North-West University (NWU) alumnus Chris van Dyk recently received the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering’s (SAIIE’s) Best Industrial Engineering Practitioner - Employer's Choice Award.

This award highlights his contributions to the field of agriculture and the respect he has earned from peers and employers as business analyst at Taaibosch Piggery.

Reflecting on his career path, Chris shares, "In my third year at the NWU, I started thinking about which industry I wanted to enter as an industrial engineer. I found that agriculture, with its increasing reliance on technology and data management, was intriguing. Interestingly, industrial engineering is still a relatively new field within the agricultural industry."

After graduating with a degree in industrial engineering in 2021, he opportunity for him to enter this sector came through a job opening shared by the School of Industrial Engineering. Chris applied for the position at Taaibosch, and the rest is history. “This marked the beginning of my career in agriculture as an industrial engineer," he says.

His work at Taaibosch presented him with unique challenges. "Working as an engineer at a piggery I had to take the initiative. To succeed, I realised that I needed to prioritise the success of others, which led to opportunities and successful projects."

Chris says receiving the SAIIE award made him reflect on the impact of his work. "This recognition made me understand the significance and relevance of my contributions. It also reinforced the importance of collaboration, to advance people, farms and the industry."

Chris is now focused on a long-term project to introduce a learning enterprise structure, inspired by the Toyota Way, to farming. The Toyota Way is a set of principles defining the organisational culture of Toyota. "A learning enterprise with a core philosophy of scientific thinking could benefit farms as businesses and improve the lives of those involved," he adds.

Chris is currently pursuing a master’s degree, and his research focuses on the relationship between farm administration and quality management. He continues to work as a business analyst for Taaibosch Piggery.

NWU alumnus Chris van Dyk receives the Best Industrial Engineering Practitioner - Employer's Choice Award from Mulatedzi Freddy Tshikala, a Council member of the SAIIE.