<p>Based on current competitive market, supply chain becomes to be more and more important to overall corporate strategy. Finding good suppliers makes much more senses for the companies nowadays as purchasing is one of the basis parts on the upstream of the supply chain.</p><p>China has been very successful on turning itself into a production powerhouse in just two decades, so how to find and select the convenient suppliers in China is a very important and modern topic.</p><p>The thesis has been starting with the introduction part, where the importance of outsourcing, Chinese current manufacturing capabilities and some other factors will be introduced. Besides, the purpose of this thesis is to study and analysis the criteria and processes are used by PCH International on the selection of suppliers in China. The authors try to understand how foreign companies find the right Chinese suppliers based on a case studying, which is PCH International, an Irish company.</p><p>Within the theoretical framework part, the authors discussed the supplier selection criteria firstly, which are very important and necessary to evaluate suppliers’ performances. Then the thesis was provided with an insight into some common theoretical methods, which followed by the supplier selection processes. Total Cost of Ownership, Data Envelopment Analysis and Mathematical Programming are presented in basic term. The part in the theoretical review was informed about the structure of the supplier selection process, starting with the preparation step, followed by prequalification and evaluation steps and resulting in the final selection of the suppliers.</p><p>In the methodology part, the approach for the research will be presented, it will be divided into four parts, which are choice of topic, choice of method, data collection, research’s validity and reliability.</p><p>The empirical finding part consists of practical information which was provided by the case company mentioned above through questionnaires and interviews. The values of the evaluation criteria are depend on the respective goals.</p><p>For data analysis, the theoretical evaluation models, on the other hand, are not used by this case. The company uses their own methods which are presented in the empirical part as well as in the analytical part of this thesis, the reasons will be describe carefully in this chapter.</p><p>Finally, this thesis ends with a conclusion, which with the answer of the research question.</p>

<p>Företag verkar i en omvärld med snabb teknisk utveckling. Ett led i denna utveckling är att automatisera inköpsprocessen med olika IT lösningar. Nya koncept och elektroniska lösningar efterfrågas konstant av företagen för att kunna uppnå mer effektivitet i inköpsprocessen, känt som E-procurement management. Detta koncept har blivit allmänt utbrett i fordonsindustrin, vilket har sin orsak i att en bil är en system produkt med 20 000 beståndsdelar och där av många transaktioner vid inköp av dessa delar. För att kunna automatisera inköpsprocessen måste företaget undersöka och analysera vilka nya tekniska lösningar och vilka elektroniska hjälpmedel som finns. Med hänsyn till detta avser denna studie att fokusera på att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i fordonsindustrin kan automatiseras. Författarna har valt att titta närmare på tre olika elektroniska hjälpmedel. Därtill kommer studien innehålla att analysera vilken inverkan en viss produkt och leverantörs typ har på val av elektroniska lösningar. En annan väsentlig fråga som också kommer att diksuteras är hur vid en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Dessa frågor kommer att innebära att studera både köparen´s och säljaren´s perspektiv.</p><p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i strategiska relationer i bilindustrin kan automatiseras, med hänsyn tagen till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör beträffande val elektroniska hjälpmedel. Vi kommer också studera den eventuella påverkan på kund - leverantör förhållandet som en automatisering kan leda till. För studien har en kvalitativ metod använts, detta för att få en mer precis och djupare kunskap i hur kund- leverantör relationen påverkas vid en automatisering. Författarna har genomfört intervjuer hos ett stort biltillverknings företag i Sverige, och med tre av deras leverantörer.</p><p>Studien visade på att där finns ett flertal områden i inköpsprocessen som kan effektivieras. Två drivare har konstaterats som möjliga lösningar : Covisint och web-EDI. Vidare är det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Författarna har dragit slutsatsen att företag inte bör rusa in i en automatisering, istället måste uppmärksamheten riktas till frågan om i vilken grad av automatisering som kan tillåtas utan att det får en negativ inverkan på relationen. Vidare bör företaget grundligt studera vilken elektronisk lösning som är mest passande, därtill med hänsyn till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör det handlar om.</p> / <p>Companies operate in a changing world with rapid technological development. Automation of the purchasing process in companies by means of electronic solutions is in line with this development. Companies constantly demand new concepts and electronic solutions in order to make the purchasing process more efficient, known as E-procurement management. This concept has become widespread in the automotive industry owing to that a car is a system product that on average consists of 20 000 parts, and consequently many transactions when purchasing these products. However, to be able to automate the purchasing process the company has to explore and analyze what new technology solutions there are. With regard to this, the study will focus to analyze how a purchasing process in the automotive industry can be automated. The authors have chosen to look deeper into three different electronic solutions. Thereto the study will examine what impact a certain type of product and supplier has concerning electronic solution. Additionally, how the buyer-supplier relationship is affected of automation is a fundamental question when considering automation, and will therefore be discussed in the study. These questions will concern to study both the buyer’s and the supplier’s perspective.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how a purchasing process can be automated in strategic relationships in the automotive industry, thereto taking product and supplier type into consideration concerning electronic solutions. We will also study the possible effect on the buyer-supplier relationship of automation. A qualitative method has been employed, in order to get a more precise and deep knowledge of the subject. The authors have conducted interviews with respondents working at a large car manufacturing company in Sweden, and with three suppliers to this company.</p><p>The study found that there are several areas in the purchasing process that still can be more efficient. Two technological drivers have been outlined as potential solutions: Covisint and web-EDI. Moreover, it is possible to conclude that an automation of a purchasing process will have an effect on the buyer-supplier relationship. The authors have drawn the conclusion that companies should not rush into things such as an automation. Much attention should be paid to the question what degree of an automation that can be allowed before it will have a negative effect on the relationship. Moreover, they should thoroughly study on what electronic solution is most suitable, thereto with consideration to what type of product and supplier one is dealing with.</p>

<p>Due to the ongoing globalisation and fast changes within the business environment companies are forced to adapt more quickly to customer needs. Therefore, they depend on reliable suppliers which provide them with the necessary goods and services. As a consequence, finding suitable suppliers is of utmost importance for companies. To be able to choose those suppliers companies need to establish criteria on which basis potential suppliers can be evaluate and select afterwards.</p><p>Against this background, this master thesis researches the supplier selection process from the end manufacturer’s point of view. Hereby, the focus is laid on theoretical supplier evaluation criteria and methods. Due to the lack of investigations in this branch of industry the authors have chosen the sporting goods manufacturing industry within Sweden and Austria as their field of study. They have been supported in their research by the companies the Arctic City Counting House AB, the ATOMIC Austria GmbH, and the HEAD Sports AG which provided them with the essential empirical data.</p><p>Keeping the above mentioned fact in the back of one’s mind, the authors deduce the following research question:</p><p>On which basis and how do manufacturers of sports equipment in Sweden and Austria evaluate and select their suppliers?</p><p>Within the theoretical part the reader of this thesis first of all gets an overview of supplier-buyer relationships and afterwards is informed about the structure of the supplier selection process, starting with the preparation step, followed by prequalification and evaluation steps and resulting in the final selection and the continuous controlling of the suppliers. In addition, common criteria which are necessary to evaluate suppliers are presented. Furthermore, the reader is provided with an insight into general evaluation models whereby four common theoretical methods are explained in detail (AHP, TCO, DCA, and DEA). Out of this theoretical data a conceptual model was created.</p><p>The empirical part consists of practical information which was provided by the three researched companies mentioned above through questionnaires and interviews. The analysed data concludes that the evaluation criteria which are given in theory are also used in practice. In addition, it was discovered that a further criteria category is applied within the researched companies. The values of the evaluation criteria depend on the goals of the respective company. The theoretical evaluation models on the other hand are not used by the examined sporting goods manufacturers. All of them use their own methods which are presented in the empirical as well as in the analytical part of this thesis. Finally, this thesis ends with a conclusion and with the answer of the research question.</p><p>Based on this thesis sporting goods manufacturers get an insight in specific supplier evaluation methods and thus gain the chance to learn how other companies within this industry evaluate and select their suppliers.</p>

Supplier selection plays an important role in any organisation. This study investigates and examines supplier selection criteria and the impacts on buying firm performance; specifically focusing on the telecommunications industry in Malaysia. Previous studies in this area have focussed on the criteria such as quality, price, delivery, supplier relationship management and decision making tools and techniques. However, little research has been undertaken to include government policies and business ethics as elements in the supplier selection criteria. After a literature review and interviews, the development of conceptual frameworks and a number of hypotheses were put forward. To achieve an in-depth study, four major telecommunications service provider companies in Malaysia were chosen as a case study. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in gathering data. The questionnaire is principally concerned with the understanding of supplier selection and its criteria; based upon the variables that are used for the model and hypothesis testing. The study also investigates the relationship between supplier selection and the impact of supplier selection to the company performance. This model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique with the AMOS software application. Results indicated all of the criteria include quality, price, delivery, supplier relationship management, decision making tools and techniques, government policy and business ethics as valid constructs. A good model fit was also established. The findings of this research conclude that the influencing criteria to supplier selection in the telecommunications industry in Malaysia are supplier delivery performance standards and supplier relationship management even when considering the remainder of the above mentioned elements.The price factors were found to be less important due to this factor possibly leading to unhealthy competition in the market in terms of price wars among the suppliers in order to win the business. Most of the criteria are also interrelated to each other and affect the supplier selection decision. This model has added new perspectives to the study of supplier selection in the supply chain management field. As for future research it is suggested that intangible elements such as political, cultural and social influences are included in the conceptual framework; as this would offer important insight for management bodies in organisation, academia and public policy fields alike.

Företag verkar i en omvärld med snabb teknisk utveckling. Ett led i denna utveckling är att automatisera inköpsprocessen med olika IT lösningar. Nya koncept och elektroniska lösningar efterfrågas konstant av företagen för att kunna uppnå mer effektivitet i inköpsprocessen, känt som E-procurement management. Detta koncept har blivit allmänt utbrett i fordonsindustrin, vilket har sin orsak i att en bil är en system produkt med 20 000 beståndsdelar och där av många transaktioner vid inköp av dessa delar. För att kunna automatisera inköpsprocessen måste företaget undersöka och analysera vilka nya tekniska lösningar och vilka elektroniska hjälpmedel som finns. Med hänsyn till detta avser denna studie att fokusera på att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i fordonsindustrin kan automatiseras. Författarna har valt att titta närmare på tre olika elektroniska hjälpmedel. Därtill kommer studien innehålla att analysera vilken inverkan en viss produkt och leverantörs typ har på val av elektroniska lösningar. En annan väsentlig fråga som också kommer att diksuteras är hur vid en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Dessa frågor kommer att innebära att studera både köparen´s och säljaren´s perspektiv. Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i strategiska relationer i bilindustrin kan automatiseras, med hänsyn tagen till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör beträffande val elektroniska hjälpmedel. Vi kommer också studera den eventuella påverkan på kund - leverantör förhållandet som en automatisering kan leda till. För studien har en kvalitativ metod använts, detta för att få en mer precis och djupare kunskap i hur kund- leverantör relationen påverkas vid en automatisering. Författarna har genomfört intervjuer hos ett stort biltillverknings företag i Sverige, och med tre av deras leverantörer. Studien visade på att där finns ett flertal områden i inköpsprocessen som kan effektivieras. Två drivare har konstaterats som möjliga lösningar : Covisint och web-EDI. Vidare är det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Författarna har dragit slutsatsen att företag inte bör rusa in i en automatisering, istället måste uppmärksamheten riktas till frågan om i vilken grad av automatisering som kan tillåtas utan att det får en negativ inverkan på relationen. Vidare bör företaget grundligt studera vilken elektronisk lösning som är mest passande, därtill med hänsyn till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör det handlar om. / Companies operate in a changing world with rapid technological development. Automation of the purchasing process in companies by means of electronic solutions is in line with this development. Companies constantly demand new concepts and electronic solutions in order to make the purchasing process more efficient, known as E-procurement management. This concept has become widespread in the automotive industry owing to that a car is a system product that on average consists of 20 000 parts, and consequently many transactions when purchasing these products. However, to be able to automate the purchasing process the company has to explore and analyze what new technology solutions there are. With regard to this, the study will focus to analyze how a purchasing process in the automotive industry can be automated. The authors have chosen to look deeper into three different electronic solutions. Thereto the study will examine what impact a certain type of product and supplier has concerning electronic solution. Additionally, how the buyer-supplier relationship is affected of automation is a fundamental question when considering automation, and will therefore be discussed in the study. These questions will concern to study both the buyer’s and the supplier’s perspective. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how a purchasing process can be automated in strategic relationships in the automotive industry, thereto taking product and supplier type into consideration concerning electronic solutions. We will also study the possible effect on the buyer-supplier relationship of automation. A qualitative method has been employed, in order to get a more precise and deep knowledge of the subject. The authors have conducted interviews with respondents working at a large car manufacturing company in Sweden, and with three suppliers to this company. The study found that there are several areas in the purchasing process that still can be more efficient. Two technological drivers have been outlined as potential solutions: Covisint and web-EDI. Moreover, it is possible to conclude that an automation of a purchasing process will have an effect on the buyer-supplier relationship. The authors have drawn the conclusion that companies should not rush into things such as an automation. Much attention should be paid to the question what degree of an automation that can be allowed before it will have a negative effect on the relationship. Moreover, they should thoroughly study on what electronic solution is most suitable, thereto with consideration to what type of product and supplier one is dealing with.

This thesis is focused on the quality concept, specifically on the supplier evaluation system in selected company, it´s analysis, evaluation and determination of proposals for improvement of the current evaluation system. The theoretical basis of this topic was defined in the first part of this thesis which is based on relevant literature and specialized Internet articles. Particularly the quality concept, fundamental benefits of quality management, economical consequences of its implementation, etc. It highlights the importance and meaning of effective supplier evaluation system and their selection especially for manufacturing company. In practical part of the thesis a chosen company where evaluation system is analysed is described. Next is described an application of the company quality system along with it´s employees that participate on quality management and economics of sustaining the quality concept. Main section of this part is an analysis of current suppliers evaluation system and their selection. In the end of the second part of the thesis proposals for improvements that would make the system more efficient are set. Individual recommendations are for quality system in general, suppliers evaluation before selecting and ongoing suppliers evaluation. These proposals are described in detail at the end of the theoretical part.

Gotlands Slagteri är ett företag som bedriver produktion av kött och charkvaror. Verksamheten bygger på långsiktiga relationer mellan såväl leverantörer som kunder, och som vilken relation som helst krävs omtanke och underhållsarbete för att de skall kvarstå. Syftet med den här studien är att titta på Gotlands Slagteris leverantörsrelationer och göra en utomstående bedömning för slakteriets räkning, samt att se om dokumentationshanteringen av leverantörerna kan förbättras. Syftet mynnar följaktligen ut i tre frågeställningar; Hur ser nuläget av relationen mellan Gotlands Slagteri och deras leverantörer ut? Vilken leverantörsinformation önskas av Gotlands Slagteri i framtiden? Är CRM-system ett lämpligt alternativ för Gotlands Slagteri att dokumentera information i och hur kan det tillämpas? Metodiken som använts för införskaffande av data har primärt bestått av intervjuer, både med leverantörer och personal vid Gotlands Slagteri. Studiens frågeställningar resulterar i att relationerna över lag ser bra ut. Det viktigaste för leverantörerna visar sig vara att avräkningspriserna per djur inte är för låga. Studien resulterar också i att slakteriet inte nödvändigtvis är ute efter någon ny information angående leverantörer i framtiden, men att det istället går att utöka leverantörers redan befintliga uppgifter genom att integrera annan sparad information. Vid integrering av vederbörande uppgifter talar resultatet även för att CRM-system är lämpligt vid framtida dokumentation för leverantörsuppgifter. Återstående för slakteriet är att avgöra vilken typ av CRM-system som ter sig bäst lämpat, men studiens rekommendation är att satsa på ett egenutvecklat system. Initialt kan systemet implementeras vid inköpsavdelningen som ett slags pilotprojekt för att därifrån expandera programmets funktioner till att även stödja andra avdelningar i verksamheten. / Gotlands Slagteri is a butchery which produces meat and charcuterie. The company is dependent on long term relationships with suppliers as well as customers, and just as in any relationship it is nurtured by tender and care. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship with the suppliers and see what could be improved upon. In this case, the improvement regards the company’s way of handling information about suppliers, which in turn generate the following questions; does any further information regarding suppliers, valuable enough to be documented exist? How could present information be stored? The information procured attempts to answer what makes suppliers supply to Gotlands Slagteri as well as what the viewpoint of other butcheries is. Via a literature study CRM is proposed as a possible solution and is backed up by a benchmark of what similar companies do (HKScan, KLS, Hälsingestintan). CRM systems turn out to be a recurrent option and could be procured either by buying an already existing product or be developed on your own. The study concludes in there not necessarily being anything new to add as far as information per supplier go, but instead point to the fact that there are some already existing data which potentially could add individual value. Beyond that the study show that CRM could make a strong case as a future feature. The one thing reaming is for Gotlands Slagteri to determine which CRM-system would make the better fit.

Supply chain management is a complex process requiring the coordination of numerous decisions in the attempt to balance often-conflicting objectives such as quality, cost, and on-time delivery. To meet these and other objectives, a focal company must develop organized systems for establishing and managing its supplier relationships. A reliable, decision-support tool is needed for selecting the best procurement strategy for each supplier, given knowledge of the existing sourcing environment. Supplier segmentation is a well-established and resource-efficient tool used to identify procurement strategies for groups of suppliers with similar characteristics. However, the existing methods of segmentation generally select strategies that optimize performance during normal operating conditions, and do not explicitly consider the effects of the chosen strategy on the supply chain’s ability to respond to disruption. As a supply chain expands in complexity and scale, its exposure to sources of major disruption like natural disasters, labor strikes, and changing government regulations also increases. With increased exposure to disruption, it becomes necessary for supply chains to build in resilience and robustness in the attempt to guard against these types of events. This work argues that the potential impacts of disruption should be considered during the establishment of day-to-day procurement strategy, and not solely in the development of posterior action plans. In this work, a case study of a laser printer supply chain is used as a context for studying the effects of different supplier segmentation methods. The system is examined using agent-based modeling and simulation with the objective of measuring disruption impact, given a set of initial conditions. Through insights gained in examination of the results, this work seeks to derive a set of improved rules for segmentation procedure whereby the best strategy for resilience and robustness for any supplier can be identified given a set of the observable supplier characteristics.

Abstract The present thesis analyses different software supplier types and the development of supplier firms in the context of the Finnish ICT cluster, which underwent rapid growth in the 1990s. The central brand-owner firms in the cluster have been accompanied by a high number of smaller industrial supplier firms that base their business on serving their large customer organisations. The research to date on the ICT cluster has largely focused on understanding the development and purchasing strategies of the large customer firms and thus does not provide a sufficient basis for understanding how supplier firms in the cluster operate and develop. It is this gap that the present study undertakes to address. The thesis begins by building a theoretical framework that identifies the main factors affecting the development of industrial supplier firms. The inner context of the framework is based on the resource-based view of the firm and the capability approach, while the outer context rests on principles drawn from theories of evolutionary economics. Supplier development is analysed as a change from one firm type to another. The empirical part of the thesis consists of a quantitative and a qualitative study. The former identifies five software supplier types and elaborates a typology capturing their main features, e.g., key resources, capabilities and operating logic. The latter then applies the theoretical framework in analysing the development of four software supplier firms within the ICT cluster. The empirical analysis generates a number of propositions on the development of software supplier firms that together constitute a description of the firms' typical development path and the most significant resources and capabilities enabling the development identified. The software suppliers' change from providing customised software services towards independent production of software products was found to be extremely difficult. The thesis concludes with a discussion of strategy-level choices that are relevant in managing this type of development.

This master thesis is focused on the analysis of the purchasing process in the company GYMBOOM ltd. The theoretical part of the thesis defines basic characteristics of the purchasing process. This thesis is analising the current condition of the purchasing process together with current storage process. Based on the theoretical knowledges in the last part of the thesis, there are also highlighted problematic fields and suggested possible solutions, which can help to eliminate identified deficiencies and enable the development of business.