The lack of maintenance engineering performance is one of the main causes of poor service delivery. In a passenger rail company, maintenance engineering performance is measured using several parameters, which include the ability of the organisation to upgrade and replace its fleet, the availability of spares, skills availability, information flow, and information technology. The aim of this study was to investigate the situation in a passenger rail company in South Africa in order to determine whether its supply chain management practices would influence business performance and, in this case, maintenance engineering performance. After a chi-square test was done, the results showed that there was a positive influence by supply chain management practices on business performance.

The article looks into the influence that supply chain management has in the operations of a passenger rail company in South

Previous studies of supply chain management systems have attempted to focus on transportation, logistics, storage space planning, and time-to-delivery. The biggest challenge for large organisations like the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, which has a presence throughout South Africa, is trying to manage all stores efficiently and effectively. This article looks at these challenges, and provides a virtual store framework model to understand the scope and magnitude of an integrated logistics model approach. Geographical information systems were applied to the virtual store to determine an efficient route for transporting components between stores. Furthermore, the authors identified the major aspects and impacts of a virtual store system in a rail passenger transport operation. This was done through on-site studies and a review of the literature on virtual stores. The model was tested on a case study that produced results that include time and cost as the variables for decision-making. OPSOMMINGVorige studies in voorsieningskettingbestuur het meestal probeer fokus op vervoer, logistiek, stoorspasie beplanning, en afleweringstyd. Een van die grootste uitdagings in 'n groot organisasie soos PRASA, wat regoor Suid-Afrika strek, is om alle store doeltreffend en effektief te bestuur. Hierdie artikel ondersoek hierdie uitdagings, en stel 'n virtuele stoor raamwerk model voor om die omvang en grootte van so 'n geïntegreerde model benadering te verstaan. Verder het die outeurs belangrike aspekte en impakte van 'n virtuele stoorstelsel in 'n spoorweg passasiersvervoer organisasie geïdentifiseer. Hierdie is gedoen deur gebruik te maak van studies op die perseel en 'n literatuur oorsig van virtuele store. Toetsing van die model het tyd en koste as veranderlikes in die besluitnemingsproses ingesluit.