Context Global Software Development plays a crucial role in the growthof software organizations. It gives a way to global sourcing, which involvescongregation of knowledge forces from all over the world to work for thecompletion of software projects with benefits. Most of the organizations usesourcing strategies to connect with other organizations in order to form aprocess for the work. The document incorporates the types of organizationsinvolved in this practice. The sourcing specifications vary from those of thesoftware organizations when compared to the others. The sourcing strategieshave some criteria for their selection but the existing literature doesnot reflect the change of sourcing strategy. This forms a research gap whichfocuses on the reasons behind the change of sourcing strategies, particularlyin software organizations. When considering this, it varies from one locationto other. Taking this into account, India is chosen as it is one of thedeveloping countries globally.Objectives The main objective of this research is to investigate the reasonsbehind the change of sourcing strategies in the present software organizationswhich are located in India. This information should act as a primarysource of information which acts as a reference for selecting the sourcingstrategy based on reasons behind changing sourcing strategies.Methods In this research, mixed method approach is used. Through thisapproach both the criteria that are qualitative and quantitative data is obtained.At first for the literature review, the systematic mapping is usedto scrutinize the available information within the topic area. Secondly, thesurvey is done to gain the input at present from software organizations inIndia and finally, the interviews (India) are conducted to validate the resultsobtained from both the above mentioned methods. Further, for thesampling of the data from research, the convenience sampling is used. Theanalysis of qualitative data is done using the thematic analysis method andfor quantitative data, the descriptive statistics is used.Results The general reasons for the change of sourcing strategies implementedby software organizations are obtained from literature and also thestate of practice in India is retrieved through surveys. Also the final primarysource of information,a checklist of reasons behind the change of sourcingstrategies in India are documented.Conclusions The main objectives of the research are answered. The generalreasons are obtained by studying the state of art. State of practice also liststhe upcoming reasons caused due to recent changes in software organizationsin India. The primary source of information which are reasons behindthe change of sourcing strategies are mentioned with each particular sourcingstrategy segregating them in both technical and non-technical reasons inIndia. So that, it will act as a checklist for practitioners, apart from havingthe criteria of selection, this checklist based on reasons behind changing thesourcing strategies in India will help them to select the sourcing strategyand understand the reasons which will lead to run the process smoothly.

The purpose of this study is to explore possibilities for textile companies in European high-cost countries to relocate production to low-cost countries in North Africa by performing a case study on Sweden and Morocco. The study will thereby contribute to increased understanding of nearshoring opportunities in low-cost countries. Sweden is seen as an example of a European high-cost country and Morocco is seen as an example of a North African low-cost country. By investigating nearshoring from a European high-cost country to a North African low-cost country, the authors conclude the advantages and disadvantages of nearshoring. Through a case study with a qualitative approach, observations and semi-structured interviews with industry professionals were conducted. The interviews were designed to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of relocation of production from both the production country perspective and from the outsourcing country perspective. The authors identified disadvantages that include increased labor and production costs, financial assistance for environmental standards, human rights issues and bad supplier relationships. Despite challenges, nearshoring offers advantages like increased flexibility and potential sustainable development, enhancing brand image and potentially increasing revenue. The findings emphasize the need for future research on differentiating nearshoring from traditional offshoring, assessing the environmental implications of various sourcing locations, and exploring the supplier-customer relationship for successful nearshoring implementation.

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to study the establishment process of Swedish companies with sales in China, but who did not begun their establishment with sales. This thesis has examined H&M, Nordic Light and Fagerhult; three Swedish companies that recently started selling on the Chinese market, to see how their establishment chain differs from those suggested by the dominant internationalisation theories, Uppsala Internationalisation Model and the Export Behaviour Model. To study this alternative establishment chain, this thesis has interviewed representatives from each company. The results show that the firms have entered China primarily for sourcing reasons and then at a later stage set up a sales organisation thereby differing from the Uppsala Internationalisation Model’s Establishment Chain. This thesis’s establishment chain of the researched companies in China show that they have started with purchasing, then moved on to production for export, and then finally to sales.</p>

The purpose of this thesis is to study the establishment process of Swedish companies with sales in China, but who did not begun their establishment with sales. This thesis has examined H&amp;M, Nordic Light and Fagerhult; three Swedish companies that recently started selling on the Chinese market, to see how their establishment chain differs from those suggested by the dominant internationalisation theories, Uppsala Internationalisation Model and the Export Behaviour Model. To study this alternative establishment chain, this thesis has interviewed representatives from each company. The results show that the firms have entered China primarily for sourcing reasons and then at a later stage set up a sales organisation thereby differing from the Uppsala Internationalisation Model’s Establishment Chain. This thesis’s establishment chain of the researched companies in China show that they have started with purchasing, then moved on to production for export, and then finally to sales.

Background: 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. Purpose: 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. Methodology: 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. Conclusions: 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.   Suggestions on future research: 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.

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<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>

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.

Det är inte längre enskilda företag som konkurrerar mot varandra utan snarare hela försörjningskedjor och detta påstående har varit utgångspunkten för den här studien. I takt med att handeln blir mer global, ställs företag inför utmaningar kring hur internationella relationer ska hanteras. En viktig fråga för konkurrenskraften är hur inköp ska struktureras i praktiken. Företag behöver göra en avvägning i val av försörjningsstrategi som berör frågor kring grad av samverkan och integrering till sina leverantörer. Denna studie är ett illustrerande exempel på hur leverantörsrelationer och försörjningskedjor organiseras i praktiken. Syftet är att skapa en fördjupad förståelse för hur relationer i försörjningskedjor kan utformas, där fokus ligger på informationsutbyte och integrering mellan parterna. För att empiriskt undersöka detta har en kvalitativ fallstudie genomförts hos det svenska detaljhandelsföretaget Rusta. De har fått agera som exempel för att belysa hur företag inom den handelsintensiva sektorn arbetar med frågor kring leverantörsrelationer och global försörjning. Till studien har ett ramverk tagits fram som bygger på tidigare forskning och teorier kring transaktionskostnader, kontrakt och kontroll samt leverantörsrelationer, information och integrering. Dessa ämnen har legat till grund för datainsamlingen. Studiens empiri bygger på insamling av data via intervjuer, dokumentgranskningar och en observation. De resultat som framkommit visar att det är många dimensioner som spelar in vid utformandet av leverantörsrelationer. Rusta har inköpskontor i Asien för att komma närmare sina leverantörer och skapa trygghet i affärsuppgörelserna. I vissa fall arbetar Rusta i närmare relation med sina leverantörer och i andra fall är handelsutbytet av mer transaktionell karaktär. Det framkommer att Rusta delar stora mängder information till sina leverantörer och att detta görs på daglig basis. Integrering framgår ske på olika sätt men något delat affärssystem mellan Rusta och deras leverantörer finns inte. Sammanfattningsvis visar studien på att ju mer komplex en produkt är, desto mer komplex blir relationen och en slutsats som dras är att det inte finns någon generell relation som passar alla affärsuppgörelser. / It is no longer individual companies competing against each other but rather supply chains and this assertion has been the starting point for this study. As trade becomes globalized, companies are faced with challenges about how international relations are to be managed. Companies need to make a consideration in the choice of supply strategy with decisions regarding what degree of cooperation and integration they should have with their suppliers. This study is intended as an illustrative example of how supplier relationships and supply chains are organized in practice, with the purpose to provide in-depth understanding of how relationships in supply chains can be designed. The focus in the study lies on information exchange and integration between the parties. To investigate this, a qualitative case study has been conducted at the Swedish retail company Rusta. They act as an example to help illustrate how companies in trade-intensive sectors work with issues related to supplier relationships and global sourcing. For the study, a framework has been designed based on previous research and theories about transaction costs, contract and control, supplier relations, information and integration. These topics have been the basis for data sample. The study is based on data collected through interviews, document examinations and one observation. The results found show that there are many dimensions in the design of supplier relationships. Rusta has purchasing offices in Asia to be closer to its suppliers and create a more secure business environment for trade. In some cases, Rusta works in close relations with their suppliers and in others on a transactional basis. We see that Rusta shares a large amount of information with their suppliers on a daily basis. Integration is evident in various ways, yet there is no shared business system operating between Rusta and their suppliers. In conclusion, the study shows that the more complex a product is, the more complex the relationship becomes. Another conclusion is that there is no general type of relationship that suits all business transactions.

Abstract Background: Supply chain resilience and sustainability have rarely been considered together, neither in literature nor in practice. The need to pursue both approaches is partly due to end- customer pressure for more sustainable practices. Also, Covid-19 demonstrated the importance of a resilient supply chain, especially upstream, which brings sourcing into focus. To achieve both, sourcing strategies need to be effectively changed. This is a challenge especially for family businesses, as they hold on to traditional values and are reluctant to make investments. Purpose: Efforts to achieve resilience and sustainability in sourcing are often accompanied by conflicting goals. In addition, family businesses have special characteristics with a strong focus on social capital. This mentioned combination has not yet been addressed in the literature, which is why the aim of this thesis is to find out how sustainability is integrated into the resilient sourcing strategies of family businesses. Method: To achieve the research objective, a multiple case-study with family businesses from Germany is conducted. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews are used. CPOs or CEOs of different case companies are asked, how they integrate sustainability into their resilient sourcing structures. Conclusion: The result of our study is a pool of different sourcing strategies of the considered family businesses, which are almost exclusively sustainable. This is due to the nature of a family business, which automatically generates sustainability through values such as regionality and long-term orientation. Awareness of the sustainability level of sourcing strategies reveals trade-offs and thus helps practitioners to use them effectively.