This thesis investigates how a company can implement life cycle analysis (LCA) into procurement. The thesis also explores the potential synergies between the LCA and procurement. A single casestudy was utilized for this purpose. It uses LCAs using a simplified methodology, interviews, and a literature review to carry out the study. The thesis was conducted in a global telecommunications equipment company. The thesis found that the most significant benefit of implementing LCAs into procurement would be that the case company would gain the ability to know what suppliers have more environmental products. This would, in turn, enable them to premiere those suppliers. That can be done through volume purchasing agreements, where the suppliers with greener products are awarded larger purchasing volumes. It can also be done by setting emissions requirements for products, where products that do not meet the criteria are not considered for the final business award. Additionally, using LCAs over other methods or measurables allows the case company and its sourcing managers to assess the emissions a product creates using one variable, not multiple. Introducing LCAs into sourcing has its drawbacks. LCAs are inherently resource-demanding. This means that any party that conducts LCAs, either the case company or their suppliers, will have to divert resources to perform the analyses. Additionally, at this point, few sourcing managers likely know how to interpret and use the results of an LCA. Some of these issues can, to some degree, be mitigated. The case company can try to develop an LCA tool that combines the information already gathered in current systems and integrate it into the LCA. They can also try to create the LCA jointly with suppliers; through this, they can try to develop a tool that minimizes the amount of input required by suppliers while still having a high degree of detail in the analysis and results. This would likely require a significant initial investment but only the necessary resources to maintain the tool afterward. The case company could also divert resources to educate sourcing managers on LCAs, how to interpret their results, and how to push suppliers to reduce their emissions. This would again become a cost issue, and the question of how much resources the company can dedicate to educating sourcing managers will arise. Having LCAs as a tool to assess suppliers could become a new competitive advantage to the case company. Through LCAs, the case company can show its customers they are dedicated to environmental sustainability. The case company could push its industry to adopt these tools and practices through its strong market position. Further, if adopted by all the case company’s suppliers, this could influence industries beyond telecom to adopt LCAs in procurement. / Detta examensarbete undersöker om och hur ett företag kan implementera livscykelanalyser (LCA) i strategiska inköpsprocessen. Examensarbetet utforskar även de potentiella synergier mellan LCAer och strategiskt inköp. En enskild fallstudie användes för detta ändamål. Fallstudien genomfördes i ett globalt telekommunikationsutrustningsföretag. För att genomföra undersökningen användes LCAer med en förenklad metodik, intervjuer och en litteraturstudie. Examensarbetet fann att den mest betydande fördelen med att implementera LCAer i strategiskt inköp skulle var att fallföretaget skulle få möjlighet att veta vilka leverantörer som har mer miljövänliga produkter. Detta skulle i sin tur möjliggöra att premiera dessa leverantörer. Det kan göras genom volymupphandlingar, där leverantörer med gröna produkter belönas med större inköpsvolymer. Det kan också göras genom att fastställa utsläppskrav för produkter, där produkter som inte uppfyller kriterierna inte beaktas vid den slutgiltiga affärsupphandlingen. Dessutom möjliggör användningen av LCAer jämfört med andra metoder eller mätvärden att fallföretaget och dess strategiska inköpare kan bedöma utsläppen en produkt skapar med en variabel, istället för flera. Att införa LCAer i strategiskt inköp har sina nackdelar. LCAer är i grunden resurskrävande. Det innebär att vilken part som än genomför LCAer, antingen fallföretaget eller deras leverantörer, kommer behöva avsätta resurser för att utföra analyserna. Dessutom är det för närvarande troligt att få strategiska inköpare vet hur man tolkar och använder resultaten av en LCA. Vissa av dessa problem kan till viss grad mildras. Fallföretaget kan försöka utveckla ett LCA-verktyg som kombinerar informationen som redan samlats in i befintliga system och integrerar den med LCAer. De kan också försöka skapa LCAer tillsammans med leverantörer; genom detta kan de försöka utveckla ett verktyg som minimerar den mängd input som krävs av leverantörer samtidigt som de behåller en hög grad av detalj i analys och resultat. Detta skulle troligen kräva en betydande initial investering, men endast de nödvändiga resurserna för att underhålla verktyget därefter. Fallföretaget kan även avsätta resurser för att utbilda strategiska inköpare om LCA, hur man tolkar resultaten och hur man får leverantörer att minska sina utsläpp. Detta skulle återigen bli en kostnadsfråga, och frågan om hur mycket resurser företaget kan avsätta för att utbilda strategiska inköpare kommer att uppstå. Att använda LCA som ett verktyg för att bedöma leverantörer skulle kunna bli en ny konkurrensfördel för fallföretaget. Genom LCA kan fallföretaget visa sina kunder att de är dedikerade till miljömässig hållbarhet. Fallföretaget skulle kunna driva sin bransch att anta dessa verktyg och metoder genom sin starka marknadsposition. Dessutom, om samtliga av fallföretagets leverantörer antar LCA, skulle detta kunna påverka branscher utanför telekom att anta LCA i inköpsprocessen.

There is an ongoing transition to a more sustainable industry with lower climate impact. As part of this transition, the steel industry is expected to move from the conventional process for producing iron and steel using Blast Furnace (BF) and Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) processes, consuming large amounts of fossil fuels. In Sweden, transition to an alternative process route using Hydrogen Direct Reduction of Iron (H DRI) combined with electric arc furnace s (EAFs) is underway. Large H DRI based steel industries are being established and are expected to produce significant volumes of residues. According to the principles of circular economy, these residues should be valorised as products or raw materials to as large an extent as possible. Industrial Symbiosis is a method for increasing industrial circularity by promoting transactions of information and residues to- provide economic and environmental synergies in a network of industry actors. There are existing industrial networks for valorising residues from the traditional iron and steel industry. Notably, large amounts of BF slags are used as a Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCMs) or raw material in cement production. However, there is a lack of research into how these existing networks can manage the residues produced in the new H DRI and EAF based process. There is also a need to better understand to what extent EAF slags can replace BF and BOF slags in valuable applications such as SCM or cement production. Research into these issues is complicated by the fact that no commercially operating HDRI based steel industries exist at present. Therefore, an exploratory and qualitative research approach was chosen to investigate the knowledge and current conditions in a region where such an industry is being established. A case study was conducted to investigate the industrial network surrounding an emerging steel industry that will use H DRI and EAF processes. A theoretical framework was constructed to assess conditions for the development of an Industrial Symbiosis Network (ISN) in such an industry. Social as well as technological conditions important for ISN development were identified.  The growing network of recyclers, metal industries and other actors surrounding the planned steel plant of H2 Green Steel (H2GS) in Boden was chosen as case. Potential ISN participants were identified and participated in four focus group workshops and ten in depth interviews. An overview of expected residues from H2GS was compiled, together with a list of potential methods for valorisation. The Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of these valorisation processes were assessed, and the social conditions for ISN development were investigated. There seems to be an existing ISN kernel already forming among recyclers and waste management actors surrounding H2GS. Social networks and an exchange of experiences are in place, and technological and economic barriers are perceived as the main obstacles to efficient residue management. The presence of traditional iron and steel industries in the region seems to be a clear benefit to ISN development. Most of the residues originating in the planned H2GS plant are well known and similar to those produced by other steelmakers, except for the large volumes. However, valorisation of EAF slags is a significant challenge. The most mature technology valorising EAF slags as rocky materials in construction seems unlikely to be able to valorise large volumes of EAF slags in the long run. EAF slags has potential as an SCM material or as raw material for cement production. However, these applications require further refining using technologies that are not yet mature. When the development trajectory of these immature technologies can be predicted, the ISN participants can adjust and prepare for the opp ortunities they create. Some valorisation technologies would bring great ISN advantages by improving diversity of inputs and outputs. However, when development trajectories are unpredictable, ISN development is blocked. / Det pågår en omställning till en mer hållbar industri med lägre klimatavtryck. Som en del i denna omställning förväntas stålindustrin röra sig i väg från den konventionella framställningsprocessen för järn och stål som använder masugn och syrgaskonverter där stora mängder fossila bränslen förbrukas. I Sverige pågår en omställning till en alternativ processväg där direktreduktion med vätgas används tillsammans med ljusbågsugnar. Stora industrier baserade på direktreduktion med vätgas håller på att etablera sig och förväntas producera stora mängder restprodukter. Enligt principerna för cirkulär ekonomi bör dessa restprodukter användas som produkter eller råmaterial för andra processer i så stor utsträckning som möjligt. Industriell symbios är en metod för att förbättra industrins cirkularitet genom att främja utbyten av information och restprodukter som kan skapa ekonomiska och miljömässiga fördelar i ett industrinätverk. Det finns existerande industrinätverk för att använda restprodukter från den traditionella järn- och stålindustrin. Särskilt relevant är att stora mängder masugnsslagg används som alternativa cementmaterial eller som insatsvara i cementproduktion. Det finns dock en brist på forskning om hur sådana nätverk kan hantera restprodukterna från den nya processkedjan med vätgasreduktion och ljusbågsugn. Vidare finns ett behov av att förstå i vilken utsträckning ljusbågsugnsslagg kan ersätta masugnsslagg och konverterslagg i tillämpningar som cementproduktion eller produktion av alternativa cementmaterial. Forskning om dessa ämnen försvåras av att det ännu inte finns någon aktiv stålindustri i storskalig kommersiell drift som använder sig av vätgasreduktion och ljusbågsugnsprocesserna. Därför valdes en utforskande och kvalitativ forskningsdesign för att undersöka kunskapen och de nuvarande förutsättningarna i en region där en sådan industri håller på att etableras. En fallstudie genomfördes för att undersöka industrinätverket kring en framväxande stålindustri som kommer att använda vätgasreduktion och ljusbågsugn. Ett teoretiskt ramverk konstruerades för att bättre bedöma förutsättningarna för industriella symbiosnätverk att växa fram i en sådan industri. Sociala så väl som tekniska omständigheter som påverkar nätverkets framväxt identifierades. Det framväxande nätverket av återvinnare, metallindustrier och andra aktörer runt H2 Green Steels planerade stålverk i Boden valdes som fallstudie. Potentiella nätverksdeltagare identifierades och deltog i fyra fokusgruppworkshops samt tio djupintervjuer. En sammanställning av förväntade restmaterial från H2GS sammanställdes tillsammans med en lista över möjliga metoder för att nyttja dessa. Den tekniska färdighetsnivån (TRL-nivån) hos dessa nyttjandealternativ bedömdes och de sociala förutsättningarna för ett industriellt nätverk att växa fram undersöktes. Ett frö till symbiosnätverk verkar redan formas bland återvinnare och restmaterialhanterare runt H2GS. Sociala nätverk och utbyten av erfarenheter finns, och tekniska och ekonomiska barriärer ses som de största hindren för effektiv restmaterialhantering. Närvaron av traditionella järn- och stålindustrier verkar vara en tydlig fördel för framväxten av ett symbiosnätverk. De flesta av restprodukterna som förväntas från den planerade H2GS anläggningen är väl kända och lika de som produceras av andra stålverk, förutom att de kommer produceras i större volymer. Nyttjande av ljusbågsugnsslagg är dock en betydande utmaning Den mest mogna nyttjandemetoden för denna slagg är att använda den som ett stenmaterial i byggnadstillämpningar. Det verkar dock osannolikt att denna metod skulle kunna hitta avsättning för de stora mängderna ljusbågsslagg som väntas på lång sikt. Ljusbågsugnsslagg har potential som ett alternativt cementmaterial eller som insatsvara i cementproduktion. Dessa tillämpningar kräver dock vidare förädling av slaggen med hjälp av tekniker som inte är mogna ännu. När utvecklingsbanan för dessa tekniker kan förutsägas kan nätverksdeltagarna anpassa sig och förbereda för de möjligheter de skapar. Vissa nyttjandemetoder skulle ge stora symbiosfördelar till nätverket genom att öka mångfalden av insatsvaror och produkter som är möjliga. När utvecklingsbanorna inte går att förutsäga blockeras dock symbiosnätverkets utveckling.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] La gestión sostenible de las cadenas de suministro se ha transformado en un tema de alto interés entre profesionales e investigadores en el ámbito de la ingeniería industrial. El impacto que generan las actividades económicas en el medioambiente y en las comunidades donde éstas se ubican ha generado un incremento en el desarrollo de herramientas que permitan incorporar dichos impactos en las decisiones tomadas en el nivel estratégico de las empresas e industrias. Es así como surgen nuevos paradigmas respecto al modelo de producción, como por ejemplo la economía circular, donde se busca transitar desde una economía de producción lineal, hacia una circular reduciendo al mínimo la generación de desperdicios, ya sea material y/o energético. En este contexto, esta tesis doctoral, sustentada en una revisión de la literatura y en un análisis de modelos de optimización matemática de referencia, propone un marco conceptual como herramienta de soporte para seguir desarrollando modelos cuantitativos para dar soporte a los problemas de localización, inventario y transporte (LIT) en cadenas de suministro sostenibles, así como, un modelo de optimización multiobjetivo no lineal entero mixto (MOMINLP) para diseñar una cadena de suministro sostenible de bucle cerrado considerando las decisiones LIT, donde los aspectos de sostenibilidad: económico, medioambiental y social son incorporados en cada una de las decisiones anteriores. El modelo propuesto, denominado 3S-LIT, considera cuatro funciones objetivo que pretenden: (1) minimizar el coste total de la cadena de suministro; (2) minimizar los costes asociados a la emisión de CO2 equivalente; (3) minimizar el coste social relacionado con los accidentes laborales; y (4) maximizar el impacto social, medido como el incremento en cuanto a la generación de empleos directos e indirectos y la reducción en la cantidad de personas afectas por los riesgos del transporte dentro de la cadena de suministro. El modelo 3S-LIT ha sido validado en una empresa del sector minero del cobre obteniendo un mejor desempeño en los valores de las funciones objetivo respecto a los obtenidos en la situación actual. Además, el modelo 3S-LIT se ha comparado con un enfoque existente en la literatura científica obteniéndose unos resultados satisfactorios tanto en términos de funcionalidades como de resultados. Finalmente, el modelo propuesto de optimización matemática, 3S-LIT, es replicado en un modelo de simulación con el cual se estudiaron posibles escenarios de disrupción de la cadena de suministro con el objetivo de analizar su capacidad resiliente. / [CA] La gestió sostenible de les cadenes de subministrament s'ha transformat en un tema d'alt interès entre professionals i investigadors en l'àmbit de l'enginyeria industrial. L'impacte que generen les activitats econòmiques en el medi ambient i en les comunitats on aquestes se situen ha generat un increment en el desenvolupament d'eines que permeten incorporar aquests impactes en les decisions preses en el nivell estratègic de les empreses i indústries. És així com sorgeixen nous paradigmes respecte al model de producció, com per exemple l'economia circular, on se cerca transitar des d'una economia de producció lineal, cap a una circular reduint al mínim la generació de desaprofitaments, ja siga material i/o energètic. En aquest context, aquesta tesi doctoral, sustentada en una revisió de la literatura i en una anàlisi de models d'optimització matemàtica de referència, proposa un marc conceptual com a eina de suport per a continuar desenvolupant models quantitatius per a donar suport als problemes de localització, inventari i transport (LIT) en cadenes de subministrament sostenibles, així com, un model d'optimització multi-objectiu no lineal enter mixt (MOMINLP) per a dissenyar una cadena de subministrament sostenible de bucle tancat considerant les decisions LIT, on els aspectes de sostenibilitat: econòmic, mediambiental i social són incorporats en cadascuna de les decisions anteriors. El model proposat, denominat 3S-LIT, considera quatre funcions objectiu que pretenen: (1) minimitzar el cost total de la cadena de subministrament; (2) minimitzar els costos associats a l'emissió de CO2 equivalent; (3) minimitzar el cost social relacionat amb els accidents laborals; i (4) maximitzar l'impacte social, mesurat com l'increment quant a la generació d'ocupacions directes i indirectes i la reducció en la quantitat de persones afectes pels riscos del transport dins de la cadena de subministrament. El model 3S-LIT ha sigut validat en una empresa del sector miner del coure obtenint un millor acompliment en els valors de les funcions objectiu respecte als obtinguts en la situació actual. A més, el model 3S-LIT s'ha comparat amb un enfocament existent en la literatura científica obtenint-se uns resultats satisfactoris tant en termes de funcionalitats com de resultats. Finalment, el model proposat d'optimització matemàtica, 3S-LIT, és replicat en un model de simulació amb el qual es van estudiar possibles escenaris de disrupció de la cadena de subministrament amb l'objectiu d'analitzar la seua capacitat resilient. / [EN] Sustainable supply chain management has become a topic of great interest among practitioners and researchers in the field of industrial engineering. The impact generated by economic activities on the environment and the communities where they are located has generated an increase in the development of tools that allow the incorporation of these impacts in the decisions taken at the strategic level of companies and industries. This is how new paradigms emerge regarding the production model, such as the Circular Economy, which seeks to move from a linear production economy to a circular one by minimising the generation of waste, both material and energetic. In this context, this PhD thesis, supported by a state-of-the-art study and the analysis of benchmark mathematical optimisation models, presents a conceptual framework to provide the key elements that act as a valuable tool to further develop quantitative models of location, inventory and transport (LIT) problems in sustainable supply chains, and a novel mixed integer non-linear multi-objective mixed integer multi-objective optimisation model (MOMINLP) for designing a closed-loop sustainable supply chain considering location, inventory and transportation decisions, where economic, environmental and social sustainability aspects are incorporated in each of the above mentioned decisions. The proposed model, called 3S-LIT, considers four objective functions that aim to: (1) minimise the total cost of the supply chain, (2) minimise the costs associated with CO2 equivalent emissions, (3) minimise the social cost related to occupational accidents, and (4) maximise the social impact, measured as a higher generation of direct and indirect jobs and a lower number of people affected by transport risks within the chain. The 3S-LIT model has been applied in a company in the copper mining sector, confirming a better performance in the values of the objective functions compared to those obtained in the current situation. In addition, the mathematical optimisation model is replicated in a simulation model with which possible supply chain disruption scenarios were studied to analyse the resilience of the supply chain. / This thesis has been developed within the Research Centre on Production Management and Engineering (CIGIP) of the Universitat Politècnica de València, within the framework of the projects: "Industrial Production and Logistics Optimization in Industry 4.0" (i4OPT) (Ref. PROMETEO/2021/065) granted by the Valencian Regional Government and received funding from Grant RTI2018-101344-B-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”; “Validation of transferable results of optimisation of zero-defect enabling production technologies for supply chain 4.0” (CADS4.0-II) from the grant PDC2022-133957-I00; and by European Union Next GenerationEU/PRTR, and from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101070076 "Optimizing Production and Logistic Resources in the Time-critical Bio Production Industries in Europe" (CLARUS). It was also funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID)/Scholarship Program/Doctorado Becas en el Extranjero/2020 – 72210174 and sponsored by the Universidad de Atacama as part of an academic improvement plan. / Becerra Muñoz, PA. (2023). Quantitative Models of Location, Inventory and Transportation Decisions for Sustainable Supply Chain Management [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/196651 / Compendio

I och med den tekniska utvecklingen är det kritiskt för företag att anpassa sig och följa med utvecklingen för att kunna upprätthålla sin konkurrenskraft och tillväxtförmåga. I denna fallstudie utförs en omfattande analys av produktionsprocesserna hos GB Verkstads & Industrivaror AB, som bland annat producerar hydraulikkomponenter, med syfte att evaluera och förbättra effektiviteten genom värdeflödesanlys (VSM) i kombination med dataomslutningsanalys (DEA). Målet med studien är att kartlägga nuvarande ineffektivitet, mäta företagets ”Leanhet” före och efter en planerad flytt till nya lokaler och sedan identifiera förbättringspotentialer i form av en handlingsplan.  Analysresultaten från värdeflödesanalys avslöjade flera kritiska icke-värdeadderande aktiviteter och i vissa fall rent spill vilket gav insikter till identifiering av specifika åtgärder för att minimera slöseriet och förbättra produktionsflödena. Flytten till de nya lokalerna möjliggjorde bättre layout vilket ledde minskning av cykeltider.  Dataomslutningsanalysen användes för att beräkna företagets Leanhet, där den nuvarande Leanheten i de gamla lokalerna beräknas till 52 %, och efter flytten steg den till 69 % i de nya lokalerna.  Resultatet av dataomslutningsanalys visar att de två framtida lägen visar att i det första och mer realistiska scenariot kan Leanheten ökas till 80% genom att genomföra standardiserat arbetssätt, eliminera slöseri och liten teknisk investering. I det ideala scenariot kan Leanheten bli 100 % om produktionsprocesserna automatiseras.  Studien påvisar att VSM i kombination med DEA kan användas som ett verktyg för att utvärdera effektiviteten före och efter flytt till nya lokaler ur ett Lean perspektiv. / Considering today’s technological advancements, it is critical for companies to adapt and keep pace with developments to maintain their competitiveness and growth potential. This case study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the production processes at GB Verkstad & Industrivaror AB, which produces hydraulic components, among other things. The purpose of the study is to evaluate and improve efficiency through Value Stream Mapping (VSM) combined with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The aim of the study is to map current inefficiencies, measure the company’s "Leanness" before and after a move to new premises, and then identify potential improvements in the form of an action plan. The results from the value stream analysis revealed several critical non-value-adding activities and, in some cases, pure waste, which provided insights for identifying specific measures to minimize waste and improve production flows. The move to the new premises enabled a better layout which led to reduced cycle times. Data Envelopment Analysis was used to calculate the company's Leanness, where the current Leanness in the old premises was calculated to 52%, and after relocating, it increased to 69% in the new premises. The results of the data envelopment analysis show that in the first and more realistic future scenario, can leanness be increased to 80% by implementing standardized work practices, eliminating waste, and making small technical investments. In the ideal future scenario, can Leanness reach 100% if the production processes are automated. The study demonstrates that VSM combined with DEA can be used as a tool to evaluate efficiency before and after moving to new premises from a Lean perspective.

電線電纜產業之個案研究 / The importance of supply chain management continues to grow as managers increasingly understand how effective supply chains enhance the ability to compete effectively in the market place. This paper presents a case study of a wire & cable manufacturing firm in China that undertakes its journey of supply chain management (SCM) transformation through Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) project implementation. The aim was to provide a real-life case example of a supply chain improvement process as presented from a practitioner’s perspective. A supply chain division was just newly established in the case study company and its supply chain journey was still in its infancy, and that made the company’s transformation process become very challenging. Unlike a traditional case study report focusing on a single project implementation only, this paper describes the whole improvement cycle starting with underlying supply chain issues identification and prioritization throughout the processes of project selection and implementation. This study exemplifies how a company finalized and realized its supply chain strategic direction through a systematic approach. Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model was used in the beginning to conduct a high-level assessment on supply chain opportunities and various brainstorming tools were applied in order to identify the issue with the greatest impact to the organization. Sales and Operations Planning or S&OP is another key element, and a thorough literature review supplemented with practical application is demonstrated in this paper. Little information technology application is presented. Instead, this case focuses more on change management and business process engineering.

Purpose: This research aims to enhance the current understanding and knowledge of the demand-supply chain management (DSCM) concept by determining its elements, benefits, and requirements, as well as by analyzing key elements of the concept. Methodology: This research has utilized the case study strategy and the survey strategy, however, the case study strategy dominates. The case study research has involved five companies originating from Sweden and the collection of empirical data mainly from in-depth interviews with key persons representing senior and middle management. The survey research targeted the largest firms in Sweden and Finland and empirical data was collected through an online questionnaire. Findings: This research has established that the main elements of DSCM include market orientation, coordination of the demand and supply processes, viewing the demand and supply processes as being equally important, as well as value creation, differentiation, innovativeness, responsiveness, and cost-efficiency in the demand and supply processes. It has also been revealed that the main benefits of DSCM include enhanced competiveness, enhanced demand chain performance, as well as enhanced supply chain performance, while the main requirements of DSCM include organizational competences, company established principles, demand-supply chain collaboration, and information technology support. A key element of DSCM further investigated is differentiation focused supply chain design. It has been shown that these efforts can be organized into a process of five stages. In addition, it is important that this process is addressed in parallel with the new product development (NPD) process, that information is exchanged between them, and that they are directed on the basis of the same segmentation model. Another key element of DSCM further investigated is coordination between NPD and SCM. This research has identified several significant linkages between these management directions, which motivate the use of an integrative NPD process where the NPD functions are aligned with the main supply functions in the company and other sales-related functions supporting the commercialization. A final key element of DSCM further investigated is the significance of regarding the demand processes and the supply processes as being equally important. This research has revealed that logistics outsourcing can be risky, if it results in the supply processes being considered less important. Nevertheless, if senior management regards the outsourced processes as equally important as the in-house processes, the effect of logistics outsourcing on company strategies and direction in SCM could be reduced and logistics outsourcing could instead provide an opportunity to improve the design and differentiation of the supply chain. Research limitations/implications: This research has proposed, described, and further analyzed a demand-supply oriented management approach. Such a management approach stresses that the demand processes and the supply processes have to be coordinated and directed at an overlying level, in order to gain and sustain a competitive advantage in competitive and fragmented markets. This research is mainly explorative in nature, and more empirical data, from similar and other research settings, is needed to further validate the findings. Another limitation of the research is that it is essentially limited to Swedish companies (even if some Finnish companies are involved in the survey), however, many of the case companies have a large international presence and are among the top three in their industries, facts which provide some grounds for generalization. Practical implications: This research provides researchers and practitioners with insights into how to develop a demand-supply oriented business. It shows that companies should organize themselves around understanding how customer value is created and delivered, as well as how these processes and management directions can be coordinated. In order for this to occur, the demand and supply processes must be considered as being equally important and the firm needs to be managed jointly and in a coordinated manner by the demand- and supply-side of the company. It is also important that value creation is considered in both the demand and supply processes. Originality/value: Despite strong arguments from both researchers and practitioners for a demand-supply oriented management approach only a minority of companies appear to have effectively coordinated the demand and supply processes. This might be influenced by the lack of research examining how the demand and supply processes can be coordinated, what benefits can be gained by coordinating them, and what requirements are necessary to succeed. This research contributes by investigating these types of aspects further.

Tittle: Biomechanics of pedaling as a determinant for the performance in the cycling part in the triathlon Objective: Prove that mastering pedaling technique, means higher performance in triathlon. Method: For the analysis of measured data use software SPSS, in which we use the test for two independent (paired) files. Due to the characteristics of the file, we used the Mann- Whitney test, we set the significance level at 0.05. Then we set standards for the selected test using T-points. Results: On the basis of the hypotheses, we conclude that there satisticky significant difference between groups (selection, other) the test results in the men's category (sig. 0.019). The opposite results were observed in the women's category (sig. 0.683). Performance comparison groups of men and women were different and statistically highly significant (sig. 0.000). Another result of this work is to establish standards by T - points for members of the youth sports center (YSC) in the triathlon for the assessment test at maximum cadence bicycle ergometer test in Cyclus 2. Keywords: pedaling cadence, YSC, diagnostics, maximum pedaling cadence test, Mann- Whitney test

En el presente proyecto de investigación se utilizan datos de la Cadena de suministro (SC) recopilados durante las actividades de distribución y transporte de café orgánico. El propósito de esta investigación es analizar diferentes formas en que se adoptan las soluciones de cadena de cultivo en la región de Junín, Perú. La desintegración del SC es evidente, ya que cada miembro cooperativo trabaja descoordinadamente por su cuenta, lo que lleva a diferentes estándares de resultados con altos costos y bajos rendimientos. El estudio se centró en diferentes entidades, desde los agricultores hasta el puerto de Callao, de una cadena de suministro de café orgánico donde la desintegración es constante. El artículo describe una cadena de suministro desalineada que incluye una colaboración deficiente. Todos los problemas encontrados serán una oportunidad para desarrollar un modelo de distribución en la cadena de suministro de café orgánico de la región de Junín. / This research uses Supply Chain (SC) data gathered during the distribution and transportation activities of organic coffee. The purpose of this research is to analyze different ways in which crop-chain solutions are adopted in the region of Junín, Peru. The disintegration of the SC is revealed, as each cooperative member works uncoordinatedly on his own leading to different results standards with high costs and low returns. The study focused on different entities from farmers to the port of Callao of an organic coffee supply chain where disintegration is constant. The paper describes a misaligned supply chain including poorly collaboration. All problems found will be an opportunity to develop a distribution model in the organic coffee supply chain of Junín region. / Tesis

[pt] O objetivo desta dissertação é realizar uma análise baseada no conceito de gestão estratégica de custo aplicado à cadeia de suprimentos de uma empresa jornalística brasileira. A discussão parte da necessidade dos jornais brasileiros, que estão passando por evoluções importantes, tornarem- se mais competitivos para atender anunciantes e leitores cada vez mais exigentes e enfrentar os desafios crescentes da concorrência entre mídias. Desse modo, é fundamental introduzir novos conceitos de gestão, com foco na redução de custos operacionais de transformação e de movimentação em toda a cadeia, com simultânea melhoria da qualidade do jornal percebida pelo leitor, por meio da gestão dos processos e uso de técnicas que permitem a integração de todos os elos da cadeia desde o acesso aos insumos físicos ou digitais, até o serviço ao cliente leitor ou anunciante. A análise baseia-se na estrutura do conceito de gestão estratégica de custos que é apoiada em três pilares: análise da cadeia de valor, posicionamento estratégico e direcionadores de custo em cada ponto em que se agrega valor ao produto, para possibilitar o uso dessas informações nas tomadas de decisões gerenciais. Esta pesquisa aborda a importância do gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimentos, enfatizando o gerenciamento dos custos logísticos e conceito de cadeia de valor, considerando os elementos de custo e descrevendo as principais operações da aquisição, movimentação, armazenamento de toda matéria- prima, produção e distribuição física dos jornais para os leitores. O trabalho considera o atual cenário e os desafios estratégicos enfrentados pelas empresas jornalísticas no mercado brasileiro, constatando a necessidade das empresas implementarem ações para melhorar os fatores de rentabilidade do negócio, agregando valor para o acionista, para o anunciante e para o leitor. / [en] The objective of this dissertation is to produce an analysis of the supply chain of the Brazilian press industry based on the concept of strategic cost management. The discussion stems from the necessity of the Brazilian newspaper industry, that is nowadays facing important evolution, to become more competitive and to satisfy advertisers and readers continuously more demanding and to face the increasing challenges derived from the competition between medias. In this way, it is fundamental to introduce new concepts of management, with focus on the reduction of operational costs of transformation and transport all over the chain, with simultaneous improvement of the quality of the newspaper as perceived by the clients, either readers or advertisers. In the newspaper segment the supply chain includes the process management and the use of techniques that allow integration between all links of the chain, since the access to the primary materials either physical or digital, until the service to the readers or advertisers. The analysis is based on the structure of the concept of strategical cost management that is supported on three pillars: analysis of the value chain, strategical positioning and cost drivers analysis ateach point that adds value to the product. The research approaches the importance of the supply chain management, emphasizing the management of the logistics costs and the value chain concept, considering the cost elements and describing the main operations of purchasing, transporting, and storage of all raw material, production and physical distribution of the newspaper to the readers. The work considers the present scenario and strategical challenges faced by press companies in the Brazilian market, evidencing the necessity of the companies to implement actions to improve the yield factors of the business, adding value to the shareholders, advertisers and readers.

Anderson, et al. (1994) have outlined the importance of bilateral relationships in business-to-business (B2B) marketing environments and thus the understanding of the business network context within which they are embedded. Through the globalization, this understanding has even gained in importance due to the increased challenges arising from working across cultural and national borders. However, culture in Supply Chain Management (SCM) is an underresearched area so far. This thesis has as a purpose to investigate the research question “What national cultural factors are considered in supply chain management by companies in practice and what are their relations?”. Furthermore, it was aimed at comparing the downstream (client) SCM side to the upstream (supplier) side.This thesis applied a quantitative approach in combination with a cross-sectional research design. An online survey was conducted using as a sample the 195-member companies of Ljungby Business Arena. In addition, responses were also collected through the snowball method. Based on the analysis of the survey results the following main findings were revealed: Not all national cultural factors mentioned in theory are considered in SCM by enterprises in practice. Language skills was in up- and downstream the most considered factor. The national cultural factors among themselves are correlated in different directions and at varying degrees of strength. Cultural distance only yielded positive correlations to the national cultural factors in the downstream side but not in the upstream side. Differences between up- and downstream SCM with regard to the consideration of national cultural factors exist; the downstream side considers (seen over all factors) culture more. The main theoretical implications are that also material dimensions of culture should be considered in theory and that due to the differences in up- and downstream SCM maybe different models for each side should be developed. For companies, the findings have shown that employees do not consider all factors of national culture and that they are rather free in their decisions on how to interact with foreign clients respectively suppliers. Thus, enterprises should train and sensitize their employees more to help them adapt to the different national cultural factors during their interactions. Moreover, companies might think about introducing more guidelines, which, however, still leave space for adaptation towards the individual clients and suppliers.