling approach
Bio:
Anthea is an Industrial Engineer with experience across mining, digital advertising, geospatial, and pharmaceutical industries. Currently, she is privileged to work in the Industrial & Systems Engineering Department at the University of Pretoria, where she merges her passions for people, teaching/mentoring, and research. Beyond her professional pursuits, she finds solace in the beauty of nature and spending quality time with her loved ones exploring new foodie havens both near and far.
Workshop content:
The workshop will be interactive and engaging, centering on the use of data modeling techniques to illuminate supply chain operations and their associated relationships. Data modeling concepts will be reintroduced to participants and present a case study focusing on SDG12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns). Participants will then apply these techniques to understand the relationships between relevant entities, demonstrating the real-world impact of data modeling on supply chain management.
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
- Understanding data modelling entities and relationships
- Using data modelling as a communication tool
- Showcasing data modelling link/potential impact on SDG
Cecil Lourens
Senior Consultant at Polar Analytics & Blue Stallion TechnologiesWorkshop Presenter
Workshop Title: An interactive Anylogic Workshop for modelling the transport and handling of agricultural (and mining) commodities
Bio:
Cecil is a Senior Simulation Engineer with a strong foundation in chemical and mechanical engineering, focusing on simulation modeling for supply chain optimization, warehousing, and mining operations. Educated at the University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, and University of Johannesburg, Cecil has led projects enhancing logistics, automation, and control systems across various sectors. His expertise in applying deep machine learning for process improvement is notable. Currently, he serves as a Senior Consultant at Polar Analytics & Blue Stallion Technologies, with a career that includes roles at Hatch Africa, AspenTech SA, and Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions, making significant contributions to operational excellence and innovation.
Workshop content:
This workshop offers a hands-on exploration into the simulation of bulk materials, such as grain, utilizing the Anylogic Software application which is well known for its application in both academic and industrial contexts. Participants will engage in a comprehensive learning experience, focusing on the practical aspects of the simulation process and the detailed steps involved in creating an illustrative model. The session will introduce techniques for modeling bulk commodities, illustrating the transition between continuous representations and discrete agents for effective transport simulation. Further, the workshop will cover the process of enhancing models through cloud-based experiments, providing an overview of both the theoretical and practical elements of simulation modeling.
Benifits of attending this Workshop:
Understanding the process of building dynamic simulation models, and understanding the fundamentals of Anylogic Simulation Software. Participants will be introduced to hybrid modelling where different modelling paradigms are mixed within one simulation model. In this case Agent Based with Discrete event and Fluid Flow.