Då färre forskning har riktats mot kollektiv sensemaking hos tvärfunktionella team, ämnar denna studie att kasta ytterligare ljus över den komplexitet som det innebär i situationer av samverkan. Således kommer djupare förståelse utvecklas för vilka aspekter som påverkar en kollektiv sensemaking. Detta är en kvalitativ studie med ett abduktivt förhållningssätt. Den empiriska datan samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyseras i narrativ form. Studien är av interpretivistisk prägel, det vill säga tolkande. Expertiser, Obefogad tillhörighet; Beröringspunkter; Egen förståelse; Kompromisser; Horisontell kommunikation; Kommunikationsforum; Tydligt syfte; Att veta ‘nog’ mycket, visade sig vara aspekter som kan påverka förmågan till kollektiv sensemaking. Samtliga aspekter ger upphov till behovet av mer anpassad sensegiving. / As less research has focused on collective sensemaking in cross-functional teams, this study aims to shed further light on the complexity that it entails insituations of collaboration. Therefore, a deeper understanding will be developed of the aspects that influence a collective sensemaking.' This is a qualitative study with an abductive approach. The empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed in narrative form. The study is of an interpretivist nature. Expertise; Unjustified belonging; Intersections; Own understandings; Compromise; Horizontal communication; Communication forum; Clear purpose; Knowing ‘enough’, turned out to be aspects that can affect the ability for collective sensemaking. All aspects give further need for a more adaptive sensegiving.

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, the way we do business changes rapidly.  In this landscape, B2B companies are confronted with challenges that demand adaptation and reevaluation of their business models, such as exploring innovative approaches to resource utilization and streamlining workflows. The topic of interfunctional coordination is of utmost relevance today as it serves as a prerequisite for optimizing work processes, sustaining resources, and nurturing a customer focused collaboration across the entire organization. The primary objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of the practices and trends that certain B2B companies see around the go-to-market strategy. Furthermore, it seeks to examine the potential impact of interfunctional coordination on improving go-to-market strategies and fostering enhanced customer experiences. The study also explores the role of digital tools as strategic drivers for facilitating interfunctional coordination within these companies. By addressing these objectives, the research aims to provide valuable insights on go-to-market trends and on digital tools that can drive successful interfunctional coordination and enhance customer satisfaction. The study was done through a qualitative deductive approach, which involved initially exploring the researched theories, collecting empirical data through interviews and finally analyzing the results. The study shows that there is a correlation between interfunctional coordination and a successful go-to-market strategy. The study also presents which digital tools are best suited to facilitate cross-functional work within a complex B2B organization. The study shows that achieving interfunctional coordination within an organization requires a significant degree of commitment and a strong driving force towards a common vision. For the most part, the empirical evidence strengthens the theoretical discussion, but there are some deviations. The deviations could be due to the gap between academia and the marketing industry.

The automotive industry with its highly competitive environment together with high research and development costs is struggling to increase shareholder return. Cross-functional teams are employed to source suppliers which are helping to reduce production and development costs in close cooperation with the other departments. When working in a competitive environment and with external actors, intellectual property becomes increasingly important and organizational effort is directed to increase the generation and usage of such. Patent portfolio analysis is a well-known tool used to extract information from surrounding actors’ patents, which traditionally mainly was used for product development, but has potential to increase gross profit through cross-functional sourcing teams as well.  The purpose of this study is to investigate how to implement and use patent portfolio analysis as a cross-functional tool in the automotive industry. In order to fulfill the purpose, a qualitative case study has been conducted including both qualitative interviews, as well as action research in the form of workshops at the case company. The results were analyzed using a tailored framework denominated the system integration model which is a combination of the technology acceptance model and the managing strategy framework. The systems integration model was developed and validated by the researchers during the research process. The research result shows that patent portfolio analysis has a high perceived usefulness but a low actual system use within the studied company, especially in the sourcing department. The main barrier to use patent portfolio analysis cross-functionally was that the intellectual property strategy was not yet fully communicated and linked to the different departments’ objectives. There were also barriers found in the communication between- and the understanding of- each other’s departments, which could be reduced by increased education and promoting clear contact points and guidelines. The final conclusion of this research was that patent portfolio analysis likely could be used cross functionally to map the competitive landscape and increase gross profit by protection innovations through product development and sourcing. / Fordonssektorn kännetecknas av höga utvecklingskostnader och en konkurrenskraftig marknad där aktörerna strävar mot vinst till aktieägare. För att ge en hög avkastning till aktieägarna så arbetar man i tvärfunktionella team för att minska produktion och utvecklingskostnader samt för att anlita de bästa leverantörerna. Att arbeta i en konkurrenskraftig miljö med externa aktörer gör att immateriella rättigheter blir allt viktigare och företag satsar därför stora resurser för att detta ska hanteras på rätt sätt. Patentportföljanalys är ett välkänt verktyg för att extrahera information från omgivande aktörers patent, vilket traditionellt främst har använts i produktutveckling, men även har potential att öka bruttoresultat genom ett effektivare samarbete över avdelningar i tvärfunktionella inköpsteam. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur man implementerar och använder patentportföljanalys som ett tvärfunktionellt verktyg inom fordonssektorn. För att uppfylla syftet har en kvalitativ fallstudie genomförts genom kvalitativa intervjuer och workshops vid det undersökta företaget. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av ett skräddarsytt ramverk som forskarna för denna undersökning benämnt som ”the system integration model”. Det här ramverket sammansvetsar den välkända modellen ”technology acceptance model” som syftar till att undersöka acceptans av ny teknik och den välkända modellen ”Managing four processes” som handlar om hur man skapar ett strategiskt management verktyg. ”The system integration model” utvecklades och validerades av forskarna i flera steg under studien. Resultatet visar att patentportföljanalys har en hög uppfattad nytta trots att det är låg systemanvändning i det undersökta företaget i dagsläget, särskilt i inköpsavdelningen. Den största barriären för användandet av patentportföljanalysen verkar vara att företagsstrategin för immateriella rättigheter ännu inte har kommunicerats och kopplats till de olika avdelningarna fullt ut. Det noterades även barriärer i kommunikationen mellan- och förståelsen för- de olika avdelningarna, vilken kan minskas genom utbildning och tydliga kontaktpunkter och riktlinjer. Den här undersökningen indikerar ytterligare på att patentportföljanalys är användbart i tvärfunktionella team då det ger möjligheten att kartlägga konkurrenslandskapet, säkra produkt- och eftermarknadsexklusivitet och förbättra leverantörsavtal, vilket i sin tur kan öka bruttovinsten.

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Under de senaste åren har företag försökt utforma sina kontorsmiljöer till en som uppmanar till mer kommunikation både inom och mellan olika funktioner i produktutvecklingsprocessen. Då produktutvecklingsprocessen omvandlar en produkt från idé till lansering anses en stor utmaning vara att integrera de involverade funktionerna med varandra. Därav har många företag implementerat aktivitetsbaserat kontor. Genom att implementera detta förväntar sig företagen att kommunikationen ökar och i sin tur, påverkar produktutvecklingsprocessen positivt. Däremot är forskningen omstridd angående hur aktivitetsbaserat faktiskt påverkar processen. Syftet med den här studien är att studera hur kommunikationen ser ut på aktivitetsbaserade kontor och hur samarbetet påverkas inom team och mellan funktioner under produktutvecklingsprocessen. Studien har utförts genom att inledningsvis genomföra en litteraturstudie för att få en ökad förståelse inom området. Därefter utfördes en kvalitativ semistrukturerad intervjuundersökning med fyra respondenter från två olika företag. Båda företagen hade implementerat aktivitetsbaserat kontor och arbetar med produktutvecklingsprocesser. Studien visar att vid implementering av aktivitetsbaserat kontor har de informella mötena ökat i frekvens och samverkan mellan funktioner har förbättrats. Inom team har dock det fysiska avståndet ökat vilket har resulterat i att interaktionen ansikte mot ansikte har minskat och mer kommunikation sker med digitala verktyg. När man inom teamet inte är samlokaliserade krävs mer struktur i arbetet vilket varit en positiv utveckling. Produktutvecklingsprocessen genomförs mer tvärfunktionellt mellan funktionerna vid implementering av aktivitetsbaserat kontor, ABW. / In recent years, companies have tried to design their office environments into one that calls for more communication both within and between different functions in the product development process. As the product development process transforms a product from idea to launch, it is considered a significant challenge to integrate the functions involved with each other. As a result, many companies have implemented activity-based offices. By applying this, companies expect communication to increase and, in turn, have a positive impact on the product development process. However, research is controversial as to how activity-based affects the process. The purpose of this study is to study how communication looks at activity-based offices and how collaboration is affected between functions during the product development process. The study was carried out by initially conducting a literature study to gain an increased understanding of the field. Subsequently, a qualitative semi-structured interview survey was conducted with four respondents from two different companies. Both companies have implemented activity-based offices and are working on product development processes. The study shows that in the implementation of activity-based offices, informal meetings have increased in frequency and collaboration between functions. The physical distance between team members has increased, which has led to less face-to-face interaction and more use of digital tools. When the team is not co-located, more structure is required, which has been a positive development. The product development process is worked more cross-functionally between the functions when implementing an activity-based workplace, ABW

Under de senaste åren har digitaliseringen av fysiska produkter ökat, och allt fler företag har därmed börjat implementera digitala komponenter i sina produkter. Att implementera mjukvara i en analog produkt innebär nya utmaningar för produktutvecklingsteam som tidigare arbetat med att ta fram analoga produkter. Många företag har i och med digitaliseringen valt att anpassa sina produktutvecklingsmetoder med målet att integrera de digitala och analoga produktutvecklingsprocesserna med varandra. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur produktutvecklingsprocesserna ser ut idag på produktutvecklande företag som har genomgått en digitalisering. De aspekter som har tagits extra hänsyn till är projekttid, produktutvecklingsmetod, företagets organisering och struktur samt insamling och implementering av användardata i produktutvecklingsprocessen. Företag som utvecklar uppkopplade produkter för hemmet är exempel på företag som just nu genomgår en digitalisering av tidigare analoga produkter, därför har företag med detta spår valts som inriktning vid denna studie. Studien har utförts genom en inledande litteraturstudie följt av kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra responderande företag, som samtliga utvecklar uppkopplade hemprodukter vilka innehåller IoT-teknologi. Studien visar att företagen strävar mot ett agilt arbetssätt, men att det finns svårigheter med att integrera hårdvaru- och mjukvaruutveckling i produktutvecklingsprocesserna. Trots detta upplevs utvecklingstiden i projekt som oförändrad jämfört med innan digitaliseringen. Det framkommer även att tvärfunktionalitet hos utvecklingsteamen är en fördel i samspelet mellan de digitala och analoga delarna av produktutvecklingen. Studien visade slutligen att kunddata som samlas in via digitaliserade produkter används av företag som ett verktyg för att effektivisera produktutvecklingen. / In recent years digitalization of physical products has increased, and many companies has therefore started to implement digital components in their products. To add software to an analog product creates new challenges for the product development teams, which up until then mainly have been developing analog products. Many companies have, as a result of the digitalization, chosen to adapt their product development methods to manage the integration between digital and analog development processes. The purpose of this study is to investigate what the product developing process looks like today in companies that have digitalized their products. The aspects that are specifically considered are; project duration, product development method, organizational structure of the company, and implementation of big data in the product development process. Companies that develop products for home use is one example of companies that are going through a digitalization process of their previously analog products, which is why this branch of companies is targeted in this study. The study was conducted through an initial literature study, followed by interviews with four responding companies, who all develop connected home products containing IoT-technology. The study shows that the companies aim for a more agile work procedure, but that there are problems with integrating hardware and software development in product development processes. Nonetheless, the time duration of the projects does not appear to have changed significantly in comparison to pre-digitalization. It is also revealed that cross-functional teams are an advantage within the collaboration between the digital and analog parts in the development process. The study finally shows that big data, collected through digitalized products, is used by the companies as a tool for increasing the effectiveness of the product development.

Purpose - This research contributes to the new product development conversation by investigating different firms’ new product development processes in volatile contexts, to better understand the way Cross-Functional Integration impacts internal efficiency. Method - We conducted a qualitative study and interviewed product managers and product owners responsible for the development of digital products.  Findings - Our main contribution lies in examining different structures and their viability in volatile contexts. Our findings bring nuances to prior research that indicate appropriate ways of implementing cross-functional integration. We found that the team structure could be determined by the availability of resources and the size of the firm, and not solely depend on the nature of the context.  Originality - The study provides a different view on internal efficiency where the managers emphasize product superiority and development time as priority and factors for increased new product development performance. Consequently, development cost is not as prioritized as indicated in previous research and seems to be left out as an objective, which we conclude may stem from the digital nature of the product.

Abstrakt Examensarbete. Civilekonomprogrammet, Logistik, Linnéuniversitetet, 4FE05E, Våren 2011. Författare: Alexander Avander och Erik Robertsson Handledare: Peter Berling   Titel: Batch size policy Thule Vehicle Solutions - A case study in Hillerstorp   Bakgrund: Företaget har för närvarande ingen tydlig batch policy och detta är ett område som uppmärksammats som ett område med potentiella förbättringsmöjligheter. Ett projekt har inletts där två flöden (en hög omsättare och en låg) skall kartläggas och generera ett förslag till en tvärfunktionell batch policy.   Syfte: Syftet med projektet är att med hjälp utav en ”current state map” föreslå en ny, kostnadseffektiv och tvärfunktionell batch policy samt jämföra detta med nuvarande policy för att påvisa potentiella förbättringsmöjligheter.     Metod: Projektet använder ett kvalitativt arbetssätt för att påvisa effekter utav batch storlekar. Data hämtas från det undersökta företaget och från tidigare forskningar inom området som samlats genom universitetets resurser.   Slutsatser: Företaget bör kunna eliminera ett flertal lager i sitt flöde som uppstått på grund av en batch policy där hela pallar föredras. En batch policy, där en storlek används till ett komponentlager och därefter en annan storlek som är en jämn del utav den första till slutlagret, har föreslagits som en tvärfunktionell batch policy. Detta förslag är testat i fyra versioner där samtliga var funna mer kostnadseffektiva än nuvarande policy. Att använda mindre batchstorlekar i den föreslagna policyn sänkte lagernivåer och ledtider. Dock var nuvarande, större batchstorleken mer optimal då lagerhållningskostnaderna är låga i förhållande till omställningskostnader.   Sökord: Batch size, batch size costs, cross functional, inventory control, lean management, production flow, supply chain integration, transportation costs, value stream mapping. / Abstract   Master Degree Project. Business Administration and Economics Programme, Linnaeus University, Logistics, 4FE05E, Spring 2011. Authors: Alexander Avander and Erik Robertsson Supervisor: Peter Berling   Title: Batch size policy Thule Vehicle Solutions - A case study in Hillerstorp   Background: The Company has currently no clear batch size policy and batch sizes are an area that has been recognized with potential earnings within the company. A project to map two flows (a high volume and a low volume) and suggest a new cross functional batch size policy has been initiated.   Purpose: The purpose of this project is to, with the help of a current state map, propose a new cost effective and cross functional batch size policy for the business unit car accessories and compare this to the present batch size policy to show possible earnings.     Method: This project uses a qualitative approach to show the effect of batch sizes with data supplied from the Thule Sweden AB and researched through the Linnaeus University’s recourses.    Findings: Thule Vehicle Solutions should be able to remove several inventories that have been caused by a batch size policy where whole pallets are preferred. A batch size policy where one batch size is used to the semi-finished inventory and another size, part of first batch size, from that inventory until the finished-goods inventory has been suggested as a cross functional batch size policy. This suggestion has been tested and in four different versions was found more cost effective than the current policy. Using smaller batch sizes in the suggested batch size policy decreased inventory levels and lead times. However, the current, larger batch size was more optimal as the holding costs are low and the set up costs are high.   Key words: Batch size, batch size costs, cross functional, inventory control, lean management, production flow, supply chain integration, transportation costs, value stream mapping.

A Orientação para o Mercado é uma perspectiva estratégica que preza a geração e a disseminação de conhecimento sobre o entorno para satisfazer as necessidades do mercado. Essa satisfação de necessidades de mercado deve ser buscada por meio de estratégias responsivas, que envolvam a participação de diversas funções e níveis organizacionais para geração da inteligência de mercado. Desta forma, a Orientação para o Mercado acontece por uma série de processos interfuncionais que buscam atender às necessidades do mercado, a partir de informações geradas por seus atores: clientes, concorrentes, consumidores, compradores, fornecedores. A Integração Interfuncional, por sua parte, são os esforços e trabalhos nos quais há participação ativa de várias funções ou departamentos de uma organização, buscando gerar melhores resultados a partir da união de percepções, por meio de fatores formais e informais. A literatura apresenta a Integração Interfuncional como um antecedente da Orientação para o Mercado, e uma lista de nove fatores de integração orientados para o mercado. Não obstante, esses estudos não mostram a forma como a Integração Interfuncional é operacionalizada para que as organizações consigam ser orientadas para o mercado. Essa pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar como o processo de integração interfuncional contribui para que as organizações consigam adotar estratégias de Orientação para o Mercado no contexto industrial de alimentos Latino Americano. Para isto, um estudo multicaso foi realizado na Costa Rica e no Brasil, com duas organizações orientadas para o mercado do setor de alimentos e bebidas. Entre junho e outubro de 2016, foram realizadas 24 entrevistas semiestruturadas com gerentes, líderes e supervisores dos departamentos de: marketing, comercial, logística, produção, planejamento, finanças, compras, recursos humanos. Além disso, com o intuito de triangular os dados, foi utilizada uma escala quantitativa para medir o nível de integração interfuncional nos processos estudados de cada organização. Os resultados mostraram que nas organizações são realizados processos de integração orientados para o mercado, isto é, pontos de contato que envolvem mais de duas ou três departamentos na organização com o intuito de melhorar a resposta que a organização oferece ao mercado. Estes processos são: Entrega de produtos e serviço, Lançamento de inovações, Solução de reclamações e projetos de inovação e melhoria interna para o fortalecimento da Orientação para o Mercado. Estes processos precisam de fatores de integração que facilitam o alcance de resultados relacionados à orientação para o mercado, como: responsividade, disseminação de conhecimento de mercado e satisfação do cliente. São apresentadas sete proposições teóricas geradas a partir desta pesquisa, com o intuito de acrescentar elementos ao conhecimento da operacionalização da Orientação para o Mercado dentro das organizações, por meio da Integração Interfuncional. / Market orientation is a strategic perspective looking for knowledge generation and dissemination about context, to satisfy market needs. This market needs satisfaction must be searched through responsive strategies, involving the participation of several functions and hierarchical levels for the generation of market intelligence. Hence, market orientation occurs through interfunctional processes looking for attending market needs through information obtained from: competitors, consumers, customers, shoppers and suppliers. On the other hand interfunctional integration is about the efforts and tasks with active participation of many functions or departments of an organization, looking for the generations of improving results through perceptions union with formal and informal integration factors. Literature shows interfunctional integration as an antecedent for market orientation, and a list of nine market oriented integration factors. Nevertheless, these studies do not show how interfunctional integration is operationalized in the organizations in order to achieve market orientation. This research has the objective of analyzing how interfunctional integration process helps organizations to adopt market orientation strategies, on the Latin American Foods Industrial Sector. To do this, a Multi-Case study was conducted in Costa Rica and Brazil, with two market oriented firms. A total of 24 in depth interviews were realized between June and October 2016, with managers and supervisors from diverse departments such as marketing, commercial, logistics, finance and human resources. Moreover, for triangulation, integration level of the organizations was evaluated though a quantitative scale. Results show that both organizations have market oriented integration processes, as contact points involving more than three departments, to improve responsiveness. These processes are: innovation launch, products and service delivery, claims solution and innovation and improvements projects for a stronger market orientation. These processes require integration factors to help the achievement of results related to market orientation: responsiveness, market intelligence dissemination and customer satisfaction. Seven theoretical propositions are presented, with the aim of increasing elements to the knowledge of the operationalization of market orientation on organizations, through interfunctional integration. / Dissertação (Mestrado)