The supplier relationship manager is one of the eight business processes of Supply chain management. There have been many researches carried out about the supply chain processes integration. However, a lack of theory has been noticed on the integration of the supplier relationship management process and no research has coped with a case study of the integration of this process between the manufacturer and its first upstream tier. The lack is also consequent when studying the obstacles to the supplier relationship management integration in Swedish construction equipment companies.

No description available.

En försörjningskedja är en komplex process som majoriteten av företaget tampas med, både medvetet och omedvetet. Vid närmare granskning av en försörjningskedja kan denna process brytas ner i flertalet delar, vilket gör begreppet försörjningskedja oerhört stort att behandla i sin helhet. Denna studie avser att undersöka vilka faktorer som är av betydelse vid konstruktion av en ny försörjningskedja samt hur aktörer inom den påverkas. Studien initierades genom att ansamla generell ämneskunskap för att skapa en överskådlig bild av påverkande faktorer kring konstruktion och leverantörer. Vidare skapades en teoretisk referensram av litteraturinsamlingen vars syfte är att definiera begrepp, modeller och metoder samt skapa en övergripande förståelse kring hur denna kunskap kan appliceras och användas. Genomförandet av en fallstudie blev en naturlig fortsättning i studien för att skapa en verklighetsanknuten situation varav begrepp, modeller och metoder kunde appliceras. Den empiriska data som presenteras har samlats in genom både observationer och semi-strukturerade intervjuer med fallföretaget och dess nuvarande samt potentiella leverantörer. Intervjuernas syfte var att alla parter skulle ges möjlighet att belysa sin synvinkel, samtidigt som observationerna var tillför studiens författare att få en kännedom om produktspektra, prototyper och verksamheten som fallstudien återspeglade. När den empiriska data hade ansamlats, analyserades detta material utifrån den teoretiska referensramen där syfte och frågeställningarna kunde besvaras. Resultatet som presenterats identifierar kritiska faktorer i innovationsstadiet som supply chain strategy (SCS) och leverantörvalsprocessens inverkan. Studiens huvudsakliga slutsats identiferar att samspelet mellan SCS, leverantörvalsprocessen och supplier relationship management (SRM) är av yttersta vikt vid en organisations arbete med försörjningskedjor. / A supply chain is a complex process that the majority of companies combat with, both consciously and unconsciously. When observing a supply chain, it becomes evident that this process can be broken down into multiple parts, which makes the concept comprehensive to handle as a whole.  This study aims to investigate which factors are important in the development of a new supply chain and how the stakeholders within are impacted. The study was initiated by accumulating general subject knowledge in order to establish a comprehensive overview of the factors that influence the development of a supply chain and its suppliers. A theoretical framework was created through literature collection, with the purpose of defining concepts, models and methods, but also to establish a holistic understanding of how this knowledge can be put into practise. The implementation of a case study became a natural continuation of the study to create a factual situation from which concepts, models and methods could be applied. The empirical data presented was collected through both observations and semi-structured interviews alongside the case company and its current and potential suppliers. The main purpose of the interviews was to allow all parties to enlighten their point of view, while the observations was up to the study's authors to gain an understanding of the product catalogue, prototypes and activities that the case study reflected. Once the empirical data had been collected, the findings was analysed based on the theoretical framework where the purpose and questions could be answered. The result presented identifies critical factors in the innovation phase such as supply chain strategy (SCS) and the impact of the supplier selection process. The study concludes that the interplay between SCS, the supplier selection process and supplier relationship management (SRM) are of paramount importance in an organisation’s work with supply chains.

Digitalisering har med tiden fått en allt större betydelse och vikten av att företag utvecklas i takt med dess framväxt förväntas öka. En anledning till det är globaliseringen som bland annat medfört en ökad konkurrens. För att bibehålla alternativt förbättra konkurrenskraften bör företag ha en tydlig strategi för hur resurser gällande digitala satsningar ska avsätts. Ytterligare en viktig aspekt för att överleva på marknaden är företagets förmåga att hantera inköp samt ha nära och långsiktiga leverantörsrelationer. För att åstadkomma det behövs en god kommunikation där information snabbt och enkelt kan delas. Företag har generellt svårt att utvecklas i takt med digitaliseringens framfart på grund av att de prioriterar sina resurser till annat. Studien syftar därmed till att besvara följande frågeställning: ”Hur kan ett företag prioritera sina resurser för uppströms digitalisering?”. För att besvara ovanstående frågeställning genomfördes en fallstudie på Axis Communications AB. Syftet med studien är att effektivisera och förenkla kommunikationen gällande uppströms digitalisering genom att hjälpa Axis att prioritera sina resurser. För att åstadkomma det kommer Axis nuvarande kommunikationsflöde med deras leverantörer att undersökas. För att få en trovärdig bild av hur kommunikationen ser ut i dagsläget genomfördes flera intervjuer med anställda på Axis och en enkätundersökning distribuerades till leverantörerna. För att få ökad inspiration samt säkerställa att rekommendationerna är realistiska hölls två benchmarkingintervjuer och ett möte med en specialist inom området digitalisering. Baserat på litteraturstudien, empirin och analysen utformades en prioriteringslista för Axis som innefattas av följande sex steg, där respektive steg bör genomsyras av att ”Kontinuerligt arbeta med digitala möjligheter och utmaningar”. Skapa intern förståelse Skapa nära och långsiktiga samarbeten med leverantörerna Undersöka värdet av att digitalisera kommunikationen Förändra och effektivisera nuvarande arbetssätt Anpassa digitala lösningar utefter leverantörens mognadsgrad Fortsätta implementera EDI För att åstadkomma en lyckad digital satsning bör Axis inledningsvis arbeta med att skapa en intern förståelse. Först efter det ska Axis avsätta resurser på att förbättra leverantörssamarbetet. För att sedan säkerställa att en digital satsning är fördelaktig att genomföra ska Axis undersöka värdet av förändringen. Därefter bör Axis bestämma hur de vill förändra och effektivisera sina nuvarande arbetssätt innan de kan erbjuda leverantörerna anpassade digitala lösningar, baserat på deras digitala mognadsgrad. Efter det bör fokus vara att fortsätta implementera EDI. Då prioriteringslistan innehåller generella rekommendationer är den även applicerbar på andra företag men kan anpassas utifrån den specifika situationen. / Digitalisation has, over time, become increasingly important and the importance of companies developing in pace with its growth is expected to increase. One reason for this is globalisation, which among other things has led to increased competition. To maintain or improve competitiveness, companies should have a clear strategy for how resources for digital investments should be allocated. Another important aspect for surviving in the market is the ability of companies to manage purchases and have close and long-term supplier relationships. To achieve this, good communication is needed where information can be shared quickly and easily. Generally, companies find it difficult to develop in the same pace as the digitalisation since they prioritise their resources for other things. Thus, the study aims to answer the following research question: “How can a company prioritise its resources for upstream digitalisation?”. To answer the research question above, a case study was conducted at Axis Communications AB. The purpose of the study is to streamline and simplify the communication regarding upstream digitalisation by helping Axis prioritise its resources. To achieve this, Axis’ current flow of communication with their suppliers will be investigated. In order to obtain a credible picture of the current communication, several interviews were conducted with employees at Axis and a survey was distributed to the suppliers. To gain more inspiration and ensure that the recommendations are realistic, two benchmarking interviews and a meeting with a specialist within digitalisation were held. Based on the literature review, the empirical data and the analysis a priority list including the following six steps was designed for Axis, where each step should be permeated by “Continuous work with digital opportunities and challenges”. Create internal understanding Create close and long-term partnerships with the suppliers Examine the value of digitising the communication Change and streamline current working methods Customise digital solutions according to the supplier’s maturity Continue to implement EDI To achieve a successful digital initiative, Axis should initially work on creating an internal understanding. After that Axis will set aside resources to improve supplier collaboration. Thereafter, to ensure that a digital investment is advantageous to implement, Axis will examine the value of the change. Then, Axis should decide how they want to change and streamline their current working methods before they can offer the suppliers customised digital solutions, based on their digital maturity. At last, the focus should be on continuing to implement EDI. Since the priority list contains general recommendations, it is also applicable to other companies, but can be adapted to the specific situation.

Este trabalho aborda a estratégia na relação com os fornecedores em empresas de alta tecnologia e produtos complexos. Para tanto, foi tomado o caso da fabricação de aeronaves produzidas pela Embraer, que se destacou pela sua estratégia de parceria com seus fornecedores, principalmente na linha dos produtos das Famílias ERJ 145 e E-Jets. No entanto, na sua última linha de produtos, o que se percebe é uma estratégia diferenciada no seu modo de se relacionar com seus fornecedores, o que levou à questão da pesquisa. O presente trabalho discute as opções de relacionamento com fornecedores, do simples fornecimento ao compartilhamento de investimentos e riscos, e as racionalidades subjacentes. As técnicas utilizadas para elaborar o trabalho foram observação direta e pesquisa em dados secundários, revistas especializadas, web sites vinculados à indústria aeronáutica e associações, artigos acadêmicos e documentos da empresa. Além disso, foram conduzidas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com empregados e ex-empregados da empresa, inclusive diretores. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de as grandes empresas como Boeing e Airbus terem adotado o modelo de parceria de risco desenvolvido pela empresa em estudo, esta hoje adota um modelo híbrido, com foco em lições anteriormente aprendidas na relação com fornecedores. / This paper discusses the strategy for relationship with the suppliers at high-tech and complex product companies. Therefore, the case studied was the manufacture of aircraft produced by Embraer and its unique strategy of partnering with suppliers, mainly when dealing the products of the ERJ145 and E-Jets families. In the company\'s latest line of products a particular strategy is observed in terms of relationship with suppliers, which led to our research question. This paper discusses the options of supplier relationships, from simple supply to shared investments and risks, and the rationales that underly them. The techniques used in this study were direct observation and research on secondary data, journals, websites linked to the aircraft industry and associations, academic papers, and the company\'s documents. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both current and former employees. The results show that despite the fact that large companies like Boeing and Airbus use the partnership model of risk adopted by the company under study, Embraer is currently adopting a hybrid model focusing on lessons learned earlier in its supply chain.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2017-09-26T13:05:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tiago Silva de Souza_.pdf: 989483 bytes, checksum: 54a4ff4a17ced1ad3c89fe08ea1cc911 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-26T13:05:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tiago Silva de Souza_.pdf: 989483 bytes, checksum: 54a4ff4a17ced1ad3c89fe08ea1cc911 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-14 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Institutional voids are typically found in emerging economies. When governments lack in essential facilities, in order to ensure the well function of their supply chains, companies have to properly deal with this situation by themselves. An example is a situation happening in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, since 2013, where a sequence of investigations focused on the dairy industry. Due to a lack of regulation, milk was the target of adulterations throughout the supply chain processes of the companies. The frauds affected processes of companies from different sizes and nationalities. However, in this context, a local cooperative called Cooperativa Languiru, one of the leader dairy companies in the state, has different practices with its suppliers and was not affected by this contingency. Thus, the purpose of this research, through a case study, was to analyze the relationship between a dairy buying company and its suppliers in this environment of regulatory institutional voids. Aiming to have a wider perspective, this qualitative study explored how the lack of institutions affected the sector. As results, it was verified that political and economic interferences affect the chain as well as political lobby acts. Likewise, the lack of inspectors and infrastructure impact the well-functioning of it. Nevertheless, the close relation between the Cooperativa Languiru with its suppliers abled the company to have record results without having situations in terms of adulteration. Thus, this study proposed a research framework conceptualizing that firms must closely manage their relations with suppliers in order to deal with institutional voids.

This dissertation is structured around three original studies that offer unique insights into the challenges of change in business-to-business markets. All three studies share as an important starting point that firms rely on other firms to achieve strategic flexibility in volatile business environments. This means that firms source critical resources from business relationships in order to reduce long-term investments in times of change. From this perspective, firms' competitive advantages cross the boundaries of the firm and are embedded in their business partner networks. Thus, firms' business relationships and networks have become an important locus of organizational change in order to respond to turbulence in firms' business environments. Study one of this dissertation recognizes the importance of supplier relationships as a mechanism to react to changing business environments. The article focuses on the dynamic capabilities that enable firms to structurally reconfigure their supplier portfolios or supply networks in order to access necessary resources. The framework of relationship management capabilities introduced, is structured around three important sub-dimensions: relationship initiation, development, and ending capabilities, which collectively enable a firm to manage the reconfiguration of resource portfolios accessed via supplier relationships. The key implication for management relates to thinking beyond firms' established supply chains in times of change. While to a certain degree change can be absorbed within firms' existing supply chains, there might be a need to be 'agile', i.e. search for other suppliers who are better suited to more efficiently and effectively address such changes affecting firm competitiveness in the long run. While study one highlights the importance of firms' agility in adapting their supply chains in response to changes in their business environment, study two of this dissertation, although with a focus on the demand side of the business model, addresses the managerial challenges associated with such an agile adaptation process. Study two conceptualizes a framework for business model change and provides managers guidance to approach business model redesign. In particular, study two focuses on service business models and introduces the concepts of service infusion and defusion as important processes of business model redesign. The service infusion and defusion framework provides a pragmatic and systematic approach to understanding the nature of the business model change that companies have to manage, as well as linking these changes with knowledge creation and transfer processes. These are shown to be key for successfully managing such a business model redesign. While studies one and two assume strategy and its implementation to be key to a successful response to changes in firms' business environment, study three draws attention to the difficulties of arriving at such an appropriate or fitting response strategy in the first place, given the available information. In particular, this study examines the link between sensing changes in firms' business environments and managerial decision making in the form of strategy choice. Thereby, the study shows that strategy change causes disruptions, which eventually affect firm performance. This effect is compounded with increasing sensitivity to change as well as increasing number of factors that trigger change, and thus impairs the long term benefits of such strategy change. Thus, the effectiveness of strategy or business model changes and their implementation is inevitably contingent on distinguishing key signals from noise that disturb or misguide firms' strategic decisions.

<p>Till följd av marknadens utveckling har beroendet av informationsutbyte och samverkan i olika nätverk ökat. De senaste årtiondenas fokus på informationsutbyte och samarbete ledde till att Supply Chain Management uppstod. Flera forskare har karakteriserat lyckad styrning av samverkan som en kärnkompetens som krävs för att vara konkurrenskraftig. Ägande och kontrollfunktioner som tidigare låg inom samma verksamhet har förändrats och tillämpningen av VMI har uppkommit. VMI innebär att leverantören övertar ansvaret för lagerstyrningen hos kunden. Samarbetet kräver effektivt informationsflöde inom försörjningskedjan och ett bättre informationssystem, vilket ökar möjligheten att förbättra kedjans effektivitet. Vi hade, med den här utgångspunkten i åtanke, för avsikt att besvara problemformuleringen: Hur hanteras information i VMI-styrda relationer inom koncerner? Syften med undersökningen var att undersöka hur lagerstyrning i form av VMI fungerar i en koncern, förklara hur VMI påverkar informationsflöde och relationer i en koncern samt att analysera betydelsen av VMI för informationsutbytet. Efter teoretiska studier genomfördes en undersökning på en koncern där VMI har införts och givit resultat. Resultaten från intervjuerna har sedan analyserats och vi har kommit fram till följande. För att hantera information i VMI-styrda relationer krävs att det finns bra system, en tydlig ansvarsfördelning och förtroende mellan parterna.</p>

Small and medium sized companies are important to the European economy and considered as the true backbone of the European economy, being primarily responsi-ble for wealth and economic growth. Further, the purchasing function of small and medium sized companies had become more and more important to firms within the creating of competitive advantages. Additional, former research emphasizes the need of companies to engage in closer relationships in order to survive in nowadays business environments. These three issues, - SMEs, its purchasing performance and the relationships the small and medium sized firms are engaged with are interrelated and therefore the essences of the thesis. The thesis is limited to the manufacturing industry due to the potential wide area of small and medium sized companies. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the purchasing practices of small and me-dium sized enterprises with a focus on strategic considerations and supplier relation-ships. The research project is developed with four single case studies. Participating companies were two small sized manufacturing companies and two medium sized manufac-turing companies, defined according to the definition of the European Commission. The study is built on a critical review of former literature and research findings within the purchasing area and the area of small and medium sized companies. The find-ings from literature review (frame of references) and the findings from the empirical study were connected in order to fulfill the purpose of the thesis as well as the developed research questions. In the analysis, the characteristics of SMEs purchasing process were outlined. Evi-dence for strategic consideration were found and the characteristics of the companies relationships where established. Small and medium sized enterprises have developed its purchasing performance po-sitively in the comparison to former research findings. By using business technology systems, strategic planning and deliberations and finally through building close and long-term relationships, manufacturing SMEs found a suitable ways to perform its purchasing activities successful and found its place in sophisticated supply chains.

Background: Lean has had a great influence on how companies work today, and both academics and practitioners have admitted its link with superior performance and the ability to create competitive advantage. There is however a widespread confusion of what lean really is and the absence of a clear definition has been highlighted by many researchers within the field. Since the birth of lean, a lot of focus has been on the internal perspective of the concept. Although today with an increased globalization, higher customer demands and a severe competition, the work with lean between companies becomes highly appropriate. Within companies, the processes often work effectively, but it is in the interfaces between companies where a lot of waste and possibilities to improvement exist. Aim: The purpose is to analyse the companies’ consciousness of lean and to what extent their understanding of lean can influence the effectiveness of the entire value stream. Furthermore, the purpose is to analyse how this consciousness affects the collaboration between a customer and a supplier. Method: The study has a deductive approach where the starting point has been in the theories within lean, supplier partnership and effectiveness. A multiple case study has been conducted where five different interfaces have been studied. The study has a qualitative approach where the empirical findings come from ten semi-structured interviews. Result: Our study shows that working with lean interorganisationally helps to create a higher performing value chain. For companies working with lean internally, it is also natural working with lean with the partners. From a lean perspective, effectiveness is defined as a reduction of cost through elimination of waste. By performing VSM, having regular evaluating meetings, sharing forecasts and giving each other insight in inventories, a lot of waste in the interfaces can be reduced. However, to have a well working collaboration, the study shows that a high level of trust and a common view and attitude towards collaboration are necessary.