A study of Ericsson regarding manufacturing and its position in the company. At Ericsson manufacturing has a fairly high rank and is also involved in the product development process at an early stage. The responsibilities for developing manufacturing strategies are delegated to the people at the different plants. Some small differences and competition between the plants are accepted, as long as it does not have a bad influence on the result. Any cultural differences could however be a severe obstacle to realizing the strategies. Further studies could cover small and medium enterprises and their adoption of manufacturing strategies.

The competitive situation for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SME’s, has become intensified during the last few years. Large customers, such as within the automotive industry, have increased the outsourcing of their manufacturing capacity and reduced the number of suppliers. At the same time the large systems integrators place demands on their suppliers to actively participate in the product development and to take full responsibility for manufacturing as well as to deliver complete systems or subsystems. Due to the limited capacity of the suppliers, in terms of the scarcity of resources and limited knowledge base, suppliers need to collaborate in networks. The purpose of this study is to identify critical factors to successful network collaborative settings. In this paper we also introduce a four dimensional tentative framework, in terms of surface of integration, the scope of integration, the time horizon of integration, and the intensity of integration. This framework can be used to analyze how well collaborative networks are developed from three aspects of corporate integration, in terms of structural design of the network, the design of the work flow in collaborative settings, and aspect of handling the psychological and social boundaries among people, that management has to handle in order to increase the degrees of network collaboration. This tentative framework is suggested as an analytical tool that can be used in order to understand how different collaborative networks are developed in terms of the network constellation, output of the collaborative process, as well as duration and robustness of the network.

Continuous improvement techniques are important tools for enabling companies to improve their operations. The implementation of these techniques is however estimated to be quite different around the world. Continuous improvement is a thermometer that companies can use to feel their health in this hectic market. This paper compares two countries, Mexico and Sweden, which are considered to be quite different in culture and industrial structure, in terms of the use of continuous improvement tools and techniques, such as TQM, Kaizen, Six-Sigma, and Lean Manufacturing.

The surveys in the two countries are based on the same scale, sample size, and industrial sector. A definition of each of the key-words was included in the questionnaire. The results indicate both similarities and differences in the strengths and weaknesses of the companies. The companies can work on the results to benchmark themselves and they can reinforce their strengths as well as to reduce their weaknesses.

Competition has forced companies to collaborate in manufacturing network settings to be capably to deliver complete subsystems. We suggest in this paper an analytical tool to analyze the linkages between manufacturing strategies and design of production systems in collaborative manufacturing network settings. We show how this analytical tool might be used to analyze how companies in such networks synchronize their manufacturing strategies and production systems in terms of competitive priorities and synergies between them. The findings in this paper are based on a series of interviews with people at companies in a collaborative network delivering heavy vehicles.

It is extremely important that companies, working together in a system manufacturer/sub supplier relationship, agree on which strategic factors to prioritize. A mismatch could make the cooperation less successful than if they agree on the competitive priorities. A tool for evaluating the congruence between the manufacturing strategies and the existing manufacturing system has been described by Professor John Miltenburg (1995). Säfsten and Winroth (2001) developed this tool further. The purpose of this paper is to show one example of using this tool for a supply chain, i.e. for a system manufacturer and his sub suppliers.

This paper is based on findings from collaboration between a medium sized manufacturing company, traditionally manufacturing components to system integrators, and an inventor company. The companies are striving to develop, manufacture, and market a new product on a new market. Our research question is to identify barriers to product and market diversification. The study has been performed as a number of interviews and work-shops, where barriers and possibilities have been identified. In this paper we suggest an expeditionary approach to managing diversification as an alternative to traditional approaches, technology push and market pull. The expeditionary approach stresses that, in the context of SME:s, a network of companies needs to collaborate intensively with each other as well as with customers from the very early initiation of business idea, identifying the customer needs and functional requirements of the product, while simultaneously working on product specifications, manufacturing process design and marketing in a collaborative network of partners.

The competitive situation for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SME’s, has become intensified during the last few years. Large customers, such as within the automotive industry, have increased the outsourcing of their manufacturing capacity and reduced the number of suppliers. At the same time the large systems integrators place demands on their suppliers to actively participate in the product development and to take full responsibility for manufacturing as well as to deliver complete systems or subsystems. Due to the limited capacity of the suppliers, in terms of the scarcity of resources and limited knowledge base, suppliers need to collaborate in networks. The purpose of this study is to identify critical factors to successful network collaborative settings. In this paper we also introduce a four dimensional tentative framework, in terms of surface of integration, the scope of integration, the time horizon of integration, and the intensity of integration. This framework can be used to analyze how well collaborative networks are developed from three aspects of corporate integration, in terms of structural design of the network, the design of the work flow in collaborative settings, and aspect of handling the psychological and social boundaries among people, that management has to handle in order to increase the degrees of network collaboration. This tentative framework is suggested as an analytical tool that can be used in order to understand how different collaborative networks are developed in terms of the network constellation, output of the collaborative process, as well as duration and robustness of the network.

From a strategic manufacturing perspective, companies are facing challenges in finding a balance in what they do on their own and what their suppliers do. This balance requires some times that companies are outsourcing and sometimes insourcing activities. One conclusion is that outsourcing should be considered as a strategic decision that is not easily made by purchasing or operations departments. Many companies tend to outsource more and more of their manufacturing to specialists, which however does not mean that companies can afford to loose their competence in manufacturing. It is still essential that the companies, even though another company performs parts of the actual manufacturing, understand the special conditions for manufacturing. Otherwise they are not in a position where they can discuss product development, specification of the different tasks that they want the contractors to do, and they can certainly not make the right decisions when buying components and parts from suppliers. Outsourcing decisions also need to be strategically justifiable; outsourcing only for cost reasons is rarely successful. Outsourcing should provide other advantages in terms of improvement of competitive priorities. For different reasons, it may also end up in a situation where the company needs to insource previously outsourced activities.

Today’s business environment is dominated by change and uncertainty, and global competition is diminishing defined markets. Manufacturing success and survival are becoming more difficult to sustain and it is recognized that low cost and high quality alone are not enough to sustain firm’s competitive position in market place. Market uncertainty and frequent introductions of new products has created a growing need for responsive manufacturing systems. Thus, there is a growing demand for well-formulated and implemented manufacturing strategies which provide necessary support for developing and sustaining relevant order-winners and qualifiers, which enable rapid product realization as well as flexibility and reconfigurability within operations. The objective of this paper is to analyze and investigate flexible and reconfigurable production systems from a manufacturing strategy point of view. An ongoing research project in Sweden called Factory-in-a-Box will be presented which is one initiative in this area.

Today’s business environment is dominated by change and uncertainty, and global competition is diminishing defined markets. Manufacturing success and survival are becoming more difficult to sustain and it is recognized that low cost and high quality alone are not enough to sustain firm’s competitive position in market place. Market uncertainty and frequent introductions of new products has created a growing need for responsive manufacturing systems. Thus, there is a growing demand for well-formulated and implemented manufacturing strategies which provide necessary support for developing and sustaining relevant order-winners and qualifiers, which enable rapid product realization as well as flexibility and reconfigurability within operations. The objective of this paper is to analyze and investigate flexible and reconfigurable production systems from a manufacturing strategy point of view. An ongoing research project in Sweden called Factory-in-a-Box will be presented which is one initiative in this area.

Increasing focus on sustainability in society forces industrial companies to consider environmental impacts resulting from their activities. Unfortunately, research within the “environmental” domain has to a high degree evolved separately from the “manufacturing” domain, leading to poor understanding regarding how to manage environmental issues in a manufacturing context. To reduce this flaw, this paper takes the starting point in a manufacturing strategy perspective and analyses implications occurring from the inclusion of environmental issues in industrial companies. The paper suggests that concern for environmental issues influence more or less all of the manufacturing strategy decision criteria. Environmental concern may e.g. affect the decision on manufacturing process choice (e.g. new product technology may require new types of manufacturing processes) or on process technology (e.g. new manufacturing equipment are needed). Therefore, the paper concludes that it is paramount to consider environmental issues when formulating and effectuating the manufacturing strategy.

Man måste veta varför man automatiserar och hur det kan bidra till konkurrensförmågan. Alltför låg automation ger till exempel låg prestanda och höga kostnader. En för hög automation leder bland annat till höga investeringskostnader och svårhanterliga produktionssystem. Ett lämpligt val av automationsnivå leder däremot till strategiska fördelar och konkurrenskraft.

Automation decisions are often based on vague ideas that it is always good to automate and thus reducing manpower. These decisions need however to be linked to company manufacturing strategies. If we study the manufacturing strategy field, we can see that these decisions give large consequences in many decision categories. Articles on manufacturing strategy content have been written by e.g. Skinner (1969), Wheelwright & Hayes (1985), Ward et al (1996), Hill (1995), and Swink & Way (1995). Hayes and Wheelwright (1984) developed the content, in terms of decision criteria, as they provided examples of decisions characteristics. This article reviews existing theory on manufacturing strategy content and highlights the implications for manufacturing strategy process when adding more decision characteristics from automation.

This paper report results from a project that deals with manufacturing strategy in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The project followed an interactive research approach in an iterative manner through four main phases. With these four phases as a foundation, four case studies were carried out. As the project evolved, it became clear that the chosen research approach played a crucial role for the achieved results, which is also what this paper focuses upon. The paper argues that through an interactive research approach, working intensively together with the companies, we have been able to develop an easy-to-use tool that the companies can use and update as needed. The companies have all increased their knowledge on manufacturing strategy as a way of improving competiveness, The research team has increased the knowledge on how manufacturing strategy can be made available and useful for SMEs, and gathered this into an easy-to-use tool, the STRATEGO-tool.

Automated manufacturing systems are regarded as highly productive, which improves company’s competitiveness. Many companies consider automation as either fully automated or entirely manual. This is never true since there is always a combination of automated and manual tasks. The delicate issue is to choose the level of automation, LoA, which is best for the purpose. When planning and implementing automated manufacturing systems, a large number of issues need to be considered. Traditional manufacturing strategy theory however treats automation as one subset of process technology decision category. In our research we have come to the conclusion that automation decisions affect much more of the company’s operation activities. Thus, there is a need for developing the manufacturing strategy field in order to embrace relevant aspects/decisions in all of the decision categories. This paper aims at bridging the gap in traditional manufacturing strategy theory and highlights the additional decisions that are necessary in order to cover automation.

The authors suggest a decision support tool that highlights the different actions that are needed when changing the level of automation in manufacturing systems.

Modern manufacturing systems are often semi-automated, i.e. integrating both manual and automated operations. How, and even if, automation should be realized are often ad hoc decisions and not based on structured decision making. This paper examines three approaches to automation decisions: top-down, bottom-up, and contingency. Top management initiates a top-down approach to automation of production. On the contrary, when the decision about automation stems from e.g. the operators, a bottom-up approach is applied. We propose a third way, the contingency approach, which links decisions regarding automation to manufacturing strategies and competitive priorities of the company. Making automation decisions is one of several decision areas that emerge as a consequence of choosing a certain type of production system. The paper discusses important factors for the success of different approaches. Different approaches are illustrated with examples from Swedish manufacturing industry.

Automating manufacturing systems potentially improves competitiveness. Empirical studies show that the most successful result is achieved when decisions concerning automation are linked to the manufacturing strategies and competitive priorities of the company. It is suggested that automation is regarded as a separate decision group, within the manufacturing strategy content field.

Automation is a way to improve competitiveness. Previous studies have shown that best results of automa-tion decisions are reached if decisions are integrated in the company’s manufacturing strategy. Automation decisions comprise much more than just the very choice to automate and many aspects need to be taken into account. In this article, we describe new demands that are raised on the strategy process when automa-tion is integrated in the manufacturing strategy. Furthermore, the implementation of automation strategies calls for a number of issues to take into consideration.

Automated manufacturing systems are regarded as highly productive, thus improving company competitiveness. Many companies consider automation as either fully automated or entirely manual. Automation is however always a combination of automated and manual tasks. The problem is to choose the most appropriate level of automation at every occasion. Traditional manufacturing strategy theory treats automation as one subset of process technology decision category and thus the whole area has to be further developed. The authors suggest a new approach to automation that links strategy formulation to the different actions involved when changing the level of automation in manufacturing systems.

The globalization that has occurred during the last few years has made it more important for companies to have a well-functioning logistics system. Customers demand more options, which lead to an increased flow that creates greater demand regarding packaging and transports. Diverse logistics costs are nowadays a substantial cost for many companies. Therefore, more effort is aimed at optimizing transportation to lower these costs.

The purpose of this project is to create a user-friendly calculation of logistics costs that illustrates how the costs vary, depending on how the flow is structured. This is done by examining which aspects that affect the total logistics costs and by mapping which aspects that should be included in a calculation of the logistics costs.

Literature studies have been carried out parallel with empirical studies at Scania's production unit, MC, in Oskarshamn. A calculation of logistics costs is created for them with the purpose of making the materials supply system more efficient. Purchasing agreements are negotiated by Scania’s headquarters in Södertälje, whereas Scania Oskarshamn would like to evaluate the supplier suggestions from a logistics perspective. The company has declared that they are in need of a user-friendly calculation of logistics costs that can be used by many different employees.

An analysis of the current situation is carried out in order to create a broad foundation of knowledge, regarding what aspects are most important to include in the calculation before creating it. The situation analysis is done through interviews and observations at the company. It shows that there are many different flows, both concerning internal material handling as well as transportation flows from suppliers to Scania Oskarshamn. As a consequence of this, a lot of effort is put into finding ways of simplifying the flows without decreasing the quality of the calculation, meaning its validity.

The calculation includes five options: weight, volume, packaging, number of boxes on a EUR-pallet, and number of articles in a package. Further, it contains two different parts; one of them is a calculation of transportation costs and the other is a calculation of internal handling. The transportation calculation is founded on data from invoices, gathered and compiled during one year. The calculation of internal handling is founded on handling costs that occur depending on what packages the articles are delivered in, from the supplier. Many of the costs that occur cannot be ascribed to a certain category of packages. Therefore, the allocation of costs is done through allocation keys, according to Activity-Based Costing. The allocations of costs vary in the different areas, because it has not been possible to identify allocation keys to all of them.

Finally a discussion takes place, concerning the aspects included in the current calculation against those mentioned in the literature. It is also discussed how other companies can make use of the result of this project, to create a calculation of logistics costs for their own business.

In today’s constantly changing environment globalization offers opportunities as well as threats to manufacturing companies. One trend in industry is that to meet customer demands and global competition, manufacturing companies need to frequently introduce new products to the market at the right time and cost. Another trend is that manufacturing companies relocate their production sites abroad. Therefore, in this thesis the context is global development projects, which includes both new product development and production relocation projects. The global dimension implies that team members are located in different countries. Integration between team members, which in this thesis refers to interaction processes involving information exchange on the one hand and collaboration or cooperation on the other, is therefore a challenge.

Even if much research exists with regard to integration, integration across national borders in global development projects has not been addressed to a greater extent. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to expand the analysis of integration in global development projects in order to gain insights regarding the use of different integration mechanisms. The thesis specifically addresses the influence of national cultural and linguistic differences on integration as well as the use of various integration mechanisms. The results originate from one longitudinal case study of a global new product development project and two retrospective case studies including global new product development and production relocation projects.

In general, it is concluded that in global development projects national cultural and linguistic differences amplify integration difficulties among project team members who belong to different functions. The comparison of the three global development projects indicated that some of the integration mechanisms worked and were used to integrate team members from different functions, while others did not work as intended. Therefore, this thesis argues that there is a need for a diverse set of integration mechanisms that depend on the context of a global development project and specifically on national cultural and linguistic differences.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) typically outsource the industrialization of components to suppliers. Hence, the OEMs are dependent on the suppliers’ capabilities to perform industrialization projects. However, suppliers often experience various difficulties when involved in the OEMs’ product development projects. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to explore challenges that suppliers face during industrialization projects, their causes and the effects. Actions to mitigate these challenges are further explored. Based on an in-depth single case study at a Swedish supplier from the metal components industry, the study resulted in seven challenging issues during industrialization projects from a supplier perspective.

Although important research has been carried out, knowledge on bridges between the R&D and manufacturing occupational communities in a cross - national context is lacking. Much of the research has emphasized on the different bridges - tools, object, practices, brokers designed by the company to bridge the occupational communities. To lesser extent scholars have observed the emergence of individuals who can assist in bridging occupational communities divided by the boundaries of language and national culture.

Drawing on qualitative interviews with persons belonging to a Swedish large manufacturing company, this paper describes and examines the emergent role of an engineer from an R&D center in China as a mediator of the two occupational communities. Based on community of practice theory, this study regards R&D in Sweden and the manufacturing site in China as members of two interdependent occupational communities that struggle to communicate due to barriers created by geographical distance – i.e. language and cultural distance. The findings suggest that the mediator from the R&D center in China may serve as an appropriate organizational solution in situation where geographical distance exist. The mediator role provides not only technical support, but also helps to crate shared meanings and facilitates the communication between R&D in Sweden and the manufacturing site in China. This study contributes to the R&D management theory by addressing an effective way to facilitate cross-cultural communication between engineers that are geographically distant during new product development.

Many Scandinavian companies choose to invest in new manufacturing facilities in Central European or Asian countries. This complicates the production start-up of both existing and new products. This paper compares production start-ups of new and existing products in a new and off-shore manufacturing facility in Poland. Consequently, the aim is to enhance the understanding of factors critical to achieve the desired production start-up targets. The factors identified in the study are in line with the previous literature. Nonetheless, this study emphasizes on the factors related to people which turned to be of the most importance for the timely production start-up.

In this paper we analyse the use of form postponement based on the positioning of the differentiation point and stocking policy. Six classes of manufacturing configurations are identified based on the choice of whether or not form postponement is employed and the decision regarding the stocking policy for the final product configurations as well as for the generic component. Analytical evaluation methods based on queuing models are used to assess operational measures for each class of configuration and solution algorithms are developed todetermine the optimal positioning of the differentiation point and the optimalstocking levels. This allows us to compare the relative merits of all manufacturingconfigurations based on their respective best performances. The results of anumerical experiment show how different operational parameters may influencethe choice of optimal configuration, the preference of early or late postponement,and the relative cost savings obtained from employing form postponement.

This article aims to examine the cost or benefit implications of employing postponement in the manufacturingenvironments characterised by non-negligible changeover times incurred when switching production from oneproduct to another. Four manufacturing configurations are distinguished based on the choice of manufacturingtechnology and on whether or not postponement is employed. Analytical evaluation methods based on queuingmodels are used to assess operational measures for each configuration and solution algorithms are developedto determine the optimal decisions that may include stocking level, batch size and differentiation point.A numerical experiment is carried out to identify how the system performance is affected by different parameters.

This chapter has been triggered by the experience that the implementation of new information technology (IT) supporting planning, scheduling, and control – although being more sophisticated than earlier systems – does not necessarily result in better control. Also, the experience was made that the implementation of the same IT leads to different results in similar organisations. Against this background, we introduce a process model of control (Sect. 10.2). The model proposes a set of interrelated factors determining control. At its core it assumes that control results as a fit of control requirements and control behaviour. The former is determined by operational uncertainties the latter by control opportunities, control skills and control motivation. Since the implementation of a new IT can have an impact on all these factors it can lead to a misfit of control behaviour and control requirements and hence to low control – even if the new IT itself is more powerful than the old IT. Furthermore, we also discuss motivational influences these changes may have on human behaviour (Sect. 10.3). Finally we derive some practical dos and don’ts when implementing new IT (Sect. 10.4).

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how a multinational company in the automotive industry manages its suppliers in order to increase the environmental sustainability performance of its supply chain. To fulfill this purpose, a research question has been established:

1. How can a manufacturer manage its suppliers in order to increase the environmental sustainability performance of its supply chain?

Method: The thesis is conducted using a qualitative research approach which utilizes the method of a single case study, including multiple interviews. All interviews conducted are semi-structured using an interview guide and ethical considerations. Additionally, the empirical findings were supported by organizational documents.

Findings: The findings discuss five supplier management approaches that are used frequently in order to increase environmental sustainability within the supply chain. The five approaches consist of sourcing, supplier code of conduct (including standards and certificates), assessment, collaboration, and organizational culture. The different approaches are used strategically, starting off with the importance of sourcing capable suppliers from the beginning, where assessing them within relevant areas is vital. Continuously assessing the suppliers in order to keep track of their performance and improvement is useful to make sure that the performance exceeds the basic requirements and identify areas to improve. Collaborating on different aspects is then conducted in order to improve and develop the identified areas. Lastly, organizational culture is proven to have a strong influence on how the environmental sustainability performance within an organization is doing.

Implications: The research did not contribute to any new theories but did, however, increase the overall knowledge of how supplier management is used to increase the environmental sustainability within a supply chain. It showed the strong connection between theory and how it is done in practice, as well as areas in need of implementation in practice. Moreover, the research shows that management approaches should be used holistically and simultaneously in order to reach the best results.

Limitations: The study is a single case study where a limited number of interviews have been conducted. In order to increase the credibility, a multiple-cases study with more interviews could have been conducted.

How companies choose to distribute their products is becoming increasingly importantin an ever-evolving market. Today, Elgiganten logistics is one of the leading departmentstore chains in Sweden with a wide range of home electronics, white goods and entirekitchens. The electrical giant strives to improve its current way of distributing kitchencountertops to the distribution center and then on to the end customer. The problemunderlying the study is that Elgiganten distributes its kitchen worktops in packagingthat is far too large for the worktop. This leads to unused space in the truck thatdistributes the goods to the distribution center. The reason the company uses thismethod of distribution is to ensure that the countertop reaches the distribution centerwithout damage.The purpose of the study is to improve the handling of kitchen worktops of differentsizes, which can save the company resources. The thesis has been carried out atElgiganten's warehouse in Torsvik. All empirical evidence has been collected in thewarehouse in the form of interviews, observations and literature studies. In order to getan overall picture of Elgiganten's operations in Torsvik, a current situation mapping hasbeen carried out. A flow analysis of Elgiganten's three main suppliers for worktops withpackaging has been carried out, where the suppliers' different ways of distributingworktops with packaging have been identified. Based on the collected data as well ashelp from relevant methods and theories, action proposals have been designed whichcan give the company better opportunities to handle worktops with packaging. Thesuggested measures that have been given have included a new design for the packagingfor worktops, suggestions for how the degree of filling in the packaging can beincreased and changing the material on the packaging to reduce waste.Finally, there is a discussion about conclusions and recommendations, implications aswell as further research and work for the company.

Abstract 

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine how medical device providers can improve procurement operations and thereby improve the performance of the entire supply chain. To achieve the purpose, two research questions were formulated in this study: 1. In what areas do medical device providers have the most significant room for improvement in their procurement operations? 2. How can a more effective procurement process enhance medical service providers' entire supply chain performance? 

Methods: To fulfill the purpose of the study and to answer the two research questions, this study used a single case study approach. This study first defined the attributes of the study, it is inductive and qualitative research. Next, this study conducted a literature review to allow the literature to form a theoretical framework. Then, data were collected through three methods: interviews, observations, and document analyses, which formed an analytical method of triangulation so as to ensure the accuracy of the data. Finally, the theoretical framework and data are compared and analyzed. 

Findings: This study suggested five areas need to be considered when improve procurement operations: supplier relationship management, collaboration with suppliers such as risk management and transparency of information improvement, inventory management, digitalization and process standardization within paperwork and quality management, and strategic sourcing. At the same time, a detailed explanation of how these five key areas improve supply chain efficiency is provided. 

Limitations: This study focused only on medical device providers and did not focus on all company types in the healthcare industry. This study used a single case study approach therefore, the results this study got cannot be compared with other companies. 

Implications: This study enriches existing supply chain management theories by illustrating the holistic impact of integrated procurement practices on supply chain efficiency within the medical device industry. It emphasizes the need to consider multiple interrelated factors simultaneously, providing a comprehensive understanding of their collective influence on supply chain performance. 

Keywords: Medical device providers, healthcare industry, purchasing, procurement process, procurement operations, procurement challenges, supply chain efficiency, sustainability. 

With increasing demands from customers, companies face the challenges of shortening the new product development (NPD) period, reducing development cost and increasing development efficiency. High quality and efficiency of NPD can increase the chance for companies to be competitive on the market. Forming up cross-functional teams becomes a popular way of maximizing the knowledge then increase the development quality and efficiency. However, it is challenging to integrate the resources from different functions and even more challenging when the resources are from different countries. To overcome the integration challenges can increase the efficiency of NPD projects therefore finally win global market shares. This study’s purpose is to identify and analyze integration challenges experienced by a verification team involved in global NPD and to suggest how those challenges can be managed by answering two research questions: 1) What are the integration challenges with the current work process encountered by the global verification team? 2) How can the integration challenges be met in the improved work process? The case study is used as the research method in order to get deep insight of the challenges that a global verification team faces. VSM Group AB, an international leading sewing company is selected as the case company.  The case team, a global verification team locates both in Sweden and China, plays the role of verification work within NPD process. The case team verifies the design and new products in the process.  Through interviews, observation and literature reviews, the challenges in this global verification team are identified. It is found that the case team needs to overcome language barriers, culture difference, task planning and formalization and standardization on work performance during integration. Based on the investigations, a set of solutions are proposed in the end to meet the challenges. These solutions are an improved work process, work performance system, training program and uniformed documentation. These proposals are inspired by the integration mechanisms such as formalization and standardization, special reports etc and then fit them into the case team context. By simulation and evaluation the solutions within the global verification team, the feedback on the proposals helped for improvement. This case study at VSM is an empirical example of implementation of integration mechanisms into a real life context.

The purposeof this study is to investigate supply chain related decisions that are considered in product development projects, product development related decisionsconsideredin product development projectsthathave an impact onsupply chain performance, andsupply chain related decisions that are missing in product development projects.Identified decisions consist of strategic level decisions and tactical level decisions. The findings indicate that the supply chain functions havesignificantdesire to get their decisionsinvolvedin product development projects. On the other hand, product development functions feel less pressureregardinghow product development decisions affectsupply chain performance.

The purpose of this study is to examine how extended services from vehicle manufacturers can enhance value and reduce risk for transportation companies. The research shows that some transportation companies found extended services useful in order to enhance value and to decrease risks, while some of the companies mentioned advantages of not using extended services. Increased customer service and increased up time are some of the value factors. Decreased number of delays and decreased likelihood of breakdowns are some of the risk factors mentioned by the case companies. This study contributes the knowledge by examining the transporters' experiences of using extended services. The study also identifies feedback loop to develop further physical products based on case study and user service package experiences - one key component in the further development is to use simultaneously financial and overall service packages.

The purpose of this study is to examine, how extended services from vehicle manufacturers can enhance value and reduce risk for transportation companies. The research shows that some transportation companies found extended services useful in order to enhance value and to decrease risks, while some of the companies mentioned advantages of not using extended services. Increased customer service, increased up-time are some of the value factors. Decreased number of delays, decreased likelihood of breakdowns are some of the risk factors mentioned by the case companies. This study contributes the knowledge by examining the transporters’ experiences of using extended services.

The purpose of this study is to identify and classify supply chain decisions, which havecritical roles in new product development. Supply chain management completes themissing part of the new product development puzzle and provides a holistic view onvarious operational aspects such as on-time product launch, capacity utilization,inventory management, and accurate order processing. Findings of this study arepresented in a conceptual framework. Identified supply chain decisions are classified ina generic new product development model based on the main logistics drivers such assupply, manufacturing planning and control and transportation, to increase theunderstanding about role of different logistics drivers in different phases of new productdevelopment.

This thesis investigates the adoption of COBIT5 and ITIL used as the frameworks for IT governance (ITG) in Chinese Small and Medium Size Enterprises(SMEs). With the implementation of IT governance, the IT will be fully used to promote the core business of the enterprise and the risk and investments of IT will be balanced.

To achieve the purpose of this thesis, questionnaire and mail survey are used as the method for research. We received 140 responds from the Chinese SMEs and these data are used to analysis and the results are used to answer the research questions.

As a result shows that , ITIL is more adopted by Chinese SMEs since its solution gets from the best practice and easier to apply than COBIT. In addition, the author generate suggestion for Chinese SMEs and hope these suggestions will improve the IT governance work in those companies.

Increasing customisation of products results in decreasing production batch sizes, especially in the final assembly. Industry must therefore increase their capability to handle smaller batches as well as radically decrease set up time between different product groups and new products. This paper suggests the need for further development, primarily addressing time parameters in dynamically changing assembly systems. We propose customer demands and decrease non value-adding tasks. In proactive assembly systems, the full and complementary potential of human operators and technical systems is utilised. Criteria for proactivity in assembly systems are reviewed from automation, information, and competence perspectives.