<p><strong>Problem/frågeställningar: </strong>När företagsledare runt om i världen ska ta beslut uppgår 40% av dessa beslut till att baseras på magkänslan. Ett påstående kring konkurrensfördelar och magkänsla är att ”<em>ett av de största hindren för konkurrensfördelar är att agera enbart på magkänsla eller intuition</em>”. Denna uppsats tar fasta på det påståendet och granskar hur BI, ett verktyg som stödjer företagsledarna i sina beslut, spelar in. Ett synsätt för att studera konkurrensfördelar är det resursbaserade synsättet, där resurser följaktligen är grunden i det som skapar konkurrensfördelar. Kombinationen mellan hur BI stödjer med information för att underlätta beslut och faktumet att magkänsla eller intuition hindrar konkurrensfördelar gör att den här uppsatsen ställer sig frågan ”<strong>Hur och varför kan BI ur ett resursbaserat synsätt stödja skapandet av konkurrensfördelar på kort samt lång sikt inom stora företag?”</strong></p><p><strong>Syfte: </strong>Att beskriva samt förklara hur och varför BI ur ett resursbaserat synsätt kan stödja skapandet av konkurrensfördelar på kort samt lång sikt inom stora företag.</p><p><strong>Teori/modell och metod: </strong>Inom den teoretiska referensramen presenteras och diskuteras först definitionen av BI och dess användning. Därefter följer en presentation av det resursbaserade synsättet utifrån en modell byggd av Hart, vilken kompletteras med annan forskning inom det resursbaserade synsättet. Det genererar sedan en egen modell, som därefter byggs på med en BI-del för att utgöra en undersökningsmodell som används vidare i uppsatsen.</p><p><strong>Tillvägagångssätt: </strong>För den här uppsatsen har 18 st företag som har någon form av BI på företaget intervjuats. Utöver att företagen är bland Sveriges 120 största har inga vidare urval sett, vilket har resulterat i respondenter från branscher så som media, teleoperatörer och försäkring. På dessa företag har intervjuer skett med den person som ansetts vara BI-ansvarig. Vissa företag har Controllers som är de som har övergripande ansvaret för BI, medan det på andra företag är IT-chefer eller specifikt BI-ansvariga. Inom metodavsnittet förs även en genomgång kring de intervjufrågor som framtagits.</p><p><strong>Huvudsakliga resultat/slutsatser:</strong> I slutsatserna fastslås bland annat att BI kan stödja och driva på en så kallad patchningsförmåga, vilket innebär att företag är snabba i anpassningen mot marknaden. Därutöver konstateras att en av anledningarna till att BI stöttar skapandet av konkurrensfördelar är dess förmåga att stödja effektivisering, optimering och processinnovation i olika förmågor som senare kan leda till konkurrensfördelar. Dock visar det sig också att BI är sämre på att stödja skapandet av konkurrensfördelar på lång sikt, tack vare avsaknaden av stöttandet till faktorer som gör resurser svåra att imitera.</p> / <p><strong>Problem: </strong>When business leaders around the world are about to take a decision, 40% of these decisions are based on gut rather than any rational information. This, together with the claim that “<em>one of the biggest hinders for competitive advantage is acting solely on gut or intuition</em>” leads to the combination of the decision support tool Business Intelligence and competitive advantage. Competitive advantage can be seen from numerous perspectives; one of these is the resource-based view, where the resources are the basic pillar for competitive advantage. From this the thesis study question is formulated; “<strong>How and why can BI, seen from a resource-based perspective, support the creation of competitive advantage, on short and long term, in large companies?</strong>”</p><p><strong>Purpose</strong>: To explain and describe how and why BI, seen from a resource-based perspective, can support the creation of competitive advantage, on short and long term, in large companies.</p><p><strong>Theory: </strong>The theoretical foundation is based upon definitions on BI and what BI really is, together with a presentation and discussion on the resource-based view. Following the BI and resource-based view parts, the research model for this thesis is presented, where a modified resource-based view model for competitive advantage, and a definition collection for BI, is combined.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>For this thesis, 18 companies where they have some sort of BI solution implemented, has been interviewed. The companies have been selected based from their size, where the 120 largest companies first were contacted with an interview proposal. The companies are based in industries such as media, telephone communications and insurance. On these companies, the individual that is the “BI responsible” has been interviewed, which varies from company to company. BI responsibles could be Controllers, IT Managers or specific BI Managers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> In the conclusions part of this thesis the research question is divided into a how part and a why part. One conclusion from the how part, is that BI can both support and drive a so-called patching capability, which means that a company can be faster and more agile in their market adaption. One of the reasons why BI can support competitive advantages from a resource-based view is that it can help to drive efficiency, optimization and process innovation in different capabilities that can lead to competitive advantage. Another conclusion is that despite its abilities to support what drives competitive advantage through the resource-based view, the term for this is mainly short-term, due to the fact that it is not hard to imitate the information, which constitutes the basic resources that BI supports.</p>

<p>Background: The Uppsala model is the most accepted paradigm regarding the internationalisation process of the firm. This thesis tries to complement the Uppsala model with Porter's theories regarding internationalisation. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study to what extent the Uppsala model is applicable to a small manufacturing firm, and to see if the theory, combined with the Porterian framework, can provide a more solid framework for the description of the internationalisation process of the firm. </p><p>Method: The master thesis is based on one personal interview with the CEO of the study object, Bukowski design. </p><p>Results: The internationalisation process of the firm can to some extent be explained using the Uppsala model. It is, however, valuable to complete the picture with, for example, Porter’s theories, that permit a deeper understanding.</p>

<p>Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research. The theoretical framework of the paper includes the following topics: role and importance of innovation in a business context and TBSS as innovation as well as product life cycle connected to innovation; competitive advantage theory and complementary concepts, value chain theory, and finally the importance of customer relationship management in the ‘new’ self-service economy. The empirical study consists of two Swedish supermarkets in the city of Linköping, Coop Forum and ICA Maxi. Results of the research paper mainly include the following: Changes brought about by implementing technology-based self-service systems in supermarkets must be discussed in the view of short-term and long- term perspectives separately. Changes involve the value creating activities of supermarkets and include increased quality of services to customers. It has been further found that TBSS can add to the competitiveness of supermarkets. However, positive financial results can only be expected in the long-term which in the case of Swedish supermarkets offering TBSS services is not yet apparent. The empirical findings have shown that Coop Forum and ICA Maxi had to carry out changes and make adjustments to their value activities and customer relationship management in order to operate TBSS checkouts successfully. Competitiveness between them has been also affected due to the TBSS service offering.</p>

<p>The 1990s were one of the most profitable periods for European airline companies, mainly because of development of world economy and increasing globalisation trends. However, towards the end of the decade, a global economic downturn, high oil prices and new forms of competition turned the industry towards troubled times. The European air-travel industry had to face and accept the new airline business concept, called low-cost or no-frill airlines. In these conditions, traditional airlines had to rethink their strategies and question the old business model. As a response to the competition, European traditional full-service airlines formed alliances or networks to expand the route network and to increase efficiency. Although joint actions of airlines within alliances started to grow, full-service airlines continued to report losses in the weak business environment, in which the low-cost airlines were growing. This thesis aims at identifying the strategic decisions the European traditional airlines have made during the recent downturn in the industry and how the case companies perceive customer value in the alliance they are members of. In order to conduct this study, the authors have chosen two airline companies from two large European alliances. Interviews have been used as a main information source. Interviews were conducted with managers of companies, which at the same time were representatives of companies in the respective alliances. The secondary material such as previous interviews, annual reports of companies, recent studies in thefield, were used as complementary data. Findings and analysis at the end are introduced in response to general market situation, and as a company - alliance information.</p>

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to find out when Research and Development (R&D) becomes a suitable attribute for a production company to outsource. In an environment where innovations are following up quickly up and uncertainty about the type of innovation and customer is a fact, external sourcing can bring a competitive advantage. The empirical evidence shows that when R&D is outsourced the total cost does not increase at a due cause of outsourcing in this given study.</p><p>Although a lot of theory explains outsourcing as a cost increasing factor, the internal experience and frequent relation between the technical production company Beta and its R&D vendor company Alfa can decrease costs considerably due to lower communication and governance costs. This was not explicitly expressed in related theory and is therefore a contribution to the academia as well as for managers who seek to find an answer to the question of when to outsource and when not to outsource.</p>

<p><strong>Aim:</strong></p><p>The purpose was to perform a pre-study to marketing planning for a local squash club in Sweden that had difficulties with membership growth and development. This pre-study would provide the squash club with valuable information and a starting point when creating its first marketing plan.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong></p><p>The chosen research approach included theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected by triangulation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview and two surveys using on-line questionnaires were conducted, analyzed and presented. The discussed theory including key definitions, models and concepts was related to the empirical data findings and reflected on.</p><p><strong>Results & Conclusions: </strong></p><p>A small non-profit squash club with scarce resources and slim organization has to implement a customer centered mindset and work smarter instead of harder.It is important for the club to carefully match market opportunities with its objectives and capabilities.Engaging in marketing planning and the development of a marketing plan will enable the club to find new creative ways to offer a unique squash experience that will result in a positive membership development.</p><p><strong>Recommendations:</strong></p><p>The squash club should strive to develop key strategic partnerships that can compliment its strengths and help reduce its weaknesses.An own club website would improve internal and external communication significantly and decrease the club management’s administrative workload.It would be advisable for the club to perform annual online customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and measure own performance and detect key changes in the marketplace.</p><p><strong>Contribution:</strong></p><p>This pre-study could be a good opportunity for the squash club’s management team to engage in marketing planning and develop its first marketing plan. Perhaps this study could also benefit other small sports clubs with similar challenges and give them ideas and new tools for future development, such as using on-line surveys.</p><p><strong>Suggested future research:</strong></p><p>It would be interesting to perform a comparison among the four racket sports: tennis, badminton, table-tennis and squash and the reasons behind young people choosing to play one sport over the others.The result would help racket clubs to better understand how they should position themselves in the market place to attract young people to their particular sport.</p>

Background: The Uppsala model is the most accepted paradigm regarding the internationalisation process of the firm. This thesis tries to complement the Uppsala model with Porter's theories regarding internationalisation. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study to what extent the Uppsala model is applicable to a small manufacturing firm, and to see if the theory, combined with the Porterian framework, can provide a more solid framework for the description of the internationalisation process of the firm. Method: The master thesis is based on one personal interview with the CEO of the study object, Bukowski design. Results: The internationalisation process of the firm can to some extent be explained using the Uppsala model. It is, however, valuable to complete the picture with, for example, Porter’s theories, that permit a deeper understanding.

Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research. The theoretical framework of the paper includes the following topics: role and importance of innovation in a business context and TBSS as innovation as well as product life cycle connected to innovation; competitive advantage theory and complementary concepts, value chain theory, and finally the importance of customer relationship management in the ‘new’ self-service economy. The empirical study consists of two Swedish supermarkets in the city of Linköping, Coop Forum and ICA Maxi. Results of the research paper mainly include the following: Changes brought about by implementing technology-based self-service systems in supermarkets must be discussed in the view of short-term and long- term perspectives separately. Changes involve the value creating activities of supermarkets and include increased quality of services to customers. It has been further found that TBSS can add to the competitiveness of supermarkets. However, positive financial results can only be expected in the long-term which in the case of Swedish supermarkets offering TBSS services is not yet apparent. The empirical findings have shown that Coop Forum and ICA Maxi had to carry out changes and make adjustments to their value activities and customer relationship management in order to operate TBSS checkouts successfully. Competitiveness between them has been also affected due to the TBSS service offering.

The 1990s were one of the most profitable periods for European airline companies, mainly because of development of world economy and increasing globalisation trends. However, towards the end of the decade, a global economic downturn, high oil prices and new forms of competition turned the industry towards troubled times. The European air-travel industry had to face and accept the new airline business concept, called low-cost or no-frill airlines. In these conditions, traditional airlines had to rethink their strategies and question the old business model. As a response to the competition, European traditional full-service airlines formed alliances or networks to expand the route network and to increase efficiency. Although joint actions of airlines within alliances started to grow, full-service airlines continued to report losses in the weak business environment, in which the low-cost airlines were growing. This thesis aims at identifying the strategic decisions the European traditional airlines have made during the recent downturn in the industry and how the case companies perceive customer value in the alliance they are members of. In order to conduct this study, the authors have chosen two airline companies from two large European alliances. Interviews have been used as a main information source. Interviews were conducted with managers of companies, which at the same time were representatives of companies in the respective alliances. The secondary material such as previous interviews, annual reports of companies, recent studies in thefield, were used as complementary data. Findings and analysis at the end are introduced in response to general market situation, and as a company - alliance information.

Aim: The purpose was to perform a pre-study to marketing planning for a local squash club in Sweden that had difficulties with membership growth and development. This pre-study would provide the squash club with valuable information and a starting point when creating its first marketing plan. Method: The chosen research approach included theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected by triangulation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview and two surveys using on-line questionnaires were conducted, analyzed and presented. The discussed theory including key definitions, models and concepts was related to the empirical data findings and reflected on. Results &amp; Conclusions: A small non-profit squash club with scarce resources and slim organization has to implement a customer centered mindset and work smarter instead of harder.It is important for the club to carefully match market opportunities with its objectives and capabilities.Engaging in marketing planning and the development of a marketing plan will enable the club to find new creative ways to offer a unique squash experience that will result in a positive membership development. Recommendations: The squash club should strive to develop key strategic partnerships that can compliment its strengths and help reduce its weaknesses.An own club website would improve internal and external communication significantly and decrease the club management’s administrative workload.It would be advisable for the club to perform annual online customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and measure own performance and detect key changes in the marketplace. Contribution: This pre-study could be a good opportunity for the squash club’s management team to engage in marketing planning and develop its first marketing plan. Perhaps this study could also benefit other small sports clubs with similar challenges and give them ideas and new tools for future development, such as using on-line surveys. Suggested future research: It would be interesting to perform a comparison among the four racket sports: tennis, badminton, table-tennis and squash and the reasons behind young people choosing to play one sport over the others.The result would help racket clubs to better understand how they should position themselves in the market place to attract young people to their particular sport.