This diploma thesis is focused on Change Management, for which I used translation "správa změn" in my thesis. The diploma thesis includes a proposal for solution of Change Management, which is based from elements of RUP (Rational Unified Process), and methodology and CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration). In the first chapter, entitled Software requirements, there are at first defined basic concepts related to Change Management. The chapter includes the definition of software requirements and specification of different types of requirements. Then it focuses on sphere of Requirements Management, involving Change Management. Next part of chapter includes improving of existing processes, which can be used for change-oriented processes. The following section introduces the basic characteristics of RUP methodology. At first there are described its basic features, best practices and elements of methodology. The following there are described the components and procedures of specific discipline Configuration and Change Management. A separate part of thesis is also focused on the the presentation of the CMMI model. In the charter, which is devoted to this model, there is a definition of basic concepts. Then there is description of the model, the various components and method of improving in CMMI model. In the following section is a description of the Change Management in the CMMI model. The final part tries to evaluate the Change Management in concept of the RUP methodology and CMMI model. It also focuses on aspects of integrating these two areas. I try design solution of Change Management based on analysis of available information. This solution is the main aim of my thesis.

Agilt är ett arbetssätt som innefattar en ökad grad av flexibilitet och anpassningsförmåga för organisationer, som ska uppnås genom bemyndigade anställda. Tidigare forskning inom agilt har fokuserat på arbetssättets fördelar och till viss del även svårigheterna med dess implementering. Trots det agila arbetssättets nära koppling till organisationskultur anser vi att dessa två fält inte i någon större utsträckning har getts en kvalitativ och djupare analys tillsammans, där fokus läggs på attityden till arbetssättet som organisationsmodell utanför IT-sektorn. Detta har undersökts via sju semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som innehar chefs- eller ledarroller inom olika organisationer, varpå resultaten från dessa har analyserats utifrån studiens syfte och jämförts med tidigare forskning. Respondenterna tycks uppvisa positiv inställning till det agila arbetssättet och en medvetenhet om organisationskulturens vikt vid organisationsförändringar. Slutligen görs en avslutande diskussion och slutsats där argumentet ges att den vaghet och otydlighet som tenderar att omgärda såväl det agila arbetssättet som organisationskulturer kan vara en väsentlig anledning till att det agila arbetssättet inte implementeras i större utsträckning. / Agile is a work method that involves a higher degree of flexibility and adaptability for organizations, which is to be met by empowered employees. Previous research regarding agile has focused on its benefits and to a certain degree also the difficulties in its implementation, but despite the agiles’ close connections to organizational culture according to our literature review that these two fields have to a wider extent not been given a qualitative and deeper analysis together, where focus is given to how agile is viewed as an organizational model outside the IT sector. This has been researched through seven semi-structured interviews with individuals with managerial roles within different organizations, where after the results have been analyzed from the standpoint of the study’s purpose and compared to earlier research. The respondents seem to display a positive attitude toward the agile and an awareness of the importance of organizational culture in organizational change. Then a final discussion and conclusion is made where the argument is put forth that the vagueness and ambiguity which tend to surround the agile as well as organizational culture could be an essential reason to why agile is not implemented to a wider extent.

The current transportation infrastructure in most cities and municipalities is not designed to cope with the continually increasing volume of traffic, especially during rush hours. Furthermore, in many cases, the increasing pressure has not yet been adequately compensated by sufficient expansion. The dynamic nature of this problem makes it very challenging to solve. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to investigate the causes and effects and their dynamics of the increasing strain on transportation infrastructure in suburban municipalities. This research is necessary in order to determine what needs to be changed to reduce traffic congestion effectively. Moreover, this study assesses the expectations of commuters regarding mobility. It is essential to take their opinions into account, as they are a significant cause of traffic congestion. Therefore, they need to accept any implemented solution in order to ensure a high adoption rate. In the process, the dynamics of the system and the opinions of commuters result in conceptual solutions aimed at improving the traffic situation in the long term.   The research involved conducting a single case study in a suburban municipality of the German city of Munich. In the course of this research, primary data was collected by means of a commuter survey and secondary data was also provided from an existing household survey. Moreover, empirical data was collected through a literature review as well as from numerous recognised online sources. The causes and effects of traffic dynamics were analysed by considering traffic as a system using Systems Thinking and System Dynamics methodology. The interrelated variables were visualised by creating a Causal Loop Diagram and drawing conclusions from it. In addition, conceptual solutions were developed by reviewing the works of previous researchers and taking into account the results from the System Dynamics analysis. The results of the commuter survey also played a crucial role in ascertaining the commuting habits and expectations of commuters regarding the transportation infrastructure.   The analysis of the Causal Loop Diagram revealed that in order to reduce traffic congestion, road expansion alone is not a viable solution due to rebound effects, which eventually result in increased car use and hence more traffic congestion. Therefore, in order to solve the problem in the long term, car use needs to be reduced to a significant degree. This can be achieved by implementing various solutions to nudge people towards using alternative modes of transport. Various pricing techniques such as free public transport are a possible method of approaching this topic. Furthermore, improving public transportation services and infrastructure using digitalisation and centralising various alternative modes of transport are among a number of appropriate ways of effectively reducing the traffic congestion problematic studied in this project. Hereby, the method of Change Management, usually used within organisations, can be applied to change the behaviour of society.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg 2017 / Following the involvement in a project where a bank implemented an electronic inventory management system, a need was identified for further research into the human elements influencing the success of such projects. An initial high level study of some available literature supported the idea of human factors playing an important role. The subsequent research question formulated was: What are the major human factors that influence the implementation of electronic systems to replace their manual paper-based counterparts, if any? From literature the major human factors to be analysed were identified as:  Leadership  Communication  Environment and culture  Change readiness By employing a mixed method research approach and analysing the change readiness assessment surveys, post-implementation surveys, project team observations and site key performance indicators (KPIs) of 3 implemented sites, these were all confirmed as factors influencing such implementations. These conclusions were graphically depicted in a proposed framework showing the relationship between leadership as the driving factor to influence culture and change readiness through communication. / MT2018

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the reason behind why it occurs a large number of pickups each year in the construction industry. In the case company alone, it occurs 160 000 pickups per year and an estimated loss of 50 MSEK. This thesis will try to investigate and explain why the pickups occur, and also what the underlying factors are that could influence the number of pickups. Methodology The data in the thesis was collected from semi-structured interviews with eight employees within the case company. We chose to interview four employees from the construction department and four employees from the construction service department. The reason to that was that different departments works differently to each other, and we wanted to know what the differences were. The employees all had management or supervisor positions and were based in different geographical areas. In the thesis, we applied a mix of content analysis and grounded analysis method. Findings The findings made during the thesis, were that the different departments work with pickups very differently when comparing to each other, one department had almost all their supplier contact at the beginning of the projects and didn’t require more supplier contact during the production. While the other department, due to their nature required regular supplier interaction which created an increase number of pickups. The main reasons behind the pickups were to inadequate planning and the organizational culture. Conclusion The conclusion provides areas where the company can improve on regarding the pickups and recommendation of how the case company can reduce the number of pickups, based on the gathered data and the theoretical frame of references. The recommendations were: enhance the supplier relationship, re-evaluate the contracts with the suppliers, education regarding planning and work-method.

Abstract Background – The existing literature on digitalization in the food industry is limited. Meanwhile, the literature suggests that digitalization is an issue that is unavoidable at some point in all industries and that companies must adapt in order to maintain their competitive position. In the food industry, large investments into digital projects are currently focusing on e-commerce, even though it merely stands for 2% of the sales. It could, therefore, be seen as digitalization is only about to start affecting the food industry and thus, exploring how it has affected and what it might mean for the actors in the industry is interesting.   Purpose – The purpose of this thesis is to explore how digitalization affects the food industry in Sweden. The purpose is fulfilled through the answering of two research questions; How is digitalization viewed upon in the food industry in Sweden? And How does the digitalization affect the food industry in Sweden? Through the fulfilment of the purpose, this thesis helps to fill a gap in the existing literature about the subject.   Method – The study is a qualitative study of digitalization in the food industry and includes insights from 13 individuals working in the food industry in Sweden. As the subject does not have any existing theories and there is limited literature on the subject, the study uses an inductive approach where the data is analysed through a thematic analysis in order to be able to derive a conclusion about the subject.   Findings – When concluding this study, it was found that the food industry is lagging behind other industries in terms of digitalization, which in the food industry is closely connected to e-commerce for many. There are several enormous challenges that the industry is facing, and one of the most significant challenges and also a resistance to digitalization in the food industry is profitability. This means that the industry actors have a hard time maintaining profitability when implementing digital solutions, mainly e-commerce solutions. Opportunities are present to solve the challenges of mainly; deliveries and thus finding a solution to the profitability issue.

Haulage contractors are companies that are responsible for delivery of goods with use of trucks and vans. Previous research focus more on the haulage contractor industry in general. This study focuses on what challenges the haulage contractor industry is facing from the view of managers working in local area distribution in Sweden. We also examine what key tools and solutions are used to meet the challenges the industry is facing and what are the reasoning behind these actions.   We propose two research questions. The first question is what challenges the Swedish haulage contractor industry is facing. The second examines what strategies and tools are used by management to adapt to changes in the industry. The study is based on 5 interviews with management in haulage contractor firms and 2 interviews with representatives from industry organizations, for a total of 7 interviews. The interviews were qualitative and performed over phone and face-to-face. By analyzing interviews using thematic analysis we find that the ownership, age and size of a firm impact how it adapts to changes. The adaptation is among others in terms of investments in technologies and collaboration. Another finding is that the industry representatives perceive that customers and legislators do not understand the crucial role the haulage contractor industry plays in the economy which has its negative impacts on the industry.

[pt] Esta dissertação tem por objetivo avaliar a eficácia da gestão do processo de mudança organizacional de uma empresa familiar brasileira da área de saúde que está passando por uma fase de sucessão e busca de maior profissionalização. Para atingir este objetivo foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo e uma análise qualitativa, comparando os dados levantados com os conceitos identificados na literatura. Os dados foram coletados através de entrevistas informais, análise de documentos da empresa e observação participativa, no período de julho de 2005 a janeiro de 2006. O estudo verifica se o processo de mudança organizacional da empresa estudada foi ou não bem sucedido e, também, o avalia à luz do modelo proposto por John P. Kotter para a implementação eficaz de mudanças nas organizações, comparando os oito passos propostos pelo autor com o ocorrido na empresa. A avaliação do processo de mudança levou à constatação de que este não foi bem sucedido. O resultado desta pesquisa sugere aplicabilidade do modelo de Kotter à medida que evidencia que diversos passos apontados pelo autor não foram seguidos e tal fato ocasionou problemas no processo de mudança da organização. / [en] This essay aims to make an assessment regarding the management of the organizational change process and its effectiveness within a Brazilian familiar company. The object of this study is a health company that is going through a succession period and is in search of improving its professional profile. In order to achieve this goal, a field research and a quality analysis were realized, comparing the data obtained and the concepts identified in a selected literature. Data was collected through informal interviews, analysis of the company`s documents and as a participant observer, from July 2005 to January 2006. This study evaluates if the organizational change process has succeeded or not, also considering the model proposed by John P. Kotter for the efficient deployment of changes in organizations, comparing the eight-stage change process proposed by the author to what actually occurred in the company. The analysis of the change process led us to the conclusion that it was unsuccessful. The result of this research suggests that the eight-stage change process is applicable to the situation studied since it makes clear that several stages mentioned by the author were not followed and this fact has caused problems in the organizational change process.

Background: Based upon two important phenomena within the manufacturing industry an upcoming agile era is being proposed within this thesis, those phenomena have shown a shift in the focus of attention for companies within the manufacturing industry in the past. The first phenomenon is being referred to as “physical product development saturation” and the second phenomenon is “lean saturation”, which are introduced in order to give importance to the aspiration for a new emphasis to remain competitiveness and create more value within the manufacturing industry. Where in the past the focus was on physical product development, this in order to enhance and or invent new products. This was followed by the need for a more efficient way of working by eliminating wastes (Lean), although both phenomena are about to reach their limits with respect to the extra value they (can) create. The forthcoming agile era allows for a new way of value creation, this by adaptivity. This introduces the potential of a new way to create value, this being done by the agile way of working. Purpose: The research in this thesis aimed to find an answer to the question of how companies within the manufacturing industry could adopt an agile way of working in order to allow for a new way of value creation. Method: This research was approached by conducting a qualitative study. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted, with companies from the manufacturing, IT and consultancy industries. The collected data was then sorted and analysed systematically to generate knowledge and draw upon conclusions to answer the proposed research questions. Conclusion: In order to successfully adopt the agile way of working, within an organization in the manufacturing industry, the challenge is to create awareness and an understanding of the value and benefits an agile way of working could create, especially for the middle-management. This could be done by explaining an agile way of working as an extension to Lean. Furthermore, the tools &amp; processes of the agile way of working could be experimented with in order to start “doing agile”, this finally resulting in creating an understanding of the potential power of an agile way of working. Whereas, an agile way of working is being characterized by an encouraging, transparent culture led by a servant leadership style by making use of empowerment to stimulate value creation. Ultimately, resulting in adopting an agile way of working and achieving “becoming agile”. / <p>Thesis written in the  context of the study program “Engineering Management”.</p>

Since the 1990s, the evolution to more environmentally sustainable business operations has gained increased recognition incorporations and the Academia, with sustainability becoming a key competitive priority for companies. In spite of a large amount of research on ecodesign,or the integration of environmental aspects into product design and development, recent surveys state that thorough ecodesign implementation is still a challenge for most firms.To overcome gaps found in prior studies (such as a distance between theory and practice, and over-technical and fragmented recommendations), this research aimed to identify and experiment how to incorporate environmental sustainability more effectively into product innovation and related activities of a company, and to propose a framework summarising the associated learning. This thesis is based on a set of five articles, applying a multi-methods approach. The framework was built with a methodology combining systematic reviews of previous literature and action research through a five-year long experiment. Inside a leading Brazilian cosmetics company, two implementation cycles were conducted, including customisation of ecodesign tools and their application in eight product development projects, and wide capacity building involving different stakeholders. The research led to three contributions. As a first methodological contribution, action research methodology and application guidelines were developed, for an effective collaboration mode between the Academia and companies, especially adapted to sustainable open innovation. Secondly, this study has deepened and experimented in real company context a broad view of ecodesign related activities, expanding the recognised approach centred on individual projects and validating the concept of formal insertion of customised ecodesign tools into of the Product Development Process. Such principle was further extended to include other managerial aspects, such as project and portfolio management, and linking them with strategic planning. To complement such technical and process related aspects, new \"soft\" side approaches were also experienced, building on the Transition Management theory. The third and major contribution, deriving from a synthesis of more than fifty models found in the literature and the action research, is the proposition of an \"Ecodesign Transition Framework\". The so-called \"15Ps ETF\"comprehends a \"pattern\" with eight main constructs (Purpose, Portfolio, Process, Platform, Pipeline, Practices & tools, Procedures and Project management) for a mature ecodesign and a \"pathway\" component, with five constructs (Planet, Public, Programme, Pilot, and People), for conducting the necessary transition addressing soft issues. The central \"Aztec pyramid\" shape of the framework represents the systemic three-level structure, combining the strategic, tactical and operational product related processes and activities. The ETF intends to support a far-reaching approach to better plan, implement and monitor the integration of environmental considerations in the whole innovation process of a company, through a systemic action learning process. The overall increased ecodesign maturity observed in the company showed congruence with the framework, with substantial challenges also observed. For further validation, the ETF could be applied in different contexts, and explored through qualitative and quantitative studies of associated limiting or success factors, to better address corporate specificities and complexity (e.g., culture, resistance to change, organisational entropy, etc.). / Desde os anos 1990, a evolução em direção de operações mais ambientalmente sustentáveis ganhou maior reconhecimento em empresas e na Academia, com a sustentabilidade se tornando uma prioridade competitiva. Apesar de uma grande quantidade de pesquisas sobre ecodesign, ou a integração dos aspectos ambientais no desenvolvimento de produtos, estudos recentes indicam que uma implementação completa do ecodesign ainda é um desafio para a maioria das empresas. Para superar as lacunas encontradas em estudos anteriores (como a distância entre teoria e prática, e recomendações excessivamente técnicas e fragmentadas), esta pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar como incorporar a sustentabilidade ambiental de forma mais efetiva na inovação de produtos de uma empresa, e propor um modelo que sintetiza os resultados. Esta tese, baseada em cinco artigos, aplicou uma abordagem multimétodos. O modelo foi construído combinando revisões sistemáticas de literatura e uma pesquisa-ação de cinco anos. Dentro de uma empresa brasileira líder do setor cosmético, dois ciclos de implementação foram conduzidos, incluindo customização de ferramentas de ecodesign e sua aplicação em oito projetos de desenvolvimento de produtos, com ampla capacitação de diferentes partes interessadas. A pesquisa levou a três contribuições. Como primeira contribuição metodológica, diretrizes de aplicação da pesquisa-ação promovem um modo de colaboração efetivo entre a Academia e as empresas, especialmente adaptado para a inovação aberta e sustentável. Em segundo lugar, o presente estudo desenvolveu uma visão larga das atividades relacionadas ao ecodesign, ampliando a abordagem tradicional centrada em projetos individuais, e validando o conceito de inserção formal de ferramentas de ecodesign customizadas no Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos. Além desse princípio, outros aspectos gerenciais, tais como gestão de projetos e de portfolio foram considerados, ligando-os com o planejamento estratégico. Adicionalmente, novas abordagens de gestão de mudanças foram experimentadas, com base na teoria de Gestão de Transição. A terceira e maior contribuição, decorrente de uma síntese de mais de cinquenta modelos encontrados na literatura, associada à pesquisaação, é a proposição do \"Ecodesign Transition Framework\". O chamado \"15Ps ETF\" compreende um \"Padrão\" com oito construtos (Propósito, Portfolio, Processo, Plataforma, Pipeline, Práticas e ferramentas, Procedimentos e Projetos) para um ecodesign maduro, e um componente chamado \"Percurso\", com cinco construtos (Planeta, Público, Programa, Piloto, e Pessoas), para a realização da necessária transição endereçando aspectos não técnicos. A parte central do modelo, com formato de \"pirâmide azteca\", representa uma estrutura sistêmica com três níveis - estratégico, tático e operacional - combinando os processos e atividades ligados à inovação de produto. O modelo ETF almeja apoiar uma abordagem ampliada para planejar, implementar e monitorar a integração das considerações ambientais em todaa inovação de produto de uma empresa, através de uma dinâmica de aprendizagem sistêmica. O aumento global da maturidade em ecodesign observado na empresa mostrou congruência com o modelo, com desafios significativos também observados. Para maior validação, o ETF poderia ser aplicado em diferentes contextos, e aprofundado através de estudos qualitativos e quantitativos de fatores de sucesso associados, a fim de considerar as especificidades das empresas e complexidade associada (como: cultura, resistência a mudanças, entropia organizacional, etc.).