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Context: Automated acceptance tests have become a core practice of agile software development (e.g. Extreme Programming). These tests are closely tied to requirements specifications and these tests provide a mechanism for continuous validation of software requirements. Software reuse has evolved with the introduction of each new reusable artefact (e.g., reuse of code, reuse of frameworks, tools etc.). In this study, we have investigated the reusability of automated acceptance tests keeping in view their close association with textual requirements. Objective: As automated acceptance tests are closely related to software requirements, we have used existing research in software engineering to identify reusability related characteristics of software requirements and used these characteristics for automated acceptance tests.This study attempts to address the following aspects: (i) what important reuse characteristics should be considered when measuring reusability of automated acceptance tests? (ii) how reusability can be measured in automated acceptance tests?, and (iii) how cost avoided through reuse of automated acceptance tests can be calculated? Method: We have used a combination of research methods to answer different aspects of our study. We started by identifying reusability related characteristics of software requirements, with help of systematic literature review. Later, we tried to identify the reusability related characteristics of defect reports and the process is documented using an experience report. After identifying the characteristics from the previous two studies, we used these characteristics on two case-studies conducted on Behaviour driven development test cases (i.e., acceptance tests of textual nature). We proposed two approaches that can identify the reuse potential of automated acceptance tests and evaluated these approaches in the industry. Later, to calculate the cost avoided through reuse, we proposed and evaluated a method that is applicable to any reusable artifact. Results: The results from the systematic literature review shows that text-based requirements reuse approaches are most commonly used in the industry. Structuring these text-based requirements and identifying the reusable requirements by matching are the two commonly used methods for enabling requirements to reuse. The results from the second study, industrial experience report, indicates that defect reports can be formulated in template and defect triage meeting can be used to identify important test-cases related to defect reports. The results from these two studies, text-based requirements reuse approaches and template based defect reports, were included when identifying approaches to measure reuse potential of BDD test-cases. The two proposed approaches, Normalised Compression Distance (NCD) and Similarity Ratio, for measuring reuse potential were evaluated in the industry. The evaluation indicated that Similarity ratio approach performed better than the NCD approach, however, the results from both approaches were comparable with the results gathered with the help of expert analysis. The cost related aspects of reusable acceptance tests were addressed and evaluated using a method that calculates the cost-avoidance through reuse. The industrial evaluation of the method and guidelines show that the method is an artifact independent method.  Conclusions: The evidence from this study shows that the automated acceptance tests are reusable, similar to text-based software requirements and their reuse potential can be calculated as well. The industrial evaluation of the three studies (i.e. approaches to measure reuse potential, calculation of cost avoidance and defect reports in triage meetings) shows that the overall results are applicable to the industry. However, further work is required to evaluate the reuse potential of automated acceptance tests in different contexts.

Studies show that the success of a construction project depends onits initial design work. Thus, it’s interesting to investigate howensuring design work quality is done. Since the mid 70’s SKB has worked on how the final repository of spent long-lived nuclearfuel should be built to satisfy the requirement of total repository from the people and environment for a period of 100,000 years. The project is large and consists of many subprojects; where one of them is carried out by WSP. The quality work in this project has been evaluated to see how the ensuring of reaching required quality and expectations. This type of project can be assumed to be complex both to control and execute, in terms of structural complexity, technical complexity and uncertain complexity. By characterizing the project due to its surroundings, content and organizational behaviour and to them apply the dimensions of complexity the aim of the study is to identify how the complexity has effect the quality work. To understand this, semi structured interviews with the project organization has been done. The result of the study shows that especially the structural complexity, mainly by the number of collaborated departments, affects the quality work. Also uncertain complexity affects the quality work, due to unclear contract between client and supplier. To receive better quality work in the future the coordination between different departments needs to be better. This involves for example establish project specific methods and routines, for all in the project to use. To be able to deliver successful projects one presumption is that client and supplier agreed on what is to be delivered. If the project scope isn’t clear agreedupon, a satisfied client can never be reached.

Today more than ever, Computerized Trouble Ticketing System is becoming a booming information technology system that makes the difference between staying in business in a competitive global telecommunication arena. This quantitative exploratory survey utilised conveniently selected research subjects to explore computerized trouble ticketing system and its inherent benefits in Vodafone Ghana Plc. Cross section of vital data set collected with the aid of structured questionnaires haven been analyzed using descriptive statistics model. The study revealed that, effective and efficient usage of computerized trouble ticketing systems benefit the company in terms of its customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and business intelligence in competitive telecom arena. Nevertheless, the smooth realization of these inherent benefits are constantly challenged by complexity in managing volumes of data generated, intense era of competition, high cost of trouble ticketing system, as well as, rapid technological obsolesce in computerized trouble ticketing applications in telecommunication market. The study recommended for the quick and effective adoption of differentiation strategy, cost leadership strategy and customer relationship management, which are customer-centric measures that can build sustainable long-term customer relationship that can create value for the company, as well as, for the customers. / <p></p><p></p><p>This was Via Adobe Connect</p><p>The room was be opened from 09:30 CET (Central European time and thus local time in Sweden), and the presentations began at 10:00.</p><p></p><p> </p>

Modular product design has proven helpful in dealing withvariance, while maintaining efficiency and quality. It allowscompanies to combine strategies that are otherwise difficult tocombine, by decoupling product systems to allow paralleldevelopment and manufacturing. Applying modular design to businessprocesses could help organizations in dealing with an increasingdemand of flexibility, while maintaining or increasing efficiency.Since research on process modularity is scarce and that there areno methods for modularizing processes, this study has adapted amethod for product modularization (Modular Function Deployment®)to be used for business processes.A major issue in doing so has been to find the right framework fordescribing business processes. Their abstract nature makes itharder (then with a physical product) to envision possibledivisions into modules. Structures and properties of businessprocesses, which traditional process models cannot reveal, havebeen exposed by the unconventional use of the ARA-model (Håkansson&amp; Snehota, 1989) as a tool for depicting business processes. Thathas brought the conclusion that activities and resources,belonging to a business process, are codependent and part of abigger network of activities, resources and actors. Building onthese ideas, the Modular Function Deployment® method has beenadapted for business processes. A case process is used throughoutthe paper to show as an example and evidence of the findings. Evenif not yet implemented within the organization, the proposedmodularization of the process show great promise in improving theperformance of the process, as well as further embodying thecompany strategy within its architecture.

As companies strive to develop artefacts intended for services instead of traditional sell-off, new challenges in the product development process arise to promote continuous improvement and increasing market profits. This creates a focus on product life-cycle components as companies then make life-cycle commitments, where they are responsible for the function availability during the extent of the life-cycle, i.e. functional products. One of these life-cycle components is manufacturing; therefore, companies search for new approaches of success during manufacturability evaluation already in engineering design. Efforts have been done to support early engineering design, as this phase sets constraints and opportunities for manufacturing. These efforts have turned into design methods and guidelines for manufacturing. A further step to improve early design is to reuse results and use experience from earlier projects. However, because results and experiences created during project work are often not documented for reuse, only remembered by some people, there is a need for design support tools. Knowledge engineering (KE) is a methodology for creating knowledge-based systems, e.g. systems that enable reuse of earlier results and make available both explicit and tacit corporate knowledge, enabling the automated generation and evaluation of new engineering design solutions during early product development. There are a variety of KE-approaches, such as knowledge-based engineering, case-based reasoning and programming, which have been used in research to develop design for manufacturing methods and tools. There is an opportunity for research where several approaches and their interdependencies, to create a transparent picture of how KE can be used to support engineering design, are investigated. The aim of the research presented in this thesis is to create new methods for design for manufacturing, by using several approaches of KE, and find the beneficial and less beneficial aspects of these methods in comparison to each other and earlier research. This thesis presents methods and applications for design for manufacturing using KE. The methods employ KE in several ways, namely rule-based, rule-, programming- and finite element analysis (FEA)-based, and rule- and plan-based, which are tested and compared with each other. Results show that KE can be used to generate information about manufacturing in several ways. The rule-based way is suitable for supporting life-cycle commitments, as design and manufacturing can be integrated with maintenance and performance predictions during early design, though limited to the firing of production rules. The rule-, programming- and FEA-based way can be used to integrate computer-aided design tools and virtual manufacturing for non-linear stress and displacement analysis. This way may also bridge the gap between designers and computational experts, even though this method requires a larger effort to program than the rule-based. The rule- and plan-based way can enable design for manufacturing in two fashions - based on earlier manufacturing plans and based on rules. Because earlier manufacturing plans, together with programming algorithms, can handle knowledge that may be more intricate to capture as rules, as opposed to the time demanding routine work that is often automated by means of rules, several opportunities for designing for manufacturing exist. / Företag strävar efter utveckling av fysiska produkter som kan säljas som tjänster istället för på traditionellt sätt då kunden betalar för produkten och därmed blir ägare. Därför uppstår nya utmaningar för produktutvecklande företag som vill behålla en stark marknadsställning. Eftersom denna tjänsteprodukt, här benämnd funktionell produkt, innebär ett åtagande för företaget under hela livscykeln, där företaget ansvarar för produkten ifrån utvecklandet av den tills att den skrotas och återvinns, skapas fokus på hur den fysiska produkten ska utvecklas för företagets och kundens bästa under produktens livscykel. Därför behöver utveckling av funktionella produkter ett livscykelperspektiv, dvs. att livscykeln beaktas vid konstruktion. En del av livscykeln är tillverkningen varför företag letar efter nya sätt att utvärdera hur tillverkbar produkten är redan vid tidig konstruktion, eftersom tidig konstruktion bestämmer begränsningar och möjligheter för tillverkning. Metoder och handböcker för att konstruera för tillverkbarhet har därför tagits fram för att underlätta anpassningen av konstruktionen till produktionsanläggning.Ett ytterligare steg mot förbättrade arbetssätt med livscykelperspektiv vid tidig konstruktion är att återanvända resultat och använda erfarenhet från tidigare projekt. Men eftersom resultat och erfarenheter från projekt sällan dokumenteras på ett sätt som underlättar återanvändning eller stannar i huvudena på produktutvecklare, t ex konstruktörer och tillverkningsingenjörer, finns ett behov för hjälpmedel för återanvändning. Kunskapsdrivet ingenjörsarbete (KI) är en metodik för att återanvända tidigare resultat och göra erfarenheter tillgängliga genom att möjliggöra arbetssätt för automatiserad produktdefinition och utvärdering vid tidig konstruktion. Det finns möjligheter för forskning där KI används på flera sätt och där dessa sätts kopplingar undersöks för att ge en klar bild om hur KI kan stödja konstruktion. Därför är målet med denna avhandling att använda KI för att skapa metoder för att konstruera för tillverkbarhet och utvärdera fördelaktiga och mindre fördelaktiga egenskaper med dessa metoder jämfört med varandra och tidigare forskning. I denna avhandling presenteras metoder och applikationer för konstruktion för tillverkbarhet baserade på KI. Metoderna är baserade på KI på följande sätt: regelbaserat, regel-, programmerings- och finit element analys (FEA)-baserat, och regel- och planbaserat. Resultatet visar att KI kan användas för att generera information om tillverkning på flera sätt. Det regelbaserade sättet är lämpligt för att stödja åtagande, där hela livscykeln ansvaras för, eftersom konstruktion och tillverkningsutvärdering kan integreras med utvärdering av underhåll och prestanda, även om detta sätt begränsas av reglernas omfattning. Det sätt som baseras på regler, programmering, och FEA kan användas för att integrera program för datorstödd konstruktion med program för simulering av spänning och töjningar i produkten som orsakas av tillverkningsoperationer. Detta sätt kräver dock en mer omfattande programmeringsinsats jämfört med det regelbaserade sättet. Det regel- och planbaserade sättet kan möjliggöra konstruktion för tillverkbarhet på två olika sätt, dels baserat på tidigare tillverkningsplaner och dels baserat på regler. Eftersom tidigare tillverkningsplaner tillsammans med programmeringsalgoritmer kan hantera kunskaper som kan vara svårare att definiera som regler, än det tidskrävande rutinarbetet som oftast automatiseras med regler, finns det flera möjligheter att förbättra konstruktionen för tillverkbarhet. / Godkänd; 2007; 20071121 (ysko) / Fastelaboratoriet - VINNEXC

Denna avhandling behandlar kundageranden, det vill säga sådana aktiviteter som används för att skapa och bygga upp nya, eller för att underhålla redan existerande relationer mellan små tillverkande företag och dessas kunder. Syftet är att öka förståelsen för kundageranden. Retrospektiva fallstudier användes för att generera det empiriska underlaget. Under etableringsfasen av de studerade företagens utvecklingsförlopp användes skapande och aktiva och kundageranden, vilka i stor utsträckning övergick till skapande och passiva när företagen lämnade etableringsfasen för driftsfasen. Studien visar dessutom att det är möjligt att knyta kundageranden till olika typsituationer och att kundageranden har olika struktur. Kundageranden är också beroende av konkurrenssituationen och branschlogiken. Branschlogiken kan emellertid mötas på olika sätt, eftersom det är möjligt att antingen "arbeta med" eller "mot" denna. Denna distinktion gör det möjligt att identifiera konformister, innovatörer och förlorare bland företagsledare, vilka möter branschlogiken på olika sätt och med olika framgång. / Godkänd; 1997; 20061128 (haneit)

This thesis aims to contribute to a better understanding of the social situation of the entrepreneur and the travails of entrepreneurship. More specifically, it examines the role of the entrepreneur by acknowledging that the role is influenced by expectations and proscriptions of stakeholders, scripts for social conducts, and norms. This influence opens up situations demarcated by demanding expectations and resource inadequacies-in terms of role stress-which complicate entrepreneurs' role fulfillment. The detrimental consequences of role stress have been widely acknowledged in professions outside the entrepreneurship setting. Recognizing that role stress is a well-established field of research, the role of the entrepreneur is related to some unique characteristics but with limited prior focus earned. This study therefore aims at contributing to a better understanding of entrepreneurs' role stress, traces possible antecedents, and maps some potential consequences. The thesis is based on a selection of seven academic papers. A meta- analytic review of prominent role stress consequences, together with a narrative literature review of role stress antecedents, lays the foundation for a conceptual analysis of how role stress can be used in entrepreneurship research. A subsequent theoretical analysis of this material implied and strengthened the thesis that the inclusion of role stress is valuable in the study of entrepreneurs. Empirical examinations in different scholarly papers support the role of the entrepreneur and reveal that role stress is an important and prominent phenomenon among entrepreneurs. Role stress is found both to influence the likelihood of inclination for new venture termination and to reduce performance and satisfaction. In a two-year longitudinal data set, role stressors are shown to transform to a proclivity for venture withdrawal through feelings of burnout and dissatisfaction, which sustains over time once triggered. The effect of burnout feelings is direct but not sustained, while the effects from dissatisfaction are lagged. Examining the origin and consequences of entrepreneurs' role stress reveals the lack of fit between entrepreneurs' personality traits and environmental characteristics to develop role stress, and that invested personal resources aiming to resolve role stress can increase venture performance at the cost of exhaustion and reduced self-satisfaction. Further examinations reveal that role stress experiences transform into functional outcomes depending on the coping strategies employed and the levels of role stress experienced. Results moreover reveal that negotiating expectations and/or working harder to meet expectations positively affect venture performance, whereas suppressing perceived expectations negatively influences venture performance. / <p>Godkänd; 2007; 20070511 (ysko)</p>

Research about small firm product development has increased. Firm internal forces have earlier been mentioned to be crucial for success in product development management. A more recent approach has been to focus on firm external forces concerning product development. Studies have focused on sources for product development, and only very few studies focus on the information systems used for addressing external parties in product development related work. Techniques and methods for enhancing the management and work with product development are central, why it is argued to be important to concentrate on the role of the media for information and communication between the firms that develops new products and its environment. It has been argued that the media Computer Based Information Systems (henceforth CBIS) can improve business processes, although the fast emergence of the research area leaves few studies supporting their arguments and propositions with empirical material. Furthermore, few have come to address the small firm context. As a response, this licentiate thesis includes a pre-study, which questions how and why small firms use CBIS for product development. A part of the purpose with the pre-study is also to identify how further research, in the form of the main study, can address this research area. The results, from interviews with 36 CEOs of small firms in the wood industry, reveal two distinct usage areas of CBIS for product development: unilateral (i.e. information gathering) and multilateral (i.e. communicative) usage. The main study sets out to address questions such as: Why do some small firms use CBIS for product development? How do these small firms use CBIS for product development? How does these small firms use of CBIS influence their product development? The main interest in the main study is to have an in-depth focus of the empirical material; wherefore interviews with informants from two firms have been conducted. Interview technique resembling narratives have been used to focus on histories and processes of product development within the firms. The results are divided into three areas. 1) The adoption of CBIS in the firm and for product development. This seems to be influenced by the perceived necessity to use CBIS, the perceived benefits with using CBIS and the CBIS competence possessed or accessed. 2) The use and influences of CBIS on product development, which can be divided into unilateral and multilateral use of CBIS. Media selection theories are argued as important for understanding why CBIS is used, and the influence CBIS has on product development is related to the reasons for selection the specific media. 3) Contextual influences are discussed as influencing the use of CBIS for product development in the contexts of the product, the firm and the firm's environment. / <p>Godkänd; 2005; 20070103 (haneit)</p>

Att arbeta med ständiga förbättringar (SF) är en del av många tillverkande företags ledningssystem, men tyvärr är det inte ovanligt att företagen upplever ett gap mellan önskade resultat och det som faktiskt sker. Om anledningarna till detta gap kunde synliggöras skulle insatserna för att vidareutveckla förbättringsarbetet bli lättare att rikta. Att med jämna mellanrum utvärdera arbetet med SF skulle vara ett sätt att synliggöra anledningarna. Trots det så görs det inte i tillräcklig utsträckning och mer forskning om hur ett effektivt mätsystem för SF skulle kunna utformas och implementeras behövs. Vid Centrum för forskning inom innovationsstyrning på universitetet i Brighton har en modell för utvärdering av mognadsgrad gällande arbete med SF tagits fram. Modellens tillhörande självutvärderingsverktyg handlar om att mäta förmågor kopplade till olika nivåer av kulturell mognadsgrad i arbetet med SF. Flera studier visar att verktyget har tillämpats på företagsnivå, men ingen där det tillämpats i produktionen på operatörsnivå. Att utvärdera mognadsgraden gällande SF på operatörsnivå skulle med stor sannolikhet vara värdeskapande för företaget och ge signaler, både på styrkor och svagheter, men också på hot och möjligheter gällande förbättringsarbetet. Syftet med denna studie är att på operatörsnivå inom tillverkande företag empiriskt testa, och vid behov anpassa, ett till mognadsmodellen för SF kopplat självutvärderingsverktyg. Utvärderingen genomfördes på ett högpresterande tillverkande företag som är världsledande inom sitt produktsegment. Självutvärderingsverktyget översattes från engelska till svenska och anpassades efter målgruppen, varefter 80 respondenter, från två avdelningar med helt skilda produktionsmetoder och arbetssätt, fick svara. Resultatet visar en mognadsgrad liknande den som andra högpresterande företag fått vid utvärdering på företagsnivå, trots att fokusområdet varit annorlunda, samt att anpassningen av verktyget i denna studie sänkt mognadsgraden. Vidare bör resultatet vara värdefullt för det företag där utvärderingen utförts, även om vissa frågor i utvärderingen visade sig vara osäkra. Avvikande resultat mellan avdelningarna identifierades och bevisades genom signifikanstest och förklarades genom intervjuer på fallstudieföretaget. Slutsatsen är att modellens självutvärderingsverktyg kan vara användbar för företag som vill mäta mjuka värden kopplade till en kultur gällande SF. Vidare fyller den ett gap gällande mätsystem för arbete med SF på operatörsnivå. Gällande anpassning av verktyget kan det vara lämpligt att se över utformningen av påståendena då dessa bör vara relevanta för den aktuella målgruppen.