U.S. manufacturers of wood household (SIC 2511), upholstered household (SIC 2512) and wood office furniture (SIC 2521) were surveyed to assess wood materials use within these three industry segments. The final sample frame contained 5,016 manufacturing locations. This investigation also provides a profile of the types of products produced and the channels of distribution used to move these products to the final consumer from a second sample of 347 manufacturers of wood household furniture. In 1989 the three industry segments surveyed consumed an estimated 2.3 billion board feet of hardwood lumber, 865 million board feet of softwood lumber, 1.3 billion square feet of particleboard (3/4" basis), and 370 million square feet of medium density fiberboard (3/4" basis). Further, an estimated 268 million square feet of softwood plywood (3/8" basis), 1025 million square feet of veneer and 310 million board feet of dimension stock were used in 1989 to produce wood furniture within the three industry segments examined. Within the second sample containing solely manufacturers of wood household furniture, solid hardwood furniture was most commonly produced. Over 50% of the responding companies manufactured bedroom, dining room and occasional furniture. Responses regarding the volumes of furniture shipped through channel intermediaries revealed over 60% of sales were through manufacturer’s representatives to retailers and wholesalers. Weighted by company sales, the largest volumes of wood household furniture were sold through free-standing furniture stores (28.9% of respondent’s sales) and manufacturer’s own stores (23.4%). / Master of Science

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study report takes place in a business setting, namely the new system implementation for consignment distributors supplied by the Epping branch of Afrox. Various signs of problems within the management of this project were observed, and this has led to research into those factors that may be obstructing proper project management at Epping, Afrox. The aim of the study is to gain understanding of these factors and to provide recommendations to the decision-makers in the organization. The author draws on a stream of research in order to identify those factors that in theory inhibit proper project management. Fourteen factors were identified, namely, business strategy; performance management system; communication; continuous improvement; customer focus; leadership; monitoring, control and measurement; motivation; organizational behaviour; risks; resources; skills; specifications and teamwork. These factors form the basis for the development of a structured questionnaire, and responses were received from a sample of employees in various departments at the Epping branch. The numeric data from the responses was analyzed through the descriptive statistical technique of describing the population proportion. The findings from the empirical study reveal that none of the factors identified and tested to be statically significant in obstructing proper project management. The overwhelming success of engineering projects and other information technology projects may have influenced the results. However, pressures may exist in the project management areas of performance management, continuous improvement, organizational behaviour and skills, as these factors received the least favourable responses from the sample group. It is concluded that opportunities exist, based on this primary research study, for further and more in-depth research. Recommendations are made to repeat the study by delimiting the population to only those employees assigned to and stakeholders affected by the consignment distributor new system roll out. Alternatively, a recommendation is made to conduct further research into those areas that may be under pressure in project management by means of personal interviews or through a second empirical survey focused on performance management, continuous improvement, organizational behaviour and skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studieverslag het betrekking op ’n sake-omgewing, te wete die nuwe stelselimplementering vir vragverspreiders soos verskaf deur Afrox se Epping-tak. Daar is talle tekens waargeneem van probleme met die bestuur van hierdie projek, wat gelei het tot ’n ondersoek na die faktore wat behoorlike projekbestuur by Afrox se Epping-tak moontlik kniehalter. Die doel van die navorsing is om hierdie faktore te ondersoek en om voorstelle vir oplossings te doen aan die besluitnemers binne die organisasie. Die outeur maak gebruik van ’n stroom navorsing ter identifisering van daardie faktore wat behoorlike projekbestuur teoreties inhibeer. Veertien faktore is geïdentifiseer, te wete: sakestrategie; prestasiebestuurstelsel; kommunikasie; voortdurende vordering; klantefokus; leierskap; monitering, beheer en meting; motivering; organisatoriese gedrag; risiko’s; hulpbronne; vaardighede; spesifikasies; en spanwerk. Hierdie faktore vorm die basis van die ontwikkeling van ’n gestruktureerde vraelys, en antwoorde is verkry van ’n toetsgroep van werknemers in verskeie afdelings by die Epping-tak. Die numeriese data van die response is ontleed met behulp van die deskriptiewe statistiese tegniek van beskrywing van die toetsbevolking. Die bevindings van die empiriese studie toon dat geeneen van die geïdentifiseerde en getoetste faktore statisties betekenisvol is in die belemmering van behoorlike projekbestuur nie. Die oorweldigende sukses van ingenieursprojekte en ander inligtingstegnologieprojekte kon dalk die uitslae beïnvloed het. Nietemin, daar mag dalk drukpunte bestaan in die projekbestuursareas van prestasiebestuur, voortdurende vordering, organisatoriese gedrag en vaardighede – siende dat hierdie faktore die mins gunstige respons by die toetsgroep ontlok het. Die gevolgtrekking, gebaseer op hierdie inleidende navorsingstudie, is dat daar geleentheid bestaan vir verdere en meer deurtastende navorsing. Dit is aan te bevele dat die studie herhaal word deur die toetsbevolking te beperk tot slegs daardie werknemers en belanghouers wat deur die nuwe vragverspreidingstelsel se inwerkingstelling geraak word. As alternatief word die voorstel gedoen dat verdere navorsing oor daardie areas van projekbestuur wat moontlik druk ervaar deur middel van persoonlike onderhoude gedoen word, of deur ’n tweede empiriese opname wat gefokus is op prestasiebestuur, voortdurende vordering, organisatoriese gedrag en vaardighede.

This study examines revenue recognition methods used by high technology firms for sales to distributors. Revenue is either recognized when products are delivered to distributors (sell-in) or when distributors resell products to end-users (sell-through). This is the first empirical study to examine the firms that use these revenue recognition methods and the quality of financial information reported under the methods. I use a logistic regression to compare 479 firm-year observations in the computer and electronic equipment industries that use either the sell-in method or the sell-through method. I find that firms with higher growth opportunities and strong corporate governance are less likely to use the sell-in method. In addition, corporate governance strength moderates the association between use of the sell-in method and both capital requirements and management incentive compensation. Using ordinary least squares regression, I also examine two proxies for financial information quality: the ability of accounting information to predict future cash flows and the association between accounting information and stock returns. Results of these regressions suggest that financial information quality is higher under a deferred revenue recognition method (sell-through). Specifically, the ability of accounting information to predict future cash flows and the association between accounting information and returns are both higher for sell-through firms than for sell-in firms. The results of this study suggest that systematic differences exist between sell-in firms and sell-through firms and financial information quality differs between the two revenue recognition methods.

Graduated: June, 2002 Student: Hu, Shen Sheng Academic Degree: Master thesis Advisor: G. Gary Hu Abstract: The semiconductors products are the key components for electronics industry. The applications covered the wide field of 3C(Computer, Communication, Consumer) electronics products. The suppliers are the manufacturers of CPU, MPU, Chip set, Logic IC, Linear IC, etc. The customers are the manufacturers of 3C electronics products. The Distributors of Semiconductor are not only sales components or import-export business, but also provide the professional value-added service for suppliers and customers. They are important bridge for the suppliers and customers in the worldwide semiconductors supply chain. They perform a key role in the electronics industry. Taiwan has the competitive advantage in the hardware of information industry such as low cost and high quality. The worldwide manufacturers consider the production cost and the price competitive. They would like to reinforce the strategic alliance relationship with Taiwan. In this trend, the customer of 3C product manufacturers want to reduce their stock risk and production cost. The customer will not buy from the original component manufacturers directly. They will choose the distributors which can provide low cost, fast delivery, design support, FAE support, good quality, e-process, overseas support, etc. The distributors should develop to differentiation business mode in the future. Provide the value-added service for the supply chain in the electronics industry field. The strategic development of Marketing Channels for Semiconductor Components in Taiwan is shown as below: 1. Build and extend core capabilities. 2. Construct a worldwide distributors network. 3. Continuing expend the economic scale. 4. Provide the total-solution for customers. 5. Search for new products and new applications.

(MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

p. 1-89 / Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2013-03-06T20:52:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 5555.pdf: 995786 bytes, checksum: b17901d840a7cbe68306600d0056213f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Tatiana Lima(tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2013-04-05T17:00:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 5555.pdf: 995786 bytes, checksum: b17901d840a7cbe68306600d0056213f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-04-05T17:00:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5555.pdf: 995786 bytes, checksum: b17901d840a7cbe68306600d0056213f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / As práticas de gestão organizacional nos últimos anos apresentaram mudanças consideráveis as quais foram provocadas, em boa parte, pelos altos índices de competição atual e pela velocidade das mudanças do macroambiente econômico, político e social. Algumas dessas mudanças levaram as empresas a revisarem seus limites de atuação organizacional e reestruturarem seu modelo de gestão. Considerando este contexto de mudanças e re-ordenamento das fronteiras organizacionais, esta dissertação procura identificar quais são as vantagens competitivas dos modelos de gestão de frota própria e terceirizada. A questão chave desta dissertação é testada e analisada com base no contexto teórico da Vantagem Competitiva e da Economia dos Custos de Transação. Os pressupostos teóricos são analisados através de um caso empírico que permeia a utilização dos dois modelos aqui analisados. Os resultados obtidos indicam uma vertente com duas linhas distintas de gestão sob a logística de entrega: uma ligada às empresas que acompanharam o processo de mudança e hoje investem numa estrutura de gestão partilhada, com frota própria e terceirizada; e outra às empresas tradicionalistas que, em função de alguns paradigmas do passado, optaram por manter e gerir uma frota própria. A análise dos modelos de gestão aponta para as vantagens oferecidas por cada um e para uma contextualização do seu uso partilhado. Verifica-se que, na prática, o uso correto e eficaz da terceirização de frota tem uma relação direta com a correta interpretação das competências essenciais da empresa. Por fim, o maior interesse desta dissertação é entender de que forma os modelos de gestão de frota podem contribuir para a criação de vantagem competitiva das distribuidoras de bebidas e em que contexto cada um deles deve ser utilizado. / Salvador

Orientador: Ricardo Adib Castillo / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T06:16:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Xavier_MarcosAntoniodeMoraes_D.pdf: 3740488 bytes, checksum: 3b07b7e04caa9975ffbe93186f0feeee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A fragmentação geográfica da produção somada à necessidade de uma rápida reposição de estoques com maior freqüência e segundo prazos cada vez mais curtos, tanto na indústria quanto no varejo, torna a busca pela maior fluidez da circulação uma imposição para a sobrevivência das empresas. Fato que, no Brasil, é acentuado com a abertura da economia, impondo uma maior competitividade às empresas, e com as mudanças no consumo advindas com a estabilização da moeda brasileira após 1994, incluindo sua expansão social e territorial. Em resposta a este verdadeiro imperativo, tem ocorrido a ascensão das atividades voltadas ao planejamento, ao controle e à gestão dos fluxos da logística de distribuição. De um lado, observamos a redefinição da logística empresarial e, de outro, acompanhamos a formação de uma nova organização produtiva do território em que os meios materiais e normativos passam a constituir arranjos que tendem a ampliar a vida de relações entre os lugares. No âmbito deste processo, os atacadistas distribuidores de produtos de mercearia básica continuam exercendo um papel significativo na intermediação entre a indústria e o pequeno varejo. As modernizações do atacado brasileiro acompanham um novo arranjo dos circuitos espaciais da produção e possibilitam uma maior vida de relações entre as cidades, o que contribui para o curto-circuito das redes urbanas regionais e confirma o elo existente entre os dois circuitos da economia urbana brasileira. Estas modernizações incluem o ganho de eficácia nas operações logísticas por meio da adoção de novas tecnologias e métodos organizacionais e novas relações de cooperação, sobretudo, com o pequeno varejo por intermédio da prestação de diversos serviços e pela gestão de redes de negócios que reafirmam seu papel de elo entre os dois circuitos da economia urbana brasileira / Abstract: The current space division of labour increases the importance of circulation in production process and imposes a rapid and more frequent replacement of supplies, according to shorter stated periods, both in industry and retail. In Brazil, the opening of the economy, imposing a bigger competitiveness to the companies, and the social and territorial expansion of consumption have affected the organization and the structure of the wholesale companies. In reply, the logistics, as the management of the flow of goods, information and other resources, has enhanced the activities of planning and control. As the logistics becomes more important, a new organization of territory arises, increasing the relationships among places. Thus, we conclude that the wholesale distributors continue exerting a significant role in the intermediation between the industry and small retail. The modernization of Brazilian wholesale companies play an important role in the new spatial arrangement of the circuits of production and in the relationships among cities, which contributes to the short circuit of the urban and regional networks and confirm the link existing between the two circuits of urban economy in Brazil / Doutorado / Análise Ambiental e Dinâmica Territorial / Doutor em Ciências

It is possible for firms to survive within declining industries. However, growth through internationalization within this stage of an industry’s life-cycle has not been sufficiently explored in the past. As SMEs supposedly face many barriers during this process, the purpose of this thesis is to research the internationalization of SMEs within declining industries, with a focus on finding what is the biggest challenge to their internationalization. A multiple-case study and semi-structured interviews were used to explore internationalization in a declining industry, the watch industry. A theoretical framework was built and compared to both the primary and the secondary data collected throughout this study. The analysis shows that finding the right distributor is the biggest challenge throughout SMEs’ internationalization. It also finds trade shows related to declining industries not to be effective promotion tools for firms from this industry. Finally, this thesis finds smartwatches not to be perceived as a threat by traditional watch brands, due to the different values associated to these products.

No description available.

Yes / ackground Patient access to medicines in the community at end-of-life (pertaining to the last year of life) is vital for symptom control. Supply of such medicines is known to be problematic, but despite this, studies have failed to examine the issues affecting community pharmacy access to palliative medicines. Objective To identify community pharmacists' and pharmaceutical wholesalers'/distributors' views on supply chain processes and challenges in providing access to medicines during the last year of life, to characterise supply in this UK context. Methods Qualitative design, with telephone interviews analysed using Framework Analysis. Coding frames were developed iteratively with data analysed separately and then triangulated to examine differences in perspectives. Findings Thirty-two interviews (24 community pharmacists and 8 wholesalers/distributors) were conducted. To ensure appropriate palliative medicines were available despite occasional shortages, community pharmacists worked tirelessly. They navigated a challenging interface with wholesalers/distributors, the Drug Tariff to ensure reimbursement, and multiple systems. IT infrastructures and logistics provided by wholesalers/distributors were often helpful to supply into community pharmacies resulting in same or next day deliveries. However, the inability of manufacturers to predict operational issues or accurately forecast demand led wholesalers/distributors to encounter shortages with manufactured stock levels, reducing timely access to medicines. Conclusions The study identifies for the first time how palliative medicines supply into community pharmacy, can be improved. A conceptual model was developed, illustrating how influencing factors affect responsiveness and speed of medicines access for patients. Work is required to strengthen this supply chain via effective relationship-building and information-sharing, to prevent patients facing disruptions in access to palliative medicines at end-of-life.