The above was presented during the 37th Annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition, held at the Sun City Resort in May 2015.

1. Department of Basic Education
(DBE) Workbook Project
PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDING A LIFE-LINE
FOR LEARNERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2. Setting the scene
Approx 11 mil children of school going age in SA
DBE provides over 60 mil
workbooks to students in
foundation and intermediary
phase
The Lebone Litho Paarl Media Joint
Venture makes up the extensive printing
footprint to support this enormous
project
UTi Distribution is the largest and most
respected courier and logistics company
in South Africa

3. The scale of the operation

4. The scale of the operation
Project objective :
Each learner receives workbooks in the RIGHT Quantity and RIGHT Language for
all the RIGHT subjects, delivered to the RIGHT schools at the RIGHT time
“Quality education is supported by high quality learning and teaching support materials”
Angie Motshekga: Minister Basic Education

5. The scale of the operation
60 million workbooks in 11 languages
Two volumes of workbooks
per student per year – all
grades
GR R learners – Four
volumes per year
26 000 public schools
90 day print, pick, pack and
distribution cycle
35 day distribution cycle

6. The scale of the operation

7. Our Facility

8. Our Facility

9. Opening Act

10. Opening Act
• Started the project flying blind
• Lacked understanding of:
» Data constraints/ inaccuracies – geo codes
» Resource requirements and delivery branch constraints
» Tender - Terms of Reference (TOR) compliances
Threw money at it Reputational risks – political playing field

11. Opening Act
UTi as sole service provider to the JV as supplier to the DBE, initially kicked off
implementation aligned to the 2012 “as is” workbook distribution process inheriting:
• 3 regional distribution centres – operated by Paarl Media
• Johannesburg (11 000m2), Durban (19 000m2), Cape Town (16 000m2)
• Receiving of all printed stock
• Repacking into appropriate packs
• Warehousing until time for distribution
• Picking and distribution
• Linehaul of picked loads
• Fine distribution to schools through national distribution network
TOR’s dictated that payment by DBE to the JV then UTi all dependant on the return and
external audit of original POD’s

12. Then we wised up…

13. Then we wised up…
Johannesburg (11 000m2),
Durban (19 000m2),
Cape Town (16 000m2)
One DC Alrode GP (30 000m2)

14. Then we wised up…
• Understand challenges
– 26 million books per cycle / per volume ( 2 cycles / Volumes per
year) GR R 4 million books (4 cycles / Volumes per year)
– Artwork design and approval and Print cycle - 55 days
– Pick, Pack & Distribution to 26 000 schools – 35 days
– Understanding of terrain – 67% of schools in rural areas
– School holidays / School operating hours to receive books – half a
delivery day
– Weather (flooding), strikes, unrest
– Migration of students
– Changes with schools
– Payment only on original POD’s – stringent compliance
parameters

15. Then we wised up…
• Planning based on geo, our built data – start with the end date in mind
• Core skill of printing & publishing agreed with JV partners
• Linear integer programming model applied
• How to make profit through optimisation and being within 35 day delivery cycle and
maintain/improve satisfaction of staff.
• Centralised DC model born to reduce cost, improve stock control and service
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
120.0
140.0
160.0
CL D CL&D CL D CL&D CL D CL&D
FY13 actual FY14 actual FY15 budget
Rmillion
Revenue
Profit

16. Where we are

17. Where we are – producing
a fine act - Centralised One DC model
Warehouse sourced, designed and solution implemented
1 : Received
3 : Put-Away
3 : Put-Away
5:LabelandInduct
6:SortandPallet
8 : Dispatch
7 : Document Station
9:Returns
2:Repacking

18. Why a Centralised
Automation Model

19. Why Centralised Automation
Model?
• End to End Centralized Management
o One Management Team
o One central point for reporting
• Improved Stock Control
o Opening Stock Count before Distribution
o Cycle Counts during Distribution
o Closing Stock Count after Distribution
o Multiple facility Stock Management on one WMS
• Increased Productivity and Throughput
o Specialized staff per function maximizing productivity and quality
o 710 Orders per day – 89 Orders per Hour
o 213 picking tasks - 5 400 packs per hour – 16 pickers
o Throughput of 43 200 packs per day
o Dependent on packing configuration it can reach 750 000 books per
day
o Dispatching of 10 x 18m Line Haul Vehicles per day – 9 hours

20. Outcomes and Responses

21. Outcomes and responses
• Independently audited POD compliance by DBE auditors showed workbook deliveries to learners as:
• 2011 – Below 95% (Prior to UTi)
• 2012 – 98.4% (Year 1 – UTi)
• 2013 – 99.6% (Year 2 – UTi)
• 2014 – 99.6% (Year 3 – UTi)
• 2015 – 99.9% (Year 4 – UTi)
• Print Plans, Pick, Pack & Distribution plans per cycle are designed
and reported in Project Meetings for collaborative agreement and
signed off
• DBE
• Lebone Litho Printers
• Paarl Media
• UTi
• Project Delivery plans shared with JV Call Centre for school queries
– call centre operates in 11 languages
• All reporting by Official JV Projects Desk supported by all partners

22. Outcomes and responses
• The Overall Workbook project receives regular audits by DBE, their External Auditors, Auditor General as
well as internal and external audits in both the printing and logistics industries.
• Prior to 2013 the CAPS Education curriculum DBE workbooks (2 Volumes per learner per year), learners
received their workbooks just in time for their academic school year
– Eg Volume 1 workbook – Jan to June (received by the prior December)
– Eg Volume 2 workbook – July to December (received by the prior month (June)
• All improvement processes brought about the learners receiving their workbooks 6 months in advance
since 2013, which has resulted in immense customer satisfaction

23. Outcomes
• Collaboration of trust built – Government, JV and UTi
• DBE National ANA Data taken over by UTi Data Management
team – improved data accuracy.
• 1st Distribution from DC and on client data - 0.88% of books
returned due to incorrect data
• 2nd Distribution on UTi managed data - 0.44%.
• This contributes to the correct books at the correct time.
• Due to the better service and delivery of correct books
schools have shown an increase in the use of workbooks and
this can also be seen in the growth of the required books
dispatched from V1 of 24 705 885 to V2 of 25 503 520

24. Outcomes
Learners have an aid to enhance their learning in their own language across
South Africa ensuring the country receives a quality education and a brighter
educated future
The total Workbook Project provides employment for 5600 people as well as
SMME’s being supported and developed
Employees have gained skills through developed training programmes in the
printing and publishing as well as the Distribution and Contract Logistics industry
Teachers have more time to spend on teaching than lesson
preparation, therefore enhancing our quality of teaching

25. The greatest outcomes