Scoping review : factors, threats and opportunities of outsourcing maintenance activities in the South African pulp and paper industry

Abstract

ENGLISH : Outsourcing is a tool to realise the strategic intent of an organisation. Before outsourcing maintenance services, the maintenance manager should consider the relevant factors, opportunities, and threats. The study aimed to perform a scoping review of the applicable factors, opportunities, and threats in the pulp and paper industry. The review also aimed to determine whether there was a gap in the literature from a South African perspective. Scopus and Web of Science were used as databases to collect 21 articles published from 2002 to 2021. Using ATLAS.ti, 11 categories in these articles were coded, and Sankey diagrams were used to visualise the data. The percentage strength of the correlations indicated recurring themes in the literature. The results found strategy through targeted outsourcing of non-core activities (50%), supplier performance (53%), and employee impact (15%) to be critical factors. Cost reduction (42%) and access to vendor expertise (21%) were key opportunities, while poor supplier performance (29%) and loss of organisational know-how (33%) were key threats. As a recurring theme, outsourcing was found to be common to industries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Based on the findings of the scoping review, it was concluded that there was an opportunity to explore the local context. It was recommended to use the findings and to determine whether these factors, threats, and opportunities could be applied to the South African context.AFRIKAANS ; Uitkontraktering is 'n instrument om die strategiese voorneme van 'n organisasie te verwesenlik. Voor die uitkontraktering van instandhoudingsdienste moet die instandhoudingsbestuurder die relevante faktore, geleenthede en bedreigings oorweeg. Die studie het ten doel gehad om 'n omvangryke oorsig van die toepaslike faktore, geleenthede en bedreigings in die pulp- en papierbedryf uit te voer. Die oorsig het ook ten doel gehad om te bepaal of daar 'n gaping in die literatuur vanuit 'n Suid-Afrikaanse perspektief was. Scopus en Web of Science is as databasisse gebruik om 21 artikels te versamel wat tussen 2002 en 2021 gepubliseer is. Deur gebruik te maak van ATLAS.ti is 11 kategorieë in hierdie artikels gekodeer, en Sankey-diagramme is gebruik om die data te visualiseer. Die persentasie sterkte van die korrelasies het herhalende temas in die literatuur aangedui. Die resultate het bevind dat strategie deur geteikende uitkontraktering van nie-kernaktiwiteite (50%), verskaffersprestasie (53%) en werknemersimpak (15%) kritieke faktore was. Kostevermindering (42%) en toegang tot verskafferskundigheid (21%) was sleutelgeleenthede, terwyl swak verskaffersprestasie (29%) en verlies aan organisatoriese kundigheid (33%) sleutelbedreigings was. As 'n herhalende tema is bevind dat uitkontraktering algemeen voorkom in nywerhede in Europa, Asië en Noord-Amerika. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van die omvangsoorsig, is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat daar 'n geleentheid was om die plaaslike konteks te verken. Daar is aanbeveel om die bevindinge te gebruik en te bepaal of hierdie faktore, bedreigings en geleenthede op die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks toegepas kan word.