Note from the Guest Editor

• Teresa Hattingh Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7166/35-3-3153

Abstract

“To tell a good story and to illuminate the world: the two things are completely linked. That is the point.” - Robert Harris

This year, the annual Special Edition presents the best work from the 34th Conference of the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE34), held from 14 to 16th October 2024 on the banks of the Vaal River in South Africa. And what a spectacular and illuminating conference this was!

The industrial engineering community in Southern Africa is very special. The conference brings this community together - the academics, practitioners, thought leaders and a few individuals with very crazy ideas. For many, the conference is the highlight of their year, a break from everyday tasks and the pressures of the workplace. It creates a safe and energising place to breathe, think, dream and share brilliant ideas and thought-provoking questions.

Over the three days of the conference, emerging and established researchers in South Africa showcased the work that they are doing to tackle global and local challenges. As they tell their stories, they illuminate the complexities of problems and innovative solutions to solve them.

This Special Edition includes some of the best work presented at the conference. The papers that are included in this Special Edition undergo the same double-blind peer review process as the journal, using the journal’s criteria. The papers chosen for this edition were selected based on reviewer rankings and a final check of their quality and suitability by the journal editors.

I trust that you will find time as the year comes to an end to read some of the stories included in this Special Edition. I hope that in these stories you are able to see light that illuminates a path on your journey in the year ahead.

Teresa Hattingh
Guest editor