<p> </p><p><strong>Background: </strong>In manufacturing companies purchasing is a great part of the total cost and major suppliers have a decisive role for the company. Therefore it is important to emphasise the selection and relationship with these suppliers to make the organization profitable. Sourcing strategies and supplier relationships are the main elements of supplier management.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The main goal of this study is to underline the similarities and differences regarding sourcing strategies and supplier relationships among the manufacturers of the two industries in order to identify the best practices and possibilities for knowledge transfer.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This thesis is a descriptive comparative study that was conducted with a deductive approach. Data was collected by interviews of mainly purchasing managers of our studied companies, annual reports and web pages of the companies. The scientific credibility of this thesis was secured by using many sources and avoiding assumptions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Several similarities and differences have been found between the industries. Furthermore, both industries can learn from each other when it comes to the use of sourcing strategies and supplier relationships.  </p><p><strong>Suggestions on future research: </strong>A more extensive study with more companies in each industry can be made to strengthen our conclusions. Furthermore, scenario simulations can be conducted for the supply of products and see how a manufacturing company can be affected.</p>

Issues in production processes in the fashion industry are highly topical as recentscandals covered by the media show. However, these scandals rather involved multinationalcompanies than small and medium-sized enterprises. This study investigates, how small andmedium-sized fashion enterprises source their material ethically and implement a CSRstrategy by introducing of a code of conduct. Motives and challenges for implementing codeswill be discussed as well as possible solutions.Data was collected by conducting four semi-structured interviews with three fashion retailersand a multi-stakeholder organisation in the textile industry. In addition, documents includingsustainability reports were analysed. Results show that the motives for introducing codes ofconduct are closely linked to the company’s definition of CSR. External pressure contributedto the introduction, however, the main motivation was based on internal decisions of thecompanies. Main challenges of implementing a code of conduct included handling thecomplexity of the fashion supply chain, effective monitoring of compliance as well as culturaldifferences between suppliers and buying brands. Meeting these challenges included theinvolvement of workers, and additional measures as the introduction of complaintsmechanisms.

Purpose: The thesis has two objectives. First, from a theoretical perspective, it investigates the interrelationship between the theory of supply chain flexibility, the notion of leagility and the concept of 4PL. The second and primary objective is to explore the influence 4PLs have on leagile supply chain structures by integrating different types of both vendor and sourcing flexibility to analyse further whether 4PL providers facilitate a novel form of leagility. Design, Methodology &amp; Approach: To suit the exploratory nature of the investigation, the thesis adopts an interpretivist, qualitative approach to research. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of purposively selected 4PL providers. Furthermore, the study follows an abductive research approach because the underlying objective is not to test but rather to propose new theory in the field of supply chain management. The empirical findings are analysed based on a template analysis, while the quality of the research design is assessed by the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability. Findings: From a theoretical perspective, a 4PL Leagility Framework is proposed that defines nine different types of leagility. These are generally interrelated; consequently, three particular categories were identified that determine the overall leagile configuration of a supply network: the family of sourcing leagility, vendor leagility or supplier leagility. Empirically, however, the framework could not have been tested to its full extent, meaning that none of the nine forms of leagility is validated. The study further concludes that 4PL providers may increase the level of flexibility within a supply network based on their expertise in coordinating and integrating the virtual supply chains and transportation networks. It is also argued that 4PL providers establish both sourcing leagility and leagile supply chain constructs, from the perspective of managing inter-organisational alliances. Limitations &amp; Implications: The proposed framework may generally be applicable, although not without sacrifices. Practitioners would need to limit their service offerings to particular industry sectors and product categories. The framework neglects the coordination of 3PLs. Future research needs extend the sample of 4PLs to the fashion and beverage industry. Originality &amp; Value: The thesis is a first attempt to integrate three different streams of research, namely, supply chain flexibility, the notion of leagility and the concept of 4PL. The thesis proposes a 4PL Leagility Framework that extends the leagility concept beyond the material flow decoupling point principle. Ultimately, the research illustrates potential approaches for 4PLs to facilitate leagile supply chain constructs.

In order to create synergy of sourcing activities in related diversified firms, some coordination mechanisms must be in place. Coordination by organizational structure, management control, and process, systems and tools are examined in the Norwegian utility industry. Sourcing is found to be coordinated across business units by centrally decided sourcing strategies defining overall goals and policy for the sourcing area. Sourcing is also coordinated by sourcing professionals and category managers operating as devised liaisons, coordinating the sourcing processes, and performing supplier and market management horizontally across the business units. Sourcing needs are pooled when appropriate. Coordination by joint planning and sharing of cost information is done. All the identified forms of synergy are found to be created; economies of scale, economies of information and learning and economies of process.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2009 / Department of Information Systems Weatherhead School of Management Includes abstract Includes bibliographical references Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center

Background – Increase in global competition, technological changes and demanding customers have resulted in more knowledge-intensive, unstable, complicated and an uncertain environment. In order to overcome these demand uncertainties and tough circumstances, manufacturers are required to investigate methods to increase flexibility. To achieve the flexibility improvements, each component of supply chain such as suppliers, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and distributors must possess the potential to be flexible. Theory implies that the main link between company’s upstream supply chain namely suppliers and its own business unit are the sourcing strategy. Usually sourcing practitioners distinguish between sourcing strategies using portfolio models. They normally categorize purchased items based on the strategic importance of the item and characteristics of its supply market. It is a critical issue to explore how different sourcing strategies, for different categories of procured items, can influence sourcing flexibility. Purpose– The purpose has been diagnosed as to study how the prerequisites of Bombardier’s procurement procedures along with its associated strategies, can affect the flexibility that can be provided through sourcing namely sourcing flexibility. This study desires to investigate the concept of sourcing flexibility with considerations on category level. It can be beneficial to investigate how different strategies, related to different categories of procured component, can influence the level of sourcing flexibility specified to that category. This would lead us to two key questions: How can sourcing flexibility be defined in Bombardier and why is it required? How can sourcing strategies influence sourcing flexibility considering different categories of components? Methodology– To provide appropriate definitions for sourcing flexibility and strategic procurement, this study went through a comprehensive review on the relevant literatures. By a deep analysis, accompanied with several unstructured interviews on one of the undergoing projects in the company, the drivers for the sourcing flexibility have been diagnosed. The procured components have been categorized into four categories of strategic, bottleneck, leverage, and noncritical through 4 different structured quantitative questionnaires. 33 diverse individuals with purchasing and/or engineering background answered those questionnaires. The categorization criteria have been extracted out from two models suggested by Kraljic (1983) and Olsen &amp; Ellram (1997). Four independent components, one from each category, were selected for further observations. Finally, the links between sourcing strategies and sourcing flexibilities were expansively analyzed through 9 semi structured interviews with company’s strategic purchasers and suppliers’ representatives. Conclusion– Sourcing flexibility can be defined from two perspectives. First one refers to the capability of the focal firm to change the structure of its upstream supply chain. Second aspect refers to the ability of company’s suppliers to provide it with flexibility in three dimensions of delivery, volume and product. Both two aspects along with related dimensions can be measured in three different conditions of required, actual and potential by using range, mobility and uniformity as measuring elements. The results showed that the first perspective has a direct relationship to the sourcing strategies that focal firm may apply for different categories of procured component. Furthermore, the availability of second perspective is highly dependent on the relationship between the focal company and its suppliers, where strategic procurement plays an indispensable role. Based on the results the required level of sourcing flexibility, related to each category, differs significantly with other categories. The findings also suggested that the levels of delivery, volume and product flexibility have a close connection to the diverse strategies and attributes of the four different categories. Additionally they are well dependent on the internal operational capabilities of the suppliers along with the established relationship between buyer and supplier. Originality/Value– Main portions of previous studies have explored the concepts of sourcing flexibility and strategic procurement separately. Although, there exists some narrow numbers that have analyzed the relationship between sourcing strategies and sourcing flexibility to some limited extent. This study tries to contribute to the existing literature by empirically exploring the principal reasons for companies necessitating to increase sourcing flexibility. It investigates how sourcing flexibility can be improved through strategic procurement. The main contribution is to consider sourcing flexibility from the category perspective. Latter is a subject that has been neglected in the previous literatures. It is extremely hard to find literature which has analyzed sourcing flexibility at the category level. This report analyses the level of sourcing flexibility specified to different categories of strategic, bottleneck, leverage, and noncritical components. It suggests some factors that may influence the selection of a specific sourcing flexibility strategy regarding different component categories. Finally, it may introduce some extra elements that can be influential on the level of sourcing flexibility dimensions. Some examples of those influential elements are bargaining power and establishment of a close relationship.

Sveriges tillverkningsindustri av kläder är inte vad den en gång har varit. I mitten av 1900-talet producerades miljontals plagg varje år i Sverige. När konkurrensen kring priser för produktion blev starkare utomlands så började företag leta sig utanför Sverige, för produktionsalternativ, till Europa och därefter lågkostnadsländer i Asien. Ny forskning visar att förenklade beräkningar kring kostnader för produktion leder till produktion i lågkostnadsländer, samt att totalkostnaden för offshoring, när man tagit i åtagande parametrar såsom kommunikation samt hanteringen av logistik över landsgränser, är högre än alternativet reshoring där man flyttar hem produktionen till ursprungslandet igen. Frågan är dock komplex då priser på olika marknader är dynamiska. Syftet är därför att undersöka vilka möjligheter det finns för en svensk textilproduktion, ur perspektiven av svenska herrmodeföretag och producenter, där avgränsningen har dragits vid producenter som står för sömnaden. Detta är en kvalitativ studie där vi med hjälp av semi-strukturerade intervjuer har undersökt svenska herrmodeföretag samt svenska producenter av kläder. Sju stycken herrmodeföretag och fem stycken klädproducenter har intervjuats för att avgöra om möjligheten till svensk klädproduktion av herrmode, för att se om det finns en matchning mellan företagen och för att de ska kunna ge en bild av möjligheterna för en svensk textilproduktion. Analysen av materialet görs med en öppen kodning och teman som identifieras klassificeras i ett ramverk som delar upp beslut kring produktion. Resultatet visar på att det finns flera beröringspunkter mellan företagen och möjligheterna till en svensk produktion, men det beror på kvantiteterna av produktionen och på vilket sätt produktionen är hanterad. I nuläget finns inte förutsättningar för en storskalig svensk textilproduktion - men det finns möjligheter för att skala upp produktionen. Produktion av mindre serier eller för snabb påfyllning av slutsålda plagg är två incitament till svensk textilproduktion på grund av dess fördelaktiga geografiska positionering. Kommunikation och relationer nämndes som viktiga aspekter för modeföretagen när det kommer till sourcing, något som de producerande företagen kan matcha. Detta innebär att det krävs mer jobb för företagen att kontrollera samt följa upp underleverantörer, då dessa främst är representerade i andra länder. Det gör den flexibilitet som svenska produktionsalternativ står för mer komplex. Uppsatsen är skriven på svenska. / The Swedish clothing production industry is not what it once was. In the middle of the 20th century millions of garments were produced in Sweden annually. When the competition in prices of manufacturing grew too strong, companies began to look beyond Sweden, for production alternatives, to Europe and later low-cost countries in Asia. New research shows that simplified calculations of production costs lead to low cost country sourcing, and that the total cost of offshoring, taking in account parameters such as communication &amp; cross border logistics, is higher than the alternative of reshoring, where production is moved back to the home country. The issue however is complex and prices of international markets dynamic.The purpose is therefore to examine the possibilities of a Swedish textile production, from the perspectives of Swedish Menswear brands and Swedish textile producers, where the delimitations within that production has been limited to the manufacturing area. This is a qualitative study, and with the help of semi-structured interviews we have examined Swedish menswear companies and Swedish garment producers alike. A total of seven menswear brands and five producers has been interviewed to decide whether the possibility to produce in Sweden is feasible, to see how the companies match and for them to be able to give their perspectives of the possibilities of a Swedish textile production. The analysis of the data is concluded with an open coding which enables identifying themes that are then categorized into a framework, divided according to sourcing-decisions.The results show that there are several touchpoints between the companies and possibilities for a Swedish production, but it depends on quantities produced and in what way production is managed. As of now, the prerequisites for a larger scale Swedish clothing production does not exist - but there are possibilities of scaling up production. Production of smaller series or restocking of garments are two drivers of Swedish textile production due to the favorable geographical location. Communication and relations were also mentioned as important aspects of the companies when it comes to sourcing, which the Swedish textile producers can match. There were however different perceptions of the quality, and another barrier is that the entire supply chain is difficult to get ahold of in Sweden. This means that it takes more work for the companies to be able to verify and monitor the subcontractors, as they most likely are located in other countries. This makes the flexibility that the Swedish production alternatives stand for more complicated. This study is written in swedish.

No description available.

A governança do fornecimento (sourcing) de serviços de tecnologia da informação (TI) é uma questão que abrange aspectos gerenciais, econômicos e sociais. Atualmente parte significativas das recomendações de mercado orientam para a adoção de modelos padronizados cujas recomendações são consideradas melhores práticas. Dentre as existentes, o modelo eSourcing Capability Model (eSCM), desenvolvido pelo Information Technology Services Qualification Center da Universidade Carnegie Mellon, destina-se exclusivamente à padronização das práticas de sourcing. A pesquisa empreendida questiona quais as implicações das premissas do modelo eSCM para sua adequabilidade ao contexto institucional brasileiro. Foram realizadas análises de conteúdo para identificação das premissas explícitas e implícitas. Ao final dessa etapa identificou-se doze premissas, as quais foram comparadas com uma caracterização das especificidades do ambiente institucional brasileiro. Por sua vez, essa caracterização foi validada com especialistas. Conclui-se que o modelo eSCM traz uma grande contribuição para a prática da gestão do sourcing que é a preocupação com a gestão por processos e um gerenciamento profissional. Outra contribuição significativa do modelo é o foco no alinhamento dos estratégias e operações. Contudo, o modelo está fundamentado em uma lógica que presume uma racionalidade e formalismo que não são compatíveis com a cultura brasileira. São elementos que, historicamente, quando importados para o nosso contexto degeneraram-se e criaram arranjos ambigüos. / Information technology services sourcing governance is an issue with economic, managerial and social dimensions. To approach it many frameworks have been develloped. This research addresses the adequacy of eSourcing Capability Model (eSC) to the Brazilian institutional context. The research design was based on content analysis and comparative analysis. It was found 12 premisses that underlie the eSCM. They were validated with experts. The conclusion points that eSCM brings professionalism to sourcing management. However, the model is based on rationality and formalism not compatible with Brazilian culture. Those elements was previously imported and degenerated to alternative institutional arrangements,

A governança do fornecimento (sourcing) de serviços de tecnologia da informação (TI) é uma questão que abrange aspectos gerenciais, econômicos e sociais. Atualmente parte significativas das recomendações de mercado orientam para a adoção de modelos padronizados cujas recomendações são consideradas melhores práticas. Dentre as existentes, o modelo eSourcing Capability Model (eSCM), desenvolvido pelo Information Technology Services Qualification Center da Universidade Carnegie Mellon, destina-se exclusivamente à padronização das práticas de sourcing. A pesquisa empreendida questiona quais as implicações das premissas do modelo eSCM para sua adequabilidade ao contexto institucional brasileiro. Foram realizadas análises de conteúdo para identificação das premissas explícitas e implícitas. Ao final dessa etapa identificou-se doze premissas, as quais foram comparadas com uma caracterização das especificidades do ambiente institucional brasileiro. Por sua vez, essa caracterização foi validada com especialistas. Conclui-se que o modelo eSCM traz uma grande contribuição para a prática da gestão do sourcing que é a preocupação com a gestão por processos e um gerenciamento profissional. Outra contribuição significativa do modelo é o foco no alinhamento dos estratégias e operações. Contudo, o modelo está fundamentado em uma lógica que presume uma racionalidade e formalismo que não são compatíveis com a cultura brasileira. São elementos que, historicamente, quando importados para o nosso contexto degeneraram-se e criaram arranjos ambigüos. / Information technology services sourcing governance is an issue with economic, managerial and social dimensions. To approach it many frameworks have been develloped. This research addresses the adequacy of eSourcing Capability Model (eSC) to the Brazilian institutional context. The research design was based on content analysis and comparative analysis. It was found 12 premisses that underlie the eSCM. They were validated with experts. The conclusion points that eSCM brings professionalism to sourcing management. However, the model is based on rationality and formalism not compatible with Brazilian culture. Those elements was previously imported and degenerated to alternative institutional arrangements,