<p><strong>Bakgrund:</strong> För att vara kostnadseffektiv och utveckla nya bilmodeller i snabb takt använder sig bilföretag av produktplattformar. En produktplattform är ingen fysisk produkt utan varieras med olika komponenter beroende på vilka delar på bilmodellerna som skall vara unika respektive vilka delar som skall vara gemensamma. Nackdelar med flera gemensamma komponenter är att slutprodukterna blir identiska i flera avseenden, vilket försvårar varumärkets arbete med att göra produkterna unika och skilja de från konkurrenternas. En konflikt uppstår således mellan produktplattformens strävan efter gemensamma komponenter och varumärkets arbete med att göra produkten unik.</p><p><strong>Syfte:</strong> Syftet med uppsatsen är att utifrån de gjorda fallstudierna på bilmodellerna Volvo XC60 respektive Land Rover Freelander 2 som producerats på en gemensam produktplattform analysera och jämföra varumärkenas och bilmodellernas benägenhet att förmedla vad som är unikt i samband med en reklamkampanj.</p><p><strong>Genomförande:</strong> Uppsatsen är genomförd med en kvalitativ ansats, där intervjuer har genomförts. Den empiriska studien är uppbyggd av två deskriptiva fallstudier och jämförelser har gjorts mellan fallen för att se skillnader.</p><p><strong>Resultat:</strong> Uppsatsen har kommit fram till att varumärket är av stort värde för företag eftersom två identiska produkter producerade på en gemensam produktplattform kan säljas som två unika produkter. Varumärket möjliggör nyttjande av produktplattformar på grund av sin strävan efter att ta fram det unika med produkten. Vid nyttjande av produktplattformar är det viktigt att varumärket är konsekvent och kommunicerar det som är unikt med produkten snarare än det som produkten har gemensamt med andra produkter. Uppsatsen har visat på att attribut av stor betydelse för att kommunicera ett konsekvent budskap.</p> / <p><strong>Background:</strong> In order to minimise costs and develop new car models in a timely manner, the car industry uses product platforms. A product platform is not a physical product, but a range of components that can be combined in various ways depending on specific individual product requirements. The disadvantage with using several common components is that the final products can be identical in several aspects, which complicates the brand’s goal of making the product unique and distinct from competitors. Conflict arises between the product platform’s ambition to use common components and the brand’s ambition to make the product unique.</p><p><strong>Aim:</strong> The aim of this master thesis, based on two case studies about the Volvo XC60 and Land Rover Freelander 2, is to analyze and compare the brands and the car models’ ability to mediate the uniqueness in a Swedish marketing campaign, despite the common components at the EUCD-plattform.</p><p><strong>Completion:</strong> The master thesis has been carried out with a qualitative approach, whereby interviews have been performed. The empirical study is built on two descriptive case studies and a comparison has been made between the cases.</p><p><strong>Result:</strong> The thesis has reached the conclusion that a brand is of great importance to a company since two identical products produced on a common platform can be sold as two unique products. The brand makes it possible to use a product platform due to the brand’s ambition to make a product unique. It is important when using a product platform for the brand to be consistent and communicate what is unique about the product rather than what the product has in common with other products. The master thesis has shown that attributes are important in order to communicate a consistent message.</p>

Bakgrund: För att vara kostnadseffektiv och utveckla nya bilmodeller i snabb takt använder sig bilföretag av produktplattformar. En produktplattform är ingen fysisk produkt utan varieras med olika komponenter beroende på vilka delar på bilmodellerna som skall vara unika respektive vilka delar som skall vara gemensamma. Nackdelar med flera gemensamma komponenter är att slutprodukterna blir identiska i flera avseenden, vilket försvårar varumärkets arbete med att göra produkterna unika och skilja de från konkurrenternas. En konflikt uppstår således mellan produktplattformens strävan efter gemensamma komponenter och varumärkets arbete med att göra produkten unik. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att utifrån de gjorda fallstudierna på bilmodellerna Volvo XC60 respektive Land Rover Freelander 2 som producerats på en gemensam produktplattform analysera och jämföra varumärkenas och bilmodellernas benägenhet att förmedla vad som är unikt i samband med en reklamkampanj. Genomförande: Uppsatsen är genomförd med en kvalitativ ansats, där intervjuer har genomförts. Den empiriska studien är uppbyggd av två deskriptiva fallstudier och jämförelser har gjorts mellan fallen för att se skillnader. Resultat: Uppsatsen har kommit fram till att varumärket är av stort värde för företag eftersom två identiska produkter producerade på en gemensam produktplattform kan säljas som två unika produkter. Varumärket möjliggör nyttjande av produktplattformar på grund av sin strävan efter att ta fram det unika med produkten. Vid nyttjande av produktplattformar är det viktigt att varumärket är konsekvent och kommunicerar det som är unikt med produkten snarare än det som produkten har gemensamt med andra produkter. Uppsatsen har visat på att attribut av stor betydelse för att kommunicera ett konsekvent budskap. / Background: In order to minimise costs and develop new car models in a timely manner, the car industry uses product platforms. A product platform is not a physical product, but a range of components that can be combined in various ways depending on specific individual product requirements. The disadvantage with using several common components is that the final products can be identical in several aspects, which complicates the brand’s goal of making the product unique and distinct from competitors. Conflict arises between the product platform’s ambition to use common components and the brand’s ambition to make the product unique. Aim: The aim of this master thesis, based on two case studies about the Volvo XC60 and Land Rover Freelander 2, is to analyze and compare the brands and the car models’ ability to mediate the uniqueness in a Swedish marketing campaign, despite the common components at the EUCD-plattform. Completion: The master thesis has been carried out with a qualitative approach, whereby interviews have been performed. The empirical study is built on two descriptive case studies and a comparison has been made between the cases. Result: The thesis has reached the conclusion that a brand is of great importance to a company since two identical products produced on a common platform can be sold as two unique products. The brand makes it possible to use a product platform due to the brand’s ambition to make a product unique. It is important when using a product platform for the brand to be consistent and communicate what is unique about the product rather than what the product has in common with other products. The master thesis has shown that attributes are important in order to communicate a consistent message.

Product platforms holds great potential for cost effectiveness since several components are reused in different product variations. This bachelor thesis evaluates the implementation of a product platform of simple geometric products by applying the two different product development theories Design Thinking and Product Platform Concept Exploration Method(PPCEM). Design Thinking is a well-used theory which is mainly applied for development ofindividual products with the user in focus, while PPCEM is used for building large-scale and complex product platforms. In collaboration with Seldén Mast AB the possibility of creating a product platform for their product was investigated. It was accomplished by first developing the platform through Design Thinking and then theoretically recreating it through PPCEM. The difference in performance between the two theories was then analyzed. The results showed that none of the methods are individually adapted for the development of modularity for smaller products and volumes. Great importance was attached to being able to identify and define the essential correlations between the reusable components that constitute the modularity, which was most effectively achieved by combining the two theories. The study is structured by a thoroughgoing implementation of Design Thinking where several methods and models are used to support the structure of the concept for the platform. The re-creation is then based on PPCEM, where the theories methods are used as a basis for defining the conditions and foundation of the product platform. The purpose of this report is to compare the implementation of the various theories and analyze its suitability for designing a product platform for simple geometric articles.

Designing the entrance to an apartment building is often a complicated task due to the many demands placed on its design and construction. Everything from accessibility, safety during evacuation and fire safety, to the ability to follow the current local and zoning plan and finally, to look aesthetically pleasing and fit into the building's design language. The challenge becomes even more complicated when an entrance is to be developed as a module in a product platform where additional requirements are set based on the product platform's limitations and structure. This study maps out the requirements and presents an approach to developing an entrance module in a product system.   The purpose of the work was to design a concept for an entrance that can be manufactured as an entrance module similar to other modules in the customer's product platform. Today, they are usually built in a conventional way, i.e., on site with conventional building materials and techniques. The proposed solution must meet all legal and regulatory requirements, be able to be transported on the Swedish road network and meet all customer requirements. The module must also fit into the existing product platform.  The method used to design the entrance was to conduct interviews and workshops with experts. Benchmarking of existing entrance was done to analyze the construction. Their drawings were also studied and thematically analyzed. Concept generation was carried out continuously, resulting in a final concept.   The work resulted in a conceptually presented solution proposal that meets all legal and regulatory requirements and further customer and product requirements. The proposed solution is not fully developed when it comes to its design, i.e., the exact structure and construction needs to be designed in accordance with other modules in the product platform, before it is ready for production. However, the proposed solution contains all the critical dimensions, instructions, and reasoning for the various design decisions so that the detailed construction can begin immediately.