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The skills shortage in the supply chain industry in South Africa is much touted but underresearched. The research conducted attempts to identify the skills sets typically required by supply chain organisations as well as those skills areas that are the most challenging to fill, thus identifying the critical skills shortages in South Africa. The study includes benchmarking with international trends, conclusions and identification of key areas for future research.

Background: Whilst there are separate streams of established research on lean, green and best practice initiatives, the intersection of these three strategic principles has not been addressed extensively in the past.Objectives: In this study a framework to integrate lean, green and best practice principles into an integrated business model was developed as a strategy for businesses to develop sustainable competitive advantages.Method: A descriptive case study was conducted on Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) to understand whether a clear link between the company’s environmental approach, lean principles and established best practice culture could be determined. In addition, the case study tested the view that the implementation of these three principles concurrently resulted in improved business results.Results: The main findings of the study revealed that TSAM’s commitment to lean, green and best practice business principles contributed and was directly linked to its business success in terms of sales and market position.Conclusion: It is recommended that businesses implement an integrated lean, green and best practice business model as a strategy to reduce costs and sustainably enhance profitably and competitiveness.