Assignment: The mission of the assignment is to map the four return flows with respect to returning volume, weight, frequency, pick up- and delivery points. Today Volvo CE has a lack of information that concerns their own Reverse logistic processes. It is hard for Volvo CE to see where changes need to be done, due to limited reliable sources. Purpose: The purpose with the study is to make the return flows easier, less expansive and more manageable for both Volvo and their dealers. Further, environmental issues have to be considered in order to find improvements of the returning routines. The analysis is done to bring forth a proposal that will contribute to less unnecessary transports and that also will make it possible to reduce cost. Result: A couple of improvement areas have been discovered, some of them are radical while others are incremental. The one thing they have in common is to make sure that the return flows are being handled and seen as one common flow rather then separately treated. Among the improvements these are some recommendations to Volvo CE: - Appoint special delivery point for warranty returns and make sure that the warranty routines are followed so that unnecessary transports can be reduced. - Store less cores for remanufacturing at the Core Hub. Cores that are not needed are not necessary to transport to the Core Hub. - Make better cost registrations and cost follow ups and evaluate customer satisfaction to be able to find improvement areas in the future.

The following is an exploratory study, of a newly formed company called Duys Aftermarket Components (D.A.M). D.A.M was formed out of Duys Component Manufacturers (D.C.M) a division of The Duys Group. The reason for forming D.A.M came about due to an environmental change. Toyota was D.C.M's main client and the whole business was geared around them, until Toyota announced that they would no longer be fitting bull bars and roll bars (D.C.M's core products), at factory level. So, in do or die mode, D.A.M was formed to focus attention on the automotive aftermarket, to find clients for the products that the company was so proficient at making, while D.C.M attempts to find new products for the Toyota factory. This study follows a gap analysis type approach. First, the theoretical ideal is laid out and discussed in detail. Next, facts pertaining to D.A.M and its environment are gathered in the form of a case study. Matching these two sections together allows an analysis of the changed environment and of the company's resources and internal workings. From this analysis, strategic models are created and grand strategies formed which are then tested for suitability against the same internal and external factors previously discussed. From the grand strategies, the study generates more specific courses of action as options for the management of Duys to consider. These are optional ways in which the management might consider breaching the gap between the theoretical ideal laid out and the current situation. The expectation is that the research will develop a workable strategy for the management of Duys to work with and to build on, in an emergent fashion. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:58:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 4 Rodrigo_Andrade_Tolentino.pdf.jpg: 17569 bytes, checksum: 694cfad8e417c71da95ec100055a8cbb (MD5) Rodrigo_Andrade_Tolentino.pdf.txt: 59602 bytes, checksum: 64bdba78b296f2a7a8ae36e0ecd10c2f (MD5) Rodrigo_Andrade_Tolentino.pdf: 464784 bytes, checksum: 106b0f6ad39a2dea96c0d1cbd2af440c (MD5) license.txt: 4820 bytes, checksum: 59e78f48285d651ee2193a508a46b954 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-07-28T00:00:00Z / This study investigates the effect of the aftermarket short covering (ASC) carried out by the underwriter during the price stabilization period on stock long-term liquidity. Because the ASC increases liquidity during the stabilization period and liquidity is a persistent characteristic of stocks, the ASC can increase long-term liquidity. In fact, we show that the ASC has a positive effect on liquidity over the 6 months subsequent to the stabilization period. This positive relation holds true even after controlling for many variables found important to explain liquidity by previous authors and the instrumentalization of the ASC. / Este trabalho investiga o efeito da recompra de ações no mercado secundário (ASC), realizada pelo banco de investimento no período de estabilização, sobre a liquidez de longo prazo. Devido ao fato da recompra aumentar a liquidez no período de estabilização e da liquidez seguir processo com dependência de trajetória, a recompra pode elevar a liquidez de longo prazo. Mostramos, neste trabalho, que a recompra tem um efeito positivo sobre a liquidez nos 6 meses subseqüentes ao período de estabilização. Esta relação positiva se mantém mesmo quando as variáveis utilizadas na literatura para explicar a liquidez são usadas como controle e após a instrumentalização da recompra.

An increasing number of industrial manufacturing companies have made the transition to offer solutions, that include both its products and services for their customers rather than the products itself. Service is considered a lasting source of competitive advantage due to the difficulty to imitate by competitors. Today the field Service is a part of the aftermarket as companies traditionally offer them as a complement to their product. It is regarded to be difficult to manage, a necessary evil and despite investing a large amount of resources into it there are few that fully grasps its potential. Failing to manage the aftermarket and service is not only an economic risk, but it also risks worsening the relationship between the company and its customers. One reason the aftermarket is so difficult to manage is due to customers value services differently, thus complicate the definition of value. The different characteristics of products and services are contributing factors to why companies have difficulties to interpret and supply value to its customers. The concept of Servitization is the transformation that traditional manufacturing companies undergo to offer solutions of products and services. It is crucial that the companies understand the challenge they face. Moving away from the todays productoriented approach to instead take on a holistic perspective where service has an equal central role as the product is necessary, but often complicated. To begin this transformation, a first step is to develop a business plan for service alone, where the core is the company’s value offer. Previous research on what factors are crucial when developing a new business model within Servitization, as well what is valued by both companies and customers is lacking, therefore was this study conducted. The case study is conducted at a Swedish industrial manufacturing company, which manufactures complex products. The purpose is to examine what factors that are important, both internally and externally, when developing a business model for service. From this study three primary factors have been identified. The first is the necessity to separate services from other fields, to avoid the prejudice of a product-focused organization. Second, develop distinct packages of services to aid the company to demonstrate the value that services generate for its customers. The third is to regard the field of service as a part of its core market and not as an aftermarket. / Allt fler industriellt tillverkande företag övergår till att erbjuda sina kunder helhetslösningar bestående av varor och tjänster, istället för enbart fysiska varor. Tjänster betraktas som en varaktig källa till konkurrensfördel, då de oftast är svåra att imitera. Service är en typ av tjänst som idag anses vara en del av eftermarknaden, då tillverkande företag traditionellt erbjuder det som komplement till deras produkt. Eftermarknaden betraktas ofta som ett nödvändigt ont, och trots att företag lägger stora resurser på området är det många som går miste om dess fördelar. De företag som inte lyckas manövrera området Service riskerar att gå miste om ekonomiska fördelar, samt att relationen mellan företag och kund riskerar att försämras. En anledning till att eftermarknaden är svår att hantera kan bero på att kunder värderar servicetjänster olika, vilket försvårar definitionen av värde för företaget. De karaktäristiska egenskaperna hos varor respektive tjänster kan vara en bidragande orsak till att företag har svårt att uppfatta, samt förmedla värde till kund. Begreppet Servitization syftar till förändringen som traditionellt tillverkande företag genomgår för att erbjuda lösningar bestående av produkter och tjänster. Företag som vill genomgå en förändring behöver en medvetenhet om den utmaning de står inför. Att frångå det produktcentrerade synsättet och inta ett helhetsperspektiv där service anses ha en lika central betydelse som produkterna är nödvändigt, men ofta inte helt okomplicerat. Ett första steg i förändringen är att utveckla en affärsmodell för området service, där det centrala är företagets värdeerbjudande. Forskning på vilka faktorer som är viktiga vid utformning av en affärsmodell för Service, ur företaget och kundens perspektiv saknas, vilket gav upphov till examensarbetets syfte. Fallföretaget som studien har genomförts på är ett industriellt tillverkande företag, som tillverkar komplexa produkter till kritiska system hos kund. Syftet är att undersöka vilka faktorer som är viktiga, internt och externt, vid utvecklandet av affärsmodell för Service. Efter utförd studie har tre huvudsakliga faktorer identifierats. Den första är behovet av att lyfta ut området service för att undvika de förutfattade meningar som generellt finns i en produktfokuserad organisation. Det andra är att utforma tydliga paket av servicetjänster som underlättar för företaget att synliggöra för kunderna om vilket värde service genererar. Det tredje är att betrakta service som en kärnmarknad och inte eftermarknad.

The aim of the thesis is to provide an overview of the automobile aftermarket customization and to evaluate its potential on the Czech market. The first goal is to understand why product design is crucial for consumers in general and to highlight its importance for automobile industry. Moving forward, the historical development of the automotive design with emphasis on external factors influencing technical and design development and, consequently customers preferences is provided. In order to analyze the potential of the customizing companies in the Czech Republic, a research among several Czech and German modifiers was conducted. The outcomes of the research enabled to draw the conclusions and evaluate the actual potential of automobile aftermarket modification.

This paper examines the long-run aftermarket performance of Swedish IPOs between 2000- 2016, including two market downturns (the burst of IT and housing bubble). The main objective is to investigate whether performance is explained in terms of firm maturity, which is the main contribution to existing literature. Hence, the final sample of 96 IPOs is ranked by the level of RE/TA ratio, a categorization defined by the life-cycle theory of dividend payouts proposed by DeAngelo et al. (2006). To assess the long-run performance of the different IPO portfolios, two methodologies are applied: BHAR and the Fama-French Three Factor regression. The main finding is that the Swedish IPOs underperform their benchmark reference portfolios 12, 24 and 36 months after the offering. Young IPOs, with low RE/TA, outperform on a one- year basis while no significant results were found for old IPOs with high RE/TA. On a longer term, young IPOs underperform their benchmarks while old IPOs outperform three years after the initial issue. There is no support that younger IPOs exhibit a higher level of underperformance in comparison to older IPOs in the long-run.

The report was a result of the master thesis work for Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University ofTechnology during spring 2021. The whole project was directed towards RJ Weld & Custom (RJWC) locatedin Boden on one of their best-selling aftermarket mufflers for the ATV, the Mud Edition.The purpose of the project was to develop the outside and inside of the Mud Edition muffler regarding design,material, and sound using a Human-Centered design approach. The Mud Edition muffler was assembled inBoden but separate parts were manufactured in China. RJWC had the opportunity to manufacture parts bythemselves as well, foremost in aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber. The goal of the project was to solve sometechnical aspects of the Mud Edition muffler and to come up with a new concept.The project has been carried out using the design thinking process throughout four design sprints. During thefirst design sprint, the design team investigated the problems and needs that exist today with the Mud Editionmuffler by conducting interviews and sending out surveys. During the second design sprint, the project teamidentified the current situation at RJWC with the help of literature studies and benchmarking. It was identifiedthat the sound desire of a muffler varies, more robust or more fun appearance is also desired and the ease ofassembling a muffler. The third and fourth design sprints focused on the design details and presentation of thefinal concept.Creative workshops and feedback sessions with RJWC were conducted for the identified issues and improvement of the solutions throughout the whole process. We implemented, tested, and evaluated. The result wasa reduced version of the Mud Edition muffler to facilitate shipping and assembly, new modern design thatreplaces welding and screws with Toggle Locks, V clamp, and Middle clamps.The design team hopes that the project can show the potentials of designing a muffler that looks different from the other typical mufflers in the market today. We hope that this project can inspire future workto think outside the box and embrace change to favor the user’s needs. The muffler is an important partand is visible on the ATV, we encourage the market to use details that make it more exciting to look at. / Rapporten var ett resultat av examensarbetet för Industrial Design Engineering vid Luleå tekniska universitetunder våren 2021. Hela projektet riktades mot RJ Weld & Custom (RJWC) i Boden på en av deras bästsäljandeandrahandsmarknads ljuddämpare för fyrhjulingar, Mud Edition.Syftet med projektet var att utveckla Mud Edition ljuddämparen angående design, material och ljud med hjälpav en användarcentrerad designprocess. Ljuddämparen Mud Edition monterades i Boden men separata delartillverkades i Kina. RJWC hade också möjlighet att tillverka delar själva, främst i aluminium, stål och kolfiber.Målet för projektet var att lösa några tekniska aspekter av Mud Edition ljuddämparen och komma med ett nyttkoncept.Projektet har genomförts med hjälp av Design Thinking process och har gått igenom fyra olika design sprints.Under den första design sprinten undersökte designteamet de problem och behov som finns idag med ljuddämparen Mud Edition genom att genomföra intervjuer och skicka ut enkäter. Under den andra design sprintentittade projektet på den aktuella situationen på RJWC med hjälp av litteraturstudier och benchmarking. Detidentifierades att önskan på ljuddet hos en ljuddämpare varierar, mer robust eller roligare utseende önskasockså och behovet att förenkla monteringen en ljuddämpare. Den tredje och fjärde designen sprint fokuseradepå designdetaljer och presentation av det slutliga konceptet.Kreativa workshops och feedback sessioner med RJWC genomfördes för de identifierade problem och förbättringar av lösningarna under hela processen. Minska storleken på ljuddämparens Mud Edition för att underlättatransport och montering samt ny modern design som ersätter svetsning och skruvar som Toggle Lock, V-klämma och mitt klämmor var en del av de lösningar som designteamet har hittat. Idéer testades och kan ses i resultatkapitlet. För framtida arbete rekommenderar designteamet fler tester i en mer verklighetsbaserad miljö.Designteamet hoppas att projektet kan visa potentialen i att designa en ljuddämpare som ser annorlunda ut ände andra typiska ljuddämparna på marknaden idag. Vi hoppas att detta projekt kan inspirera framtida arbete atttänka utanför lådan och omfamna förändringar för att gynna användarens behov. Ljuddämparen är en viktigdel och syns tydligt på ATV:n, vi uppmuntrar marknaden att använda detaljer som gör det mer spännande atttitta på.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze possible strategies that can be used to improve the efficiency of the spare parts safety stock management in a multinational company which operates in the electronic industry. Research question: “Which safety stock dimensioning strategies are most suitable in an after-sales business environment, characterized by high level customer service and unpredictable demand?” Method: The theoretical framework illuminated the study’s phenomenon which was mainly based on peer-reviewed scientific articles but also academic books. Furthermore, the empirical data collection in this study was conducted through a mixed research approach, where the qualitative data was collected through three semi-structured interviews and several unstructured interviews, while the quantitative data consisted of calculations using numerical variables provided by the case company. Conclusion: The study concluded that the so called estimated safety stock method as well as the probabilistic demand based on history method are the most suitable safety stock dimensioning strategies to utilize in business environments where firms that offer products with unpredictable demand are facing challenges related to finding a balance between providing a high service level and keeping their costs as low as possible. / Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att analysera möjliga strategier som kan användas för att förbättra säkerhetslagerhanteringen av reservdelar hos ett globalt företag inom elektronikindustrin. Frågeställning: “Vilka dimensioneringsstrategier för säkerhetslager är mest lämpliga i en eftermarknadsverksamhet, kännetecknad av hög servicenivå och oförutsägbar efterfrågan?” Metod: Det teoretiska ramverket belyste studiens fenomen som var baserad på främst expertgranskade vetenskapliga artiklar men även böcker. Vidare genomfördes den empiriska datainsamlingen i denna studie genom en mixad forskningsmetod, där den kvalitativa datan var i form av fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer samt flera ostrukturerade intervjuer, medan den kvantitativa datan bestod av beräkningar med hjälp av numeriska variabler tillhandahållna av fallföretaget. Slutsats: Studiens slutsatser visade att den så kallade manuellt bedömt säkerhetslager metoden samt probabilistisk efterfrågan baserad på historisk data metoden är de mest lämpliga dimensioneringsstrategier för säkerhetslager att använda i affärsmiljöer där företag som erbjuder produkter med oförutsägbar efterfrågan står inför utmaningar relaterade till att hitta en balans mellan att tillhandahålla en hög servicenivå och att ha så låga kostnader som möjligt.

The planning of an Aftermarket Supply Chain is a very complex task. This is due to an unpredictable demand which is driven by the need for maintenance and repair. This drive translates to a high variety of lead times, a large number of stock-keeping units (SKUs) and the capacity to deliver spare parts during its full lifecycle. With all these complexities in place, optimizing and parametrizing the planning process is a difficult and time-consuming task. Moreover, the current optimization tool focuses only on one node (each warehouse individually) of the whole Supply Chain, without considering the information such as inventory levels of the other nodes. Hence, the Supply Chain is not completely connected, making it difficult to get a better understanding of the system performance to identify cost draining areas. This leads to capital being tied up in the upper stream of the Supply Chain and later adding unnecessary costs like high inventory costs, rush freight costs, return or scrapping cost. In this study, Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is explored as an additional optimization tool that could analyse and improve the performance of the whole Supply Chain. To do that, the functioning of a node is modelled by replicating the logics behind the flow of material, which includes analysing some manual workflows which are currently present. In Addition, all the information needed from the orders, order lines and parts are mapped. The later part of the study aims to connect all the nodes to form a whole overview of the Supply Chain and further perform optimizations globally.  As an outcome, Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization has been performed on the whole Supply Chain after connecting all the nodes and thus getting an overview. Furthermore, the impact of different parameters has been studied on the whole model to understand the sensitivity of parameters such as variations in lead time and demand. Finally, different what-if scenarios such as COVID and problems with delay in suppliers were studied, which could help understand the impact of unforeseen situations. / Planeringen av en eftermarknadskedja är en mycket komplex uppgift. Detta beror på en oförutsägbar efterfrågan som drivs av behovet av underhåll och reparation. Enheten översätter till många olika ledtider, ett stort antal lagerhållningsenheter (SKU) och kapacitet att leverera reservdelar under hela dess livscykel. Med alla dessa komplexiteter på plats är optimering och parametrering av planeringsprocessen en svår och tidskrävande uppgift. Dessutom fokuserar det nuvarande optimeringsverktyget bara på en nod (varje lager separat) i hela leveranskedjan utan att beakta informationen som lagernivåerna för de andra noderna. Därför är försörjningskedjan inte helt ansluten, vilket gör det svårt att få en bättre förståelse för systemets prestanda för att identifiera kostnadsavtappningsområden. Detta leder till att kapital binds i den övre strömmen i försörjningskedjan och senare lägger till onödiga kostnader som höga lagerkostnader, snabba fraktkostnader, retur- eller skrotningskostnader. I denna studie undersöks Discrete Event Simulation (DES) som ett ytterligare optimeringsverktyg som kan analysera och förbättra prestanda för hela försörjningskedjan. För att göra det modelleras en nods funktion genom att replikera logiken bakom materialflödet, vilket inkluderar analys av några manuella arbetsflöden som för närvarande finns. Dessutom kartläggs all information som behövs från beställningar, orderrader och delar. Den senare delen av studien syftar till att ansluta alla noder för att bilda en hel översikt över försörjningskedjan och ytterligare utföra optimeringar globalt. Som ett resultat har Multi-Echelon Lageroptimering utförts i hela försörjningskedjan efter att alla noder har anslutits och därmed fått en översikt. Dessutom har effekterna av olika parametrar studerats på hela modellen för att förstå känsligheten hos parametrar som variationer i ledtid och efterfrågan. Slutligen studerades olika tänkbara scenarier som COVID och problem med förseningar hos leverantörer, vilket kan hjälpa till att förstå effekterna av oförutsedda situationer.

The goal of this Master's thesis is to conduct a strategic analysis of the company ELIT CZ, to find its strengths and weaknesses, to identify opportunities and threats which could be expected in the external environment, and based on the information gathered to define strategic recommendations. Thesis consists of two essential parts. In the first one, named as a theoretically-methodological part, the procedures are explained and the theory of strategic analysis is described. Besides the basic definitions and explanation of related terms the most common tools of the strategic analysis are outlined and used in the second, analytical part. Gradually, the analysis of internal and external environment, internal resources and capabilities of the company and SWOT analysis are carried out. The analytical part is closed by the strategic recommendations based on the results of the strategic analysis.