Decision making is a fundamental tool for managers and enable them to make logical decisions in critical situation between different options. This thesis concentrates mainly on seller selection problem or in some cases it also refers to vendor or supplier selection problem (SSP) and demonstrates how the multiple attribute decision making (MADM) methods can be effectively used for vendor selection decision in various situations of project management and supply chain environment. A case study has been carried out within two different countries (Sweden and Iran) in order to help practically managers to choose the best alternatives among their preferences. In this regard, AHP as one of major tools of MADM is also deployed.

The competitive advantages of Sri Lanka's garment industry, and how these can lead to increased trade with Swedish companies, were examined through a study divided in two main parts. The research was carried out with a focus on the labour force and the social aspects of CSR. It was initiated in Sweden, where the goal was to investigate how Swedish companies select suppliers and what their requirements are in terms of code of conduct and social responsibility. In the following part of the study we examined the corresponding parts of Sri Lanka's garment industry. To identify the competitive advantages and potential problems, we conducted a study on three different factories in the country, where the owners, managers and workers were interviewed. To further expand the survey results we also interviewed additional stakeholders to the industry. In this case a trade union and an organization working in the garment industry. The collected data were analysed using selected parts of Porter's diamond and Carroll's CSR pyramid, as well as the Swedish companies' demands on the social aspects of CSR. In order to identify these requirements, interviews were conducted with four different people at the Swedish companies. We were also given access to documents with their code of conduct. Through our analysis we are able to identify the competitive advantages that exist within the industry. In addition to that we are able to identify the areas of the industry where problems exist today, but where Sri Lanka has the opportunity to strengthen its competitive advantages in order to become a more attractive partner for Swedish companies.

Supplier networks today are seeing a complete redirection in their purpose from a decade ago. Supplier networks focused originally on transaction-oriented exchanges for sending purchase orders electronically. However, based on the current increased need to understand business risks, supplier networks are demonstrating a clear shift in emphasis from establishing “transaction-based focus” relationships towards the evolution of network platforms. The Aberdeen Group (2011) demonstrates that 76 per cent of supplier networks increasingly are being used to identify new suppliers and market opportunities. Moreover, with social-networking features similar to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook (which are very recent phenomena), supplier networks have become more important in their role of spending management based on the ability to help organisations identify new suppliers while sharing information with other buyer organizations. Therefore, analysing data from supplier networks today has become a necessary strategy for optimizing transaction-focused procurement, in addition to improving supplier relationships. With this in mind, the Social Media Domain Analysis (SoMeDoA) framework has been developed to facilitate the decision-making process for selecting flexible suppliers within the e-procurement-based marketplace and apply it to a real set of data gathered from two social-networking sites (Twitter and LinkedIn). The research contributes a rigorous method that analyses effectively domain concepts and relations between notions from social networks and builds the domain ontology. The effectiveness of the framework, in analysing domain and relations, is evaluated by its application to varying datasets gathered from social networks, including the pharmaceutical domain. This model extrapolates findings from stages in the research and marries elements from various papers and frameworks therein, in order to produce a guideline model for organisations seeking a suitable supplier with whom to work. The results of the evaluation are encouraging, and provide concrete outcomes in an area that is little researched.

Suppliers provide new technology to firms and are important in firms‟ NPD. It is not sufficient for firms to select the most appropriate technology; they must also select the most appropriate supplier for their NPD. The purpose of this licentiate thesis is to map and identify criteria used in the process of selecting a suitable supplier, and explore the role of Purchasing in NPD collaborative projects. This thesis is based on case study research where two NPD projects have been studied. The case sampling consisted of searching for projects that were believed to be rich in information about the process of supplier selection. Both studied were conducted at ABB, which is a large high-tech system integration firm. ABB was a good firm to study because as a company, it is used to implementing new technology from suppliers. The data collection consisted of interviews, factory visits, internal and external documents. The data gathered was analysed by conducting content analysis and then using categorization to structure it. In addition, within-case analysis as well as cross-case analysis were performed. The research process was inductive and its purpose was formed throughout the on-going studies. This study has identified and categorised criteria for selecting a supplier that is suitable to become involved in NPD projects. Both criteria from existing literature and from the NPD projects studied are mapped into a process model of supplier selection in which they are classified into three categories: product and production factors, firm characteristics and relational criteria. The main findings from this study are criteria that firms use in their assessment and selection of suppliers. These supplier assessment criteria can be divided into basic, product and firm criteria. One difficult element to consider is the uncertainty of an NPD project. The thesis argues that uncertainty can be divided into technological and strategic uncertainty. Additional criteria to consider in supplier selection are divided into technological, business and relational-specific criteria. This study has investigated the role of Purchasing in NPD and argues that Purchasing can be a trouble-shooter. This role can solve problems that emerge in collaborative NPD projects that involve suppliers. The types of problems that a trouble-shooter can solve are concerned with lack of commitment and interest from the supplier or conflicts when the supplier has changed its strategy. To solve these problems, Purchasing does not need to be present during the whole NPD project, but can have the role of a trouble-shooter and become involved in the project when the problems have emerged. By not being a part of the NPD team, Purchasing can evaluate the situation objectively without affecting the personal relationships that exist among the individuals in the NPD.

The role of purchasing in supply chain management has received and continues to receive increasing attention as the years go by. Purchasing enhances efficiency and competitiveness among other benefits but to realize these benefits it is imperative to select and maintain competent suppliers. However, many factors affect a firm’s ability to choose the right supplier. Uncertainty is an issue that has received great attention. It affects all functions of a company consequently affecting purchasing and supplier selection. This thesis seeks to provide an understanding of the supplier selection process and criteria under circumstances of uncertainty in the case where the potential supplier under evaluation is a newly created company. The authors try to find out if uncertainty varies with firm’s age and tested the suitability of existing criteria on the selection of newly created firms. They also sought ways by which uncertainty can be reduced.One of the realisations of this thesis is that there is a relationship between the characteristics or problems faced by new firms and uncertainty. Uncertainties created by new firms include lack of trust and commitment, inadequate finance, poor quality, unreliable delivery times, inadequate logistic technological capabilities. No new types or sources of uncertainty were discovered however, it was found that uncertainty was certainly higher when working with new firms. The criteria delivery, quality, cost/price, financial position and communication and technology were recognized as the commonly used criteria a fact confirmed from empirical results as well as in previous literature. However other criteria such as ISO certification, reliability, credibility, good references and product development were also identified. These criteria had existed before but did not receive the same attention in previous studies. This show that focus is shifting from solely relying on quantitative factors to include qualitative criteria. The study identified that some methods of minimising uncertainty could include detailed financial analyses, site visit, intensive verification, close relationships, ISO certification, good references and recommendations. It is worth noting that uncertainty cannot be entirely eliminated in all situations

Både som land och som fenomen är Kina ett synnerligen aktuellt ämne, inte bara för Sverige utan för hela världen. Sedan början av 2003 har mer än 154 svenska företag etablerat verksamhet i Kina, inom antingen tillverkning, inköp eller försäljning. De små och medelstora företagen följer nu efter de stora multinationella till Kina. Syftet med denna uppsats är att studera och analysera vilka kriterier företagen använder i sitt val av leverantörer eller samarbetspartners i Kina. Syftet är vidare att studera interaktionsprocessen mellan köparen och leverantören gällande kvalitetsproblem relaterade till såväl produktionsprocessen som produkten och leveransen av densamma. Att definiera kvalitet är inte enkelt då kvalitet inte längre bara handlar om objektiv statistik. Kvalitet bör vara en naturlig del av både företagets affärsprocesser och deras relationer med leverantörer och kunder. Idag är därför mer subjektiva och mjuka värden relaterade till kundens uppfattning, deras behov och deras förväntningar naturliga delar av det kvalitativa arbetet. Det kan vara svårt att överföra kundens uppfattningar, behov och förväntningar till leverantörerna. Interaktionsprocessen mellan kund och leverantör är därför långt ifrån enkel och rak, utan beror till stor del på de människor som är involverade i processen. Sammanlagt beskrivs och analyseras fem olika fall i studien. I samband med dessa har ett antal företag valts ut och nyckelpersoner inblandade i interaktionsprocessen med de kinesiska leverantörerna har intervjuats. Företagen har medvetet selekterats så att de representerar heterogena förhållanden gällande produkt, erfarenhet med affärer av Kina och företagsstorlek. Utifrån analysen av de empiriska data som samlats in står det klart att merparten av de kvalitetsproblem som existerar härrör till kommunikationen mellan kunden och leverantören. Det finns inga egentliga bevis vare sig för dålig eller låg kvalitet i något av fallen. Kvalitet är viktigt för dem alla, men kunden får oftast levererat det han har frågat efter. De kulturella skillnaderna gör att specifikationer, krav och behov hela tiden måste upprepas för att upprätthålla en hög kvalitativ nivå. För att utveckla goda relationer med de kinesiska leverantörerna är det viktigt att vara närvarande. Det som är taget för givet i Sverige är inte taget för givet i Kina och vice versa och det är därför viktigt att vara tydlig och att upprepa allt om och om igen. Det är viktigt att undvika att de kinesiska leverantörerna förlorar ansiktet och det är därför viktigt att de svenska företagen utvecklar en förmåga att läsa mellan raderna, framförallt som kinesiska leverantörer inte är lika uppriktiga och raka i sin kommunikation. / China as country and phenomenon is a topic of great impact to the entire world society. As many as 154 Swedish companies have established business activities either within manufacturing, sourcing or sales in China since the beginning of 2003. The small and mediumsized companies are now following the larger MNEs to China. The purpose of this thesis is to study and analyse which criteria are used in the selection of suppliers or partners in China. The purpose is further to study the interaction process in between the Swedish buyer and the Chinese supplier regarding quality issues and -problems related to the manufacturing process and product as well as the delivery of the products. Defining quality is not easy as quality no longer relies only on objective and functional statistics, but should be incorporated into the business processes. More subjective parameters related to the perceptions of the customers and their needs and expectations are involved and of importance. Such perceptions and needs can be difficult to transfer in between the buyer and the supplier. The interaction in between is far from a straightforward process and as such it depends and relies a lot on the people involved in the process. Representing a total of five different cases a number of companies and respondents directly involved in the interaction process with the Chinese suppliers were purposefully selected and interviewed. The sampling aimed at companies repre-senting heterogeneity regarding the three factors of products, experience of deal-ing with China and size of the company. From the analysis of the empirical findings it is clear that it is all a question about communication. There is no evidence of any low or bad quality in any of the cases. The buyer will be delivered what he asks the supplier to deliver. The cul-tural web including communication and language differs between Sweden and China. In order to develop good relations with the suppliers the presence is of great importance. It is important for the Swedish company to continuously repeat their specifications, demands and needs over and over again in order to maintain a high level of quality on their products. What is taken for granted by Swedish buyers is not taken for granted by the Chinese suppliers and it is important for the buyer to be very clear in both communication and specification, though without risking the Chinese supplier to loose face. Adapting an ability to read between the lines is necessary for the buyer as Chinese suppliers are referred to as not being as outspoken as Swedish suppliers.

<p>The role of purchasing in supply chain management has received and continues to receive increasing attention as the years go by. Purchasing enhances efficiency and competitiveness among other benefits but to realize these benefits it is imperative to select and maintain competent suppliers. However, many factors affect a firm’s ability to choose the right supplier. Uncertainty is an issue that has received great attention. It affects all functions of a company consequently affecting purchasing and supplier selection. This thesis seeks to provide an understanding of the supplier selection process and criteria under circumstances of uncertainty in the case where the potential supplier under evaluation is a newly created company. The authors try to find out if uncertainty varies with firm’s age and tested the suitability of existing criteria on the selection of newly created firms. They also sought ways by which uncertainty can be reduced.One of the realisations of this thesis is that there is a relationship between the characteristics or problems faced by new firms and uncertainty. Uncertainties created by new firms include lack of trust and commitment, inadequate finance, poor quality, unreliable delivery times, inadequate logistic technological capabilities. No new types or sources of uncertainty were discovered however, it was found that uncertainty was certainly higher when working with new firms. The criteria delivery, quality, cost/price, financial position and communication and technology were recognized as the commonly used criteria a fact confirmed from empirical results as well as in previous literature. However other criteria such as ISO certification, reliability, credibility, good references and product development were also identified. These criteria had existed before but did not receive the same attention in previous studies. This show that focus is shifting from solely relying on quantitative factors to include qualitative criteria. The study identified that some methods of minimising uncertainty could include detailed financial analyses, site visit, intensive verification, close relationships, ISO certification, good references and recommendations. It is worth noting that uncertainty cannot be entirely eliminated in all situations</p>

<p>Både som land och som fenomen är Kina ett synnerligen aktuellt ämne, inte bara för Sverige utan för hela världen. Sedan början av 2003 har mer än 154 svenska företag etablerat verksamhet i Kina, inom antingen tillverkning, inköp eller försäljning. De små och medelstora företagen följer nu efter de stora multinationella till Kina.</p><p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att studera och analysera vilka kriterier företagen använder i sitt val av leverantörer eller samarbetspartners i Kina. Syftet är vidare att studera interaktionsprocessen mellan köparen och leverantören gällande kvalitetsproblem relaterade till såväl produktionsprocessen som produkten och leveransen av densamma. Att definiera kvalitet är inte enkelt då kvalitet inte längre bara handlar om objektiv statistik. Kvalitet bör vara en naturlig del av både företagets affärsprocesser och deras relationer med leverantörer och kunder. Idag är därför mer subjektiva och mjuka värden relaterade till kundens uppfattning, deras behov och deras förväntningar naturliga delar av det kvalitativa arbetet. Det kan vara svårt att överföra kundens uppfattningar, behov och förväntningar till leverantörerna. Interaktionsprocessen mellan kund och leverantör är därför långt ifrån enkel och rak, utan beror till stor del på de människor som är involverade i processen.</p><p>Sammanlagt beskrivs och analyseras fem olika fall i studien. I samband med dessa har ett antal företag valts ut och nyckelpersoner inblandade i interaktionsprocessen med de kinesiska leverantörerna har intervjuats. Företagen har medvetet selekterats så att de representerar heterogena förhållanden gällande produkt, erfarenhet med affärer av Kina och företagsstorlek.</p><p>Utifrån analysen av de empiriska data som samlats in står det klart att merparten av de kvalitetsproblem som existerar härrör till kommunikationen mellan kunden och leverantören. Det finns inga egentliga bevis vare sig för dålig eller låg kvalitet i något av fallen. Kvalitet är viktigt för dem alla, men kunden får oftast levererat det han har frågat efter. De kulturella skillnaderna gör att specifikationer, krav och behov hela tiden måste upprepas för att upprätthålla en hög kvalitativ nivå. För att utveckla goda relationer med de kinesiska leverantörerna är det viktigt att vara närvarande. Det som är taget för givet i Sverige är inte taget för givet i Kina och vice versa och det är därför viktigt att vara tydlig och att upprepa allt om och om igen. Det är viktigt att undvika att de kinesiska leverantörerna förlorar ansiktet och det är därför viktigt att de svenska företagen utvecklar en förmåga att läsa mellan raderna, framförallt som kinesiska leverantörer inte är lika uppriktiga och raka i sin kommunikation.</p> / <p>China as country and phenomenon is a topic of great impact to the entire world society. As many as 154 Swedish companies have established business activities either within manufacturing, sourcing or sales in China since the beginning of 2003. The small and mediumsized companies are now following the larger MNEs to China.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to study and analyse which criteria are used in the selection of suppliers or partners in China. The purpose is further to study the interaction process in between the Swedish buyer and the Chinese supplier regarding quality issues and -problems related to the manufacturing process and product as well as the delivery of the products. Defining quality is not easy as quality no longer relies only on objective and functional statistics, but should be incorporated into the business processes. More subjective parameters related to the perceptions of the customers and their needs and expectations are involved and of importance. Such perceptions and needs can be difficult to transfer in between the buyer and the supplier. The interaction in between is far from a straightforward process and as such it depends and relies a lot on the people involved in the process.</p><p>Representing a total of five different cases a number of companies and respondents directly involved in the interaction process with the Chinese suppliers were purposefully selected and interviewed. The sampling aimed at companies repre-senting heterogeneity regarding the three factors of products, experience of deal-ing with China and size of the company.</p><p>From the analysis of the empirical findings it is clear that it is all a question about communication. There is no evidence of any low or bad quality in any of the cases. The buyer will be delivered what he asks the supplier to deliver. The cul-tural web including communication and language differs between Sweden and China. In order to develop good relations with the suppliers the presence is of great importance. It is important for the Swedish company to continuously repeat their specifications, demands and needs over and over again in order to maintain a high level of quality on their products. What is taken for granted by Swedish buyers is not taken for granted by the Chinese suppliers and it is important for the buyer to be very clear in both communication and specification, though without risking the Chinese supplier to loose face. Adapting an ability to read between the lines is necessary for the buyer as Chinese suppliers are referred to as not being as outspoken as Swedish suppliers.</p>

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-07-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:40:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 cortes_acc_me_guara_parcial.pdf: 108934 bytes, checksum: 14d32916b929013c7cc44dcd44e45513 (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2015-06-25T13:00:58Z: cortes_acc_me_guara_parcial.pdf,. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-06-25T13:03:20Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000631159_20151231.pdf: 102608 bytes, checksum: f30b15ce23e02c0e75a6b54836678bbe (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2016-01-04T10:26:46Z: 000631159_20151231.pdf,. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-01-04T10:28:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000631159.pdf: 1402612 bytes, checksum: 5bdb1ed1925105fb65ec088cad6f87dc (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O uso da Internet facilita e agiliza as comunicações entre empresas, por mais distantes que estejam. Tal fato, aliado aos avanços nos sistemas e processos dos operadores logísticos globais, fez com que o comércio internacional deixasse de ser lugar somente para multinacionais, mas também para pequenas e médias empresas. O objetivo central deste trabalho é mapear o processo de seleção de fornecedores através de marketplaces e a logística de importação da China, pela caracterização e análise dos processos e custos logísticos, compreendendo desde a fase de prospecção de fabricantes, a aplicação do método AHP para seleção de fornecedores, aspectos das negociações e a gestão da cadeia logística internacional. Foi desenvolvido, também, um roteiro que pode ser utilizado como manual de importações da China por pequenos e médios empresários. A premissa é a possibilidade de se aproveitar oportunidades de negócios advindos da oferta de produtos chineses com preços baixos e qualidade satisfatória para empreendedores do comércio exterior. Cabe destacar, como resultado importante deste estudo, a ferramenta (software) desenvolvida para seleção de modal e Incoterms, que considera, além dos custos logísticos do comércio exterior, o custo de oportunidade do capital (estoques), para uma correta avaliação do custo total de importação / Internet improves communication and information for all companies worldwide, this fact and development of logistics providers processes and systems support a strong growing for global trade, including participation of small and medium enterprises. The central objective of this study is to map processes of supplier selection via marketplaces in China and the logistics management of imported materials to Brazil. This study qualifies and analyses processes and logistics costs on importations from China to Brazil, apply AHP Analytical Hierarchy Process to select suppliers, analyses negotiation and global logistics management processes. The main result is to offer a complete guide to attend small and medium enterprises to manage importations from China, considered the main industrial country in the world with low costs and good quality products. The final and important part of study presents a new tool (software) to select more economic transportation mode and Incoterms, considering characteristics of materials imported from China to Brazil, to support the tool are discussed the logistics costs related to global trade, oportunity cost capital (inventory) and total importation cost

This Master’s thesis presents a design of models which are intended for evaluation of Braintrast’s suppliers. Based on the evaluation, there is selected the most optimal supplier according to parameters. The model uses fuzzy logic theory to support decision making. The solution is designed in programs MATLAB and MS Excel.