Recent advancements in silicon technology have paved the way for the development of integrated transceivers operating well inside the mm-wave frequency range (30 - 300 GHz). This band offers opportunities for new applications such as remote sensing, short range radar, active imaging and multi-Gb/s radios. This thesis presents new ideas at the circuit and system level for a variety of such applications, up to 145 GHz and in both state-of-the-art nanoscale CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies. After reviewing the theory of operation behind linear and power amplifiers, a purely digital, scalable solution for power amplification that takes advantage of the significant ft/fmax improvement in pFETs as a result of strain engineering in nanoscale CMOS is presented. The proposed Class-D power amplifier, features a stacked, cascode CMOS inverter output stage, which facilitates high voltage operation while employing only thin-oxide devices in a 45 nm SOI CMOS process. Next, a single-chip, 70-80 GHz wireless transceiver for last-mile point-to-point links is described. The transceiver was fabricated in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology and can operate at data rates in excess of 18 Gbps. The high bitrate is accomplished by taking advantage of the ample bandwidth available at the W-band frequency range, as well as by employing a direct QPSK modulator, which eliminates the need for separate upconversion and power amplification. Lastly, the system and circuit level implementation of a mm-wave precision distance and velocity sensor at 122 and 145 GHz is presented. Both systems feature a heterodyne architecture to mitigate the receiver 1/f noise, as well as self-test and calibration capabilities along with simple packaging techniques to reduce the overall system cost.

Recent advancements in silicon technology have paved the way for the development of integrated transceivers operating well inside the mm-wave frequency range (30 - 300 GHz). This band offers opportunities for new applications such as remote sensing, short range radar, active imaging and multi-Gb/s radios. This thesis presents new ideas at the circuit and system level for a variety of such applications, up to 145 GHz and in both state-of-the-art nanoscale CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies. After reviewing the theory of operation behind linear and power amplifiers, a purely digital, scalable solution for power amplification that takes advantage of the significant ft/fmax improvement in pFETs as a result of strain engineering in nanoscale CMOS is presented. The proposed Class-D power amplifier, features a stacked, cascode CMOS inverter output stage, which facilitates high voltage operation while employing only thin-oxide devices in a 45 nm SOI CMOS process. Next, a single-chip, 70-80 GHz wireless transceiver for last-mile point-to-point links is described. The transceiver was fabricated in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology and can operate at data rates in excess of 18 Gbps. The high bitrate is accomplished by taking advantage of the ample bandwidth available at the W-band frequency range, as well as by employing a direct QPSK modulator, which eliminates the need for separate upconversion and power amplification. Lastly, the system and circuit level implementation of a mm-wave precision distance and velocity sensor at 122 and 145 GHz is presented. Both systems feature a heterodyne architecture to mitigate the receiver 1/f noise, as well as self-test and calibration capabilities along with simple packaging techniques to reduce the overall system cost.

Le contexte technologique et socioéconomique favorise la croissance des volumes de colis échangés en France et particulièrement l'augmentation des livraisons dans les villes. Livraisons qui se complexifient sous l'effet des contraintes urbaines, des injonctions de durabilité, des évolutions des attentes des clients. Les prestataires de la distribution urbaine de colis doivent relever les défis économiques, organisationnels, environnementaux et politiques que représente cette mutation de la distribution du dernier kilomètre. Replacer la ville et son organisation spatiale au centre de la création de nouvelles organisations de la distribution et rapprocher l'analyse spatiale des outils et des techniques de gestion du transport de marchandises en ville (TMV), et notamment de la modélisation, peut permettre d'innover. La thèse va développer cette posture, jusque-là délaissée par les recherches en TMV. Une analyse détaillée de la nature des relations entre forme urbaine, organisations spatiale et TMV va être proposée. A partir de ces résultats, les premiers éléments d'une modélisation spatiale du TMV au service de la création d'un outil d'aide à la décision capable de segmenter la ville en zones différenciées en fonction de leurs caractéristiques spatiales, socioéconomiques et politiques et d'adapter les solutions de livraison par zones seront proposés. / With the spread of new technologies and the advent of economic and social changes, the volume of parcels has grown in France. Parcel deliveries in cities have similarly experienced an important increase. Deliveries have become more and more complex because of changing client patterns, urban constraints and cities' concerns for sustainability. The growing complexity of the ‘last mile' delivery poses economic, organizational, environmental and political challenges to parcel providers. Putting the spatial organization of cities back at the heart of the creation of new logistics organizations and integrating spatial studies to urban logistics techniques and tools, in particular in modelling, can be means of innovation. Until now spatial studies have been largely under-used in UF. This study will provide an in-depth analysis of the relationships between urban spatial organization, urban form and UF. Based on those results, the thesis provides the first elements of a spatial urban freight modelling approach. The modelling approach will enable the creation of a decision support tool able to identify homogeneous urban zones based on urban form, economic and political characteristics in order to offer the most suitable delivery solution to each zone of a city.

In recent years, companies such as Amazon and DHL have started to develop alternative last-mile delivery options because of the growing trend in e-commerce. Last-mile deliveries refer to the terminal to customer deliveries and have become increasingly challenging to manage, as traffic congestions in cities has risen. Therefore, companies have begun searching for alternative delivery methods, such as autonomous drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The purpose of this thesis is to investigate drones in the current literature on last-mile delivery. First, by conducting a systematic literature review on the current literature available in two major databases. Second, by analyzing the collected literature sample and presenting it through a descriptive analysis focusing on bibliometrics and a thematic analysis that identifies emerging themes for drivers for drones’ application in last-mile delivery, barriers for drones’ application in last-mile delivery, and approaches for implementing drones in last-mile delivery.                        Drones’ application in last-mile delivery has the potential to reduce cost, decrease delivery time, reduce emissions, and reduce energy consumption. However, barriers that hinder the implementation, such as governmental regulations, need further consideration for the implementation to occur. Some evident gaps can be found related to the barriers. Both managers and researchers might find the thesis useful, as it provides a holistic view on the subject, with theoretical, managerial, and societal implications being presented.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar konsumenternas val av leveransalternativ och varför dessa blir avgörande i konsumenternas sista milen val. Enligt tidigare forskning är sista milen leveranserna e-handelns minst hållbara del men som samtidigt också har störst potential att förändras till att bli mer hållbar. Något som kan ske genom olika påverkansfaktorer vilket kan få konsumenter att välja hållbart. En mix av kvalitativa metoder används vilken innehåller tre olika delstudier - skrivbordsstudie, semistrukturerade intervjuer och fokusgrupper. Studien genomförs inom e-handelsområdet i Sverige. Resultatet visar att ett antal faktorer blir avgörande för konsumenternas hållbara val i SML, varav kunskap och information ses som den främsta bristen vilken måste förbättras. Resultatet visar även på motstridigheter mellan teori, företag och konsumenter. Studien visar då på att konsumenterna inte besitter den hållbarhetsprioriteringen som teorin påstår. Detsamma gäller för företagen där endast 20 företag av de 100 främsta e-handelsföretagen i Sverige erbjuder ett hållbart leveransalternativ i SML. Det framgår ur studien att det krävs mer, tydligare och lättförståddinformation kring hållbarheten i SML. Däremot behöver denna information kommuniceras före, under och efter konsumentens köp. / The purpose of the study is to examine which factors influence consumers’ choice of delivery alternatives and why these factors become decisive in consumer’ last mile choices. According to previous research, last mile deliveries are the least sustainable part of the e-commerce, but at the same time also have the greatest potential to become more sustainable. That can happen through various influencing factors which can get consumers to make sustainable choices. A mix of qualitative methods is used, which contains three different sub-studies - a desktop study, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The study is carried out in the e-commerce business area in Sweden. Our findings reveal that a number of factors is decisive for consumers’ sustainable choices in SML, of which knowledge and information is seen as the main factor which must be improved. The findings also show contradictions between the theory, the companies and the consumers. The consumers do not possess the priority of sustainability that the theory claims they have. The same applies to the companies where only 20 companies out of the top 100 in the Swedish e-commerce offer a sustainable delivery alternative in SML. The study shows that more, clearer and information that is easier to understand regarding the sustainability of SML is required. On the contrary, this information needs to be communicated before, during and after the consumer's purchase. This thesis is written in Swedish.

This thesis investigates the rapid transformation of e-commerce innovation in relation to planning intention inertia. This research explores the development of e-commerce prior to the Covid-19 pandemic effects and during, in relation to authority’s recognition of the development. The thesis also explores consumers’ reasons and choices for purchasing products through e-commerce. Furthermore, it explores last mile delivery solutions and logistics, together with future aspects and collaborations. Qualitative methodology is applied in the thesis involving semi-structured interviews with ten respondents from nine organisations, conversation analysis from a digital event in the form of one moderator and four attendees and content analysis from five documents and reports. The theoretical approach involves theories on diffusion and technological change and planning intention inertia together with collective action.

E-commerce is growing every year with the number of parcel deliveries and distribution. Home deliveries have been in Sweden for a while but popularity of this service has increased extra in 2020 when it was the year the pandemic of the corona virus took place. Consumers stayed at home for a longer period of time and chose this service both because of safety but also convenience. Many e-retailers offered free delivery, so it may be the price that also made this service attractive. Many courier companies had to adapt their operations quickly in order to deliver all these packages in time. This study will examine the role of IS and IT in streamlining the process and facilitating communication between courier companies, e-retailers and consumers. Furthermore, the process within the last mile delivery will be studied and explained in more detail and what conditions are required for this type of delivery to be successful.  The study examines three courier companies that are active in the Swedish market, but all three of them focus on different aspects that they think are important, such as the environment, speed or technology. The study was conducted with interviews of selected courier companies, the respondents came from Budbee, Bring and Postnord who worked at the operational level and had insight into the various delivery processes. To get an insight from e-commerce companies, who are the customers, Chimi eyewear was also interviewed. All respondents believe that home delivery will increase in the future, regardless of whether the pandemic continues or not. It is pointed out by all three companies that IS and IT help enormously, facilitate and streamline all parts of the process, from communications to the scanning of packages to the route optimization.  After the study, it could be stated that the increase in e-commerce directly affects courier companies but also e-commerce as consumers become increasingly knowledgeable and demanding when it comes to service, speed and technology, as consumers are constantly connected.Both of them need to think fast and adapt quickly to the situation in society and in the industry. One of the companies sees an advantage in owning their interfaces and IS systems because then they can act quickly and adapt to required developments. As society functions more and more digitally, it can be good to digitize and streamline most processes in the business. / E-handel växer för varje år med det även antal paket leveranser och distribution. Hemleveranser har funnits i Sverige ett tag med popularitet för denna tjänst har ökat extra mycket under 2020 då det var året pandemin av viruset corona ägde rum. Konsumenterna var längre tid hemma och valde denna tjänst både på grund av säkerheten men även bekvämligheten. Många e- handlare erbjöd gratis leverans så det kan hända att även priset gjorde denna tjänst attraktiv. Många budföretag var tvungna att anpassa sina verksamheten snabbt för att hinna leverera alla dessa paket. I denna studie undersöks hur stor roll IS och IT hade i att effektivisera processen och underlätta kommunikation mellan budföretagen, e-handlarna och konsumenterna. Vidare kommer processen inom last mile-leveransen studeras och förklaras närmare samt vilka förutsättningar krävs för att denna typ av leverans ska lyckas.  I studien undersöks tre budföretag som är verksamma på den svenska marknaden men alla tre lägger fokus på olika aspekter som de tycker är viktiga såsom miljö, snabbhet eller teknologi. Studien genomfördes med intervjuer av utvalda företag, respondenterna kom från Budbee, Bring och Postnord som jobbade på den operativa nivån och hade inblick i de olika leveransprocesserna. För att få en inblick från e-handelsföretag, dvs kunderna så intervjuades även Chimi eyewear. Alla respondenterna tror att hemleveransen kommer öka i framtiden oavsett om pandemin fortsätter eller inte. Det påpekas av alla tre företag att IS och IT hjälper enormt, underlättar samt effektiviserar alla delar i processen, från kommunikationer till skanningen av paket till ruttoptimeringen. Efter studien kunde det konstateras att ökningen av e-handeln direkt påverkar budföretagen men även e-handlarna då konsumenterna blir allt mer kunniga och krävande när det kommer till service, snabbhet och teknologi, då konsumenter ständigt är uppkopplade. Både, e-handlarna och budföretagen, måste numera tänka snabbt och anpassa sig snabbt till situationen i samhället och i branschen. Ett av företagen såg fördel i att äga sina gränssnitt och IS system för att då kan de agera snabbt och anpassa sig till IT-utveckling som råder. Då samhället fungerar allt mer digitalt kan det vara bra att digitalisera samt effektivisera de flesta processerna i verksamheten.

No description available.

Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search (ALNS) is a fairly recent yet popular single-solution heuristic for solving discrete optimization problems. Even though the heuristic has been a popular choice for researchers in recent times, the parallelization of this algorithm is not widely studied in the literature compared to the other classical metaheuristics. To extend the existing literature, this study proposes several different parallel schemes to parallelize the basic/sequential ALNS algorithm. More specifically, seven different parallel schemes are employed to target different characteristics of the ALNS algorithm and the capability of the local computers. The schemes of this study are implemented in a master-slave architecture to manage and assign loads in processors of the local computers. The overall goal is to simultaneously explore different areas of the search space in an attempt to escape the local minima, taking effective steps toward the optimal solution and, to the end, accelerating the convergence of the ALNS algorithm. The performance of the schemes is tested by solving a capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) with available wellknown test instances. Our computational results indicate that all the parallel schemes are capable of providing a competitive optimality gap in solving CVRP within our investigated test instances. However, the parallel scheme (scheme 1), which runs the ALNS algorithm independently within different slave processors (e.g., without sharing any information with other slave processors) until the synchronization occurs only when one of the processors meets its predefined termination criteria and reports the solution to the master processor, provides the best running time with solving the instances approximately 10.5 times faster than the basic/sequential ALNS algorithm. These findings are applied in a real-life fulfillment process using mixed-mode delivery with trucks and drones. Complex but optimized routes are generated in a short time that is applicable to perform last-mile delivery to customers.

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of the study is to explore which possible last mile alternativesare beneficial for the development of the grocery trade in e-commerce. The deliveryalternatives will have a strong focus in that the last mile deliveries are optimized,efficient and sustainable. Therefore, three different research questions have beenformulated: 1. What does the grocery- and rare trade's last mile look like today? 2. How can the grocery trade practice different last mile deliverymethods to manage the growing e-commerce? 3. Which improvements of the last mile can businesses bring to fostersustainability and environmental friendliness? Method – A quantitative comparative study where statistical document analysis iscombined with semi-structured interviews and structured interviews. The documentanalysis to study delivery speeds, delivery alternatives and delivery companies and tocarry out an analysis of the current last-mile delivery. The semi-structured interviewprovided data on all issues and aimed to provide a qualified perspective. Findings – With collected empirical data identifies clear trends from documentanalysis, strategies that different companies use and how they affect variables such asdelivery speed, shipping cost and number of delivery options that are sustainable.Groups in the grocery trade and like all companies should meet the consumersrequirements. Whether companies in the grocery trade will be able to meet customers'demands for sustainability is difficult to say and remains to be seen in the future. Atpresent, it is a matter of companies having to dare to take the first step towards a moresustainable last mile. Implications – Theoretical implications are the benefits that the various deliveryalternatives have linked to delivery speed and durability. One possible implication iswhich delivery alternatives will be an optimal solution for q-trade, as the authors havenot identified any previous research. The importance of sustainable transport should bemade fossil-free and how companies should prioritized according to the sustainablealternatives instead of popular alternatives.Practical implications are a change in companies' attitudes towards market change withinnovative delivery alternatives and sustainable delivery alternatives. An additionalimplication is the establishment of the grocery trade in q-trade, how groups choose tocompete with new players in q-trade. Limitations – This study will include retail businesses that offer e-commerce and willstudy their transportations last storage point or storage warehouse to the consumer. Thebusinesses that are viewed in this paper are those who have the biggest market sharesin Sweden and offer e-commerce for private consumers. The consumers transportationto pick up for example at a C&C (Click & Collect) will not be highlighted but ismentioned. Furthermore, returns and handling of said subjects is only mentioned toillustrate the contributing factor it has to the increase of deliveries and its environmentalimpact. Lastly, Q-trade (quick e-commerse) is only mentioned for the purpose to utilizethe innovative solutions they’ve established to obtain quick and sustainable deliveries. Keywords – E-commerce, / Sammanfattning Syfte – Studiens syfte är att utforska vilka möjliga sista milen alternativ som ärfördelaktiga för dagligvaruhandelns utveckling inom e-handel. Leveransalternativenkommer ha ett stort fokus i att sista milen leveranserna är optimerade, effektiva ochhållbara. Därför bröts syftet ner i tre frågeställningar: 1. Hur ser dagsläget av sista milen leveranser ut för daglig- ochsällanköpshandeln? 2. Hur kan dagligvaruhandeln använda sig av olika sista milen leveranser föratt hantera den ökande e-handeln? 3. Vilka förbättringar kan företag vidta för att sista milen ska bli mer hållbar,effektiv och miljövänlig? Metod – En kvantitativ jämförelsestudie där dokumentanalys kombineras medsemistrukturerad och strukturerade intervjuer. Dokumentanalysen för att studeraleveranshastigheter, leveralternativ och leveransföretag för att genomföra ennulägesanalys. Den semistrukturerade intervjun gav data till alla frågeställningar. Denstrukturerade intervjuerna var till för kvantitativ data gällande hållbarhetuttalandekopplat till hållbara leverans alternativ. Resultat – Med insamlad empiri identifieras tydliga trender från dokument analysen,strategier som olika företag använder och hur de påverkar variabler somleveranshastighet, fraktkostnad och antal leveransalternativ som är hållbara. Koncernerinom dagligvaruhandeln och liksom alla företag bör möta kundens krav. Om företaginom dagligvaruhandeln kommer att kunna möta konsumenternas krav på hållbarhet ärsvårt att säga och återstår att se i framtiden. I dagsläget handlar det om att företagenmåste våga ta första steget mot en mer hållbar sista mil. Implikationer – Teoretiska implikationer är vilka fördelar som de olikaleveransalternativen har kopplat till leveranshastighet och hållbarhet. En tänkbarimplikation är vilka leveransalternativ som kommer att vara en optimal lösningen förq-handel, då författarna inte identifierade någon tidigare forskning. Betydelsen avhållbara transporter bör göras fossilfritt och hur företagen bör prioritera efter de hållbaraalternativen i stället för populära alternativ.Praktiska implikationer är förändring till företagens inställning motmarknadsförändring med innovativa leveransalternativ och hållbara leveransalternativ.En ytterligare implikation är dagligvaruhandelns etablering inom q-handel, hurkoncerner väljer att konkurrera med nya aktörer inom q-handel. Begränsningar – Denna studie studerar dagligvaruhandeln och företag som erbjudere-handel inom den. Den studerar deras transporter från sista lagerpunkten ellerbutikslager till konsument. Företagen som analyseras är de som har störstmarknadsandelar i Sverige som samtidigt erbjuder e-handel för privatkunder.Konsumenternas transport till uthämtning av exempelvis C&C (click and collect)kommer att nämnas men kommer inte vara i fokus. Vidare tas returhantering endast uppför att visa dess bidragande faktor till ökade leveranser samt negativa påverkan påmiljön. Slutligen berörs q-handeln (snabb e-handel) endast med syfte av att ta hjälp avde innovativa lösningarna de skapat för att erhålla snabba och hållbara leveranser.ii Nyckelord – Dagligvaruhandel, detaljhandel, e-handel, hållbarhet, logistik, q-handel,sista milen, sällanköpshandel