Bakgrund: Företag behöver i dagens samhälle robusta och pålitliga datasystem. För att bygga ett väl fungerande nätverk måste dessa baseras på bra operativ- systemprogramvara. Den fria programvaran, Linux, har stärkt konkurrensen på marknaden för operativsystem. Att konkurrensen hårdnat gör det intressant att undersöka ifall kostnaderna för anskaffning och användning skiljer sig åt mellan olika operativsystem. Syfte: Syftet med detta arbete är att skapa en LCC-modell vilken skall appliceras på operativsystem i datanätverk. Vidare skall vi använda modellen till att jämföra totalkostnaden för att anskaffa och nyttja operativsystem i datanätverk under nätverkets livstid. Genomförande: För att uppnå vårt syfte har vi genomfört personliga intervjuer med ekonomi- och dataansvariga på tio olika organisationer. Utifrån dessa intervjuer har vi tillsammans med litteraturstudier konstruerat en LCC-modell. Denna har vi sedan använt för att skapa en reviderad LCC-modell som vi ansatt för att jämföra totalkostnaden för att nyttja Linux respektive Windows NT i sitt nätverk. Resultat: Resultatet är en LCC-modell som kan användas i en rad olika syften. Vår reviderade modell visade att ett renodlat Linuxsystem är ett billigare alternativän ett renodlat Windows NT-system. Behovet har dock visat sig vara viktigare än priset vid val av system. För att reducera kostnader är det viktigt att satsa på utbildning och kvalitet.

This master’s thesis presents a model for calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) of relatively small ERP implementations, including two years of running the system. The main factors affecting the cost items in the model are also analyzed, based in part on four case projects that the consultancy company Acando has carried out recently and in part on literature. The case projects were investigated through interviews with key actors in the projects from Acando and the customer, and through invoicing and project documentation in Acando’s databases. It is important to note that it is the cost side of the projects that is in focus in this thesis. Realized value at the customer is thus not included in the TCO model or further analysis. The model is built based on previous models for assessing the TCO of ERP implementations, but adapted in several ways to the context of the four case projects in the study. The costs of the case projects are mapped individually into the TCO model, and the total costs for the customers of the projects are calculated and presented. This results in a TCO for each of the four projects of between 4 and 9 MSEK. The model makes a clear distinction between internal and external time and resources that are invested in a project. This underlines how an implementation project is a cooperative effort between vendor and customer. Important factors found that affect the TCO of implementation projects include all the seven categories of success factors that Nah and Delgado find in their extensive literature review on the subject. The most significant of these categories of factors are shown to be top management support and project management. This is largely because these influence the impact of many of the other factors. All factors are interrelated though, and it is at times difficult to identify which is the main factor in a certain course of events. Looking more into detail concerning the cost affecting factors the most important factors identified in the case studies were the following: Amount of resources allocated to the project by top management Priority of the project in the organization   Skill and experience of the customer project manager Control and follow-up procedures Communication between stakeholders regarding expectations and  project scope The amount and complexity of integrations, customizations, data migration and testing Type of contract regarding pricing and risk sharing Change management effort / Detta examensarbete presenterar en modell för totalkostnader (TCO eller Total Cost of Ownership) av relativt små ERP-implementationer, inklusive två års drift av systemet. De viktigaste faktorer som påverkar kostnadsposterna i modellen analyseras också, baserat delvis på fyra implementationsprojekt som konsultföretaget Acando nyligen har utfört och delvis på litteratur. Projekten undersöktes genom intervjuer med nyckelpersoner i projekten från både Acando och kund, och genom fakturering och projektdokumentation från Acandos databaser. Det är viktigt att vara medveten om att det är kostnadssidan av projekten som står i fokus i denna rapport. Realiserat värde hos kunden är alltså inte inkluderat i TCO-modellen eller vidare analys. Modellen är baserad delvis på tidigare modeller för att utvärdera TCO av ERP-implementationer, men anpassad för kontexten hos de fyra projekten i studien. Kostnaderna i de studerade projekten mappas in i TCO-modellen, och de totala kostnaderna för projektens kunder presenteras. Resultaten visar på en total kostnad för projekten för mellan 4 och 9 miljoner kronor. Modellen gör en tydlig distinktion mellan intern och extern tid och resurser som investeras i ett projekt. Detta understryker hur ett implementationsprojekt är ett samarbete mellan säljare och kund. Viktiga faktorer som befunnits påverka totalkostnaderna av implementationsprojekt inkluderar alla sju kategorier av framgångsfaktorer som Nah och Delgado hittar i sin omfattande litteraturstudie i ämnet. De viktigaste av dessa kategorier visas vara stöd från ledningen och projektledning. Detta beror till stor del på att dessa påverkar vikten av många andra faktorer. Alla faktorer är relaterade dock, och det ligger många svårigheter i att försöka utreda vilka som är de huvudsakliga faktorerna i ett visst skeende. Ser vi mer i detalj på vilka individuella kostnadspåverkande faktorer som identifierats i studierna är de som följer: Mängd resurser som ledningen allokerar till ett projekt Projektets prioritet i organisationen Kunskap och erfarenhet hos kundens projektledare Styrning och uppföljningsprocesser Kommunikation mellan intressenter angående förväntningar och projektets omfattning Mängden och komplexitet hos integrationer, anpassningar, datamigrering och testning Kontraktets utformning vad gäller prissättning och riskdelning Förändringsledning

The aim of this thesis is to provide an in-depth investigation of zinc tin oxide, Zn1-xSnxOy or ZTO, grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a buffer layer in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. The thesis analyzes how changes in the ALD process influence the material properties of ZTO, and how these in turn affect the performance of CIGS solar cells. It is shown that ZTO grows uniformly and conformably on CIGS and that the interface between ZTO and CIGS is sharp with little or no interdiffusion between the layers. The band gap and conduction band energy level of ZTO are dependent both on the [Sn]/([Zn]+[Sn]) composition and on the deposition temperature. The influence by changes in composition is non-trivial, and the highest band gap and conduction band energy level are obtained at a [Sn]/([Zn]+[Sn]) composition of 0.2 at 120  °C. An increase in optical band gap is observed at decreasing deposition temperatures and is associated with quantum confinement effects caused by a decrease in crystallite size. The ability to change the conduction band energy level of ZTO enables the formation of suitable conduction band offsets between ZTO and CIGS with varying Ga-content. It is found that 15 nm thin ZTO buffer layers are sufficient to fabricate CIGS solar cells with conversion efficiencies up to 18.2 %. The JSC is in general 2 mA/cm2 higher, and the VOC 30 mV lower, for cells with the ZTO buffer layer as compared to cells with the traditional CdS buffer layer. In the end comparable efficiencies are obtained for the two different buffer layers. The gain in JSC for the ZTO buffer layer is associated with lower parasitic absorption in the UV-blue region of the solar spectrum and it is shown that the JSC can be increased further by making changes to the other layers in the traditional CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al window layer structure. The ZTO is highly resistive, and it is found that the shunt preventing i-ZnO layer can be omitted, which further increases the JSC. Moreover, an additional increase in JSC is obtained by replacing the sputtered ZnO:Al front contact with In2O3 deposited by ALD. The large gain in JSC for the ZTO/In2O3 window layer stack compensates for the lower VOC related to the ZTO buffer layer, and it is demonstrated that the ZTO/In2O3 window layer structure yields 0.6 % (absolute) higher conversion efficiency than the CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al window layer structure.

Automation plays an important role when dealing with changes caused by globalization. The introduction of industrial robots is widely seen as an effective strategy against rising competition and outsourcing to low-cost countries. With the launch of amongst other the “Industrie 4.0” initiative, automation has been put into focus more than ever before and it is seen as the future way of production. Although the investment decisions for industrial robots are quite complex, the final purchasing decision is often only based on the initial offering. Procurement decisions based only the initial price are often poor decisions since they do not consider the hidden costs such as maintenance costs or energy consumption. A far better alternative is to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) of industrial robots and use this as the fundament in the decision making process. The TCO incorporates all costs from acquisition to the disposal of the industrial robot cell.   The study develops, based on a TCO and total value of ownership (TVO) model for industrial robots, an operational template, which can be used in the sales process. By applying the case study research methodology, the model is developed based on a literature review as well as on expert knowledge from employees of Yaskawa Nordic AB (YNR). Qualitative and quantitate data is gathered at two customer companies and the most crucial factors are identified in order to create a simple, operational template. As most important factors, operators’ wages, spare parts and energy consumptions have been identified. However, while the development of a general model is accomplished in a satisfying way, the realization of the template is hindered due to too few available data. The study shows that many companies cannot control the costs, which are created by their automation equipment. This leads to the conclusion that with further implementation of tools for “Industrie 4.0” the model and template can be revised allowing far more precise TCO/TVO calculations.

abstract: This thesis discusses the evolution of conduction mechanism in the silver (Ag) on zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film system with respect to the Ag morphology. As a plausible substitute for indium tin oxide (ITO), TCO/Metal/TCO (TMT) structure has received a lot of attentions as a prospective ITO substitute due to its low resistivity and desirable transmittance. However, the detailed conduction mechanism is not fully understood. In an attempt to investigate the conduction mechanism of the ZnO/Ag/ZnO thin film system with respect to the Ag microstructure, the top ZnO layer is removed, which offers a better view of Ag morphology by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With 2 nm thick Ag layer, it is seen that the Ag forms discrete islands with small islands size (r), but large separation (s); also the effective resistivity of the system is extremely high. This regime is designated as dielectric zone. In this regime, thermionic emission and activated tunneling conduction mechanisms are considered. Based on simulations, when "s" was beyond 6 nm, thermionic emission dominates; with "s" less than 6 nm, activated tunneling is the dominating mechanism. As the Ag thickness increases, the individual islands coalesce and Ag clusters are formed. At certain Ag thickness, there are one or several Ag clusters that percolate the ZnO film, and the effective resistivity of the system exhibits a tremendous drop simultaneously, because the conducting electrons do not need to overcome huge ZnO barrier to transport. This is recognized as percolation zone. As the Ag thickness grows, Ag film becomes more continuous and there are no individual islands left on the surface. The effective resistivity decreases and is comparable to the characteristics of metallic materials, so this regime is categorized as metallic zone. The simulation of the Ag thin film resistivity is performed in terms of Ag thickness, and the experimental data fits the simulation well, which supports the proposed models. Hall measurement and four point probe measurement are carried out to characterize the electrical properties of the thin film system. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Materials Science and Engineering 2012

Tendo em vista a necessidade das empresas, de estabelecer relacionamentos estreitos entre fornecedores e compradores, através de vínculos de cooperação imprescindíveis para a competitividade das empresas nos dias de hoje, este estudo aborda a importância do Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) ou Custo Total da Propriedade no gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimentos. Este trabalho tem como objetivo demonstrar o papel do TCO como ferramenta de contabilidade gerencial que dá suporte à decisão, no que diz respeito a seleção de fornecedores, tendo em vista que a área de compras é fundamental para o gerenciamento da área de suprimentos de uma empresa. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de estudo exploratório, com uma aplicação prática na área de compras de uma empresa no ramo da educação. Observa-se que através da utilização da ferramenta de TCO é possível que as empresas consigam visualizar melhor seus custos, para uma correta tomada de decisão, no que diz respeito a uma compra de determinado fornecedor. / Given the need for companies, to establish close relationships between suppliers and buyers through cooperative ties essential for the competitiveness of companies nowadays, this study addresses the importance of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) or Total Cost of property management in the supply chain. This paper aims to demonstrate the role of TCO as a tool of management accounting that supports decision regarding the selection of suppliers, in order that the shopping area is critical to managing the supply area of a company. This is an exploratory study of literature, with a practical application in the shopping area of a company in the business of education. It is observed that by using the tool TCO is possible that companies are able to better visualize their costs, for a correct decision, with regard to a purchase of a particular vendor.

Tendo em vista a necessidade das empresas, de estabelecer relacionamentos estreitos entre fornecedores e compradores, através de vínculos de cooperação imprescindíveis para a competitividade das empresas nos dias de hoje, este estudo aborda a importância do Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) ou Custo Total da Propriedade no gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimentos. Este trabalho tem como objetivo demonstrar o papel do TCO como ferramenta de contabilidade gerencial que dá suporte à decisão, no que diz respeito a seleção de fornecedores, tendo em vista que a área de compras é fundamental para o gerenciamento da área de suprimentos de uma empresa. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de estudo exploratório, com uma aplicação prática na área de compras de uma empresa no ramo da educação. Observa-se que através da utilização da ferramenta de TCO é possível que as empresas consigam visualizar melhor seus custos, para uma correta tomada de decisão, no que diz respeito a uma compra de determinado fornecedor. / Given the need for companies, to establish close relationships between suppliers and buyers through cooperative ties essential for the competitiveness of companies nowadays, this study addresses the importance of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) or Total Cost of property management in the supply chain. This paper aims to demonstrate the role of TCO as a tool of management accounting that supports decision regarding the selection of suppliers, in order that the shopping area is critical to managing the supply area of a company. This is an exploratory study of literature, with a practical application in the shopping area of a company in the business of education. It is observed that by using the tool TCO is possible that companies are able to better visualize their costs, for a correct decision, with regard to a purchase of a particular vendor.

Tendo em vista a necessidade das empresas, de estabelecer relacionamentos estreitos entre fornecedores e compradores, através de vínculos de cooperação imprescindíveis para a competitividade das empresas nos dias de hoje, este estudo aborda a importância do Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) ou Custo Total da Propriedade no gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimentos. Este trabalho tem como objetivo demonstrar o papel do TCO como ferramenta de contabilidade gerencial que dá suporte à decisão, no que diz respeito a seleção de fornecedores, tendo em vista que a área de compras é fundamental para o gerenciamento da área de suprimentos de uma empresa. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de estudo exploratório, com uma aplicação prática na área de compras de uma empresa no ramo da educação. Observa-se que através da utilização da ferramenta de TCO é possível que as empresas consigam visualizar melhor seus custos, para uma correta tomada de decisão, no que diz respeito a uma compra de determinado fornecedor. / Given the need for companies, to establish close relationships between suppliers and buyers through cooperative ties essential for the competitiveness of companies nowadays, this study addresses the importance of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) or Total Cost of property management in the supply chain. This paper aims to demonstrate the role of TCO as a tool of management accounting that supports decision regarding the selection of suppliers, in order that the shopping area is critical to managing the supply area of a company. This is an exploratory study of literature, with a practical application in the shopping area of a company in the business of education. It is observed that by using the tool TCO is possible that companies are able to better visualize their costs, for a correct decision, with regard to a purchase of a particular vendor.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

This thesis is focused on analyzing the current state of SaaS (Software as a Service) and impact of SaaS on corporate's ICT as a whole. The aim is to explain the concepts and implications of modern forms of providing services, to describe and to evaluate their benefits and risks and to assess future developments in this area. The attention will be paid on specifics of the environment of Czech companies. The first part of this work deals with the current SaaS solutions and related technologies. Emphasis is placed on acquainting the reader with currently available (or introduced by mid-2011) technologies and their mutual relationships. This section also summarizes the current level of knowledge of the field and on this basis provides definitions of areas and technologies. The next part of the thesis focuses on a particular cloud and SaaS solutions available on nowadays market. The next part of this section is based on a specific case study of a small company, which considers the move to SaaS solutions. This section is focused on the practical application of the preceding conclusions. Last section aims at the prediction of development of ICT business in the upcoming years, with an emphasis on SaaS and related technologies. The second part is trying to find answers to the questions "Whether," "When" and "How" will SaaS affect the market of information technologies, their deployment and business models of future anticipated expansion model of Software as a Service. SaaS maturity model is also discussed as well as specificity of the Czech market.