13 May Technology transfer challenges
- Entrepreneurs should be aware of the technology-transfer challenges from one country to the next, when setting up a manufacturing plant, including purchasing equipment.
- There is no seamless transfer even when one buys the same machinery, e.g. the environmental conditions are different and the staff operating the machinery is different. Adjustments need to be made in physically re-assembling or re-configuring parts of the machinery.
- Entrepreneur’s staff need to be up-skilled. A technician from overseas may spend some time with local staff installing and operating the imported machine but this may not necessarily mean that skills and knowledge have been transferred to staff.
- Thus, interrogate how rigorous the training is, as follows:
- Is the overseas technician a competent trainer?
- Is the level of training given to the local staff of high quality?
- Are staff knowledgeable, skilled and competent after having received training?
- Can staff replicate the assembly and production process? Can they be declared competent?
- If a technical problem arises with the equipment, can staff troubleshoot and fix the problem? If not, is the manufacturer a reputable supplier with an after-care sales support office in South Africa to support staff when the machine does not work optimally?