Abstract Business competition is violent due to globalization and large-scale production. For the purpose of improving competition advantage, enterprises had integrated their business flow in Supply chain. Business move their competition advantages from firm base to supply chain base gradually.The flow of supply chain was redesigned not only considering of cost down by the way of collaboration ,also transfer Supply Chain Management to Demain Chain Management further. To respond the need from customer quickly and compete with the rival, market requirement pulling instead the material planning pushing. This article is a case study in stainless steel industry to interpret the requirement of inbound and outbound information in demand chain management. The main inbound information is market requirement forecasting that could planning the requirement from customer in order to process efficient supply and reduce cost in production. The information in outbound include sales¡Bmaking¡Bdelivery message to support customer know the situation of purchasing order well. Also,it can help customer do a good planning for resale or reprocess in B2B transaction. The research focus on three domains: 1.Industrial environment-including partnership¡Binformation intension, 2.Business management:including information level¡Binformation quality and source, 3.Information technology:including information infrastructure. After analysis the impact of the information sharing factors ,we found firm scale and business model influence the level of business information. While business collaboration in progress due to the considering of benefits and limitation of information infrastructure,the informations sharing couldn,t proceed efficiently,So, the information between two business couldn¡¦t integrated and no efficient business model was created. Business management model and IT ability determine the need¡Bwish and ability of demand chain information sharing. The content of information sharing in transaction should be distinct to find what measurement should be consider.Then we could recognize the necessity and benefit of information sharing ,and find solution to drive out the obstacle of information sharing.

The mail order business was once a traditional method of selling and distributing clothes, and other commodities, to customers. Now, the e-commerce trend, with more sophisticated techniques of marketing, selling, and distributing goods, has not only challenged the traditional mail order system, it seems also that the traditional retail chain and even fashion chains are being challenged. This change not only affects how sellers compete (be they long-distance or not), it has probably affected us as consumers - our requirements and how we purchase. This work contributes to this development through extensive empirical investigations into how and why customers return what they have previously ordered. The primary conclusions are that consumer requirements tend to vary, and therefore the standard solution of delivering goods to a vast variety of consumers without engaging in discussion about the individual customer service requirements (et cetera) is most probably the central cause behind the increasing return trends seen in the business. The purpose of this thesis is to identify and to characterise important factors causing returns. Further, to assist the development of Returns Management research, the intention is to develop a theoretical model of a Supply/Demand Chain returns system that incorporates an application of avoidance and gatekeeping in a distance sale context with the aim to improve overall systems performance. The research design used in the thesis was a case study performed at one of the largest mail order organisation in Sweden, with a long tradition in the business. The main data used in the thesis has been collected from interviews, a questionnaire, and secondary data exported from the case organisation. Sales and returns data covering approximately one year of sales and returns in the Swedish market was quantitatively analysed, and the results were regularly discussed and presented to key informants at the case organisation to substantiate authenticity and trustworthiness. The overall conclusion is that the distance-sales trade is affected by the trends that are seen in other areas, namely increased competition - not only from within the distance trade but also from the traditional retail trade. This is probably due to the ease of shopping via e-commerce, and the vast supply of products that even exceeds that of the retail chains. This attracts new customer groups with new demands and requirements. This, in many ways, is an archetypal difference between today’s e-commerce business and yesterday’s mail order business, and could explain why customers from the different channels behave and return differently. The use of the Internet affects how we purchase, and therefore the result of the purchase. It is quite likely that we are far more spontaneous when purchasing over the Internet in comparison with telephone and mail orders. Key words: Returns management, customer service, demand chain management, e-commerce, avoidance, gatekeeping

The steel industry is always considered as the traditional industry that unwilling to make an investment in new information technology, besides several annual sales volumes and more than 3 billion large scale steel maker, there are very few has implemented MIS, eERP, SCM, CRM,etc. that mean the Steel Industry Supply and Demand Chain to take electronization , still have long way go too, even so, the government , society , big factory , information industry person promote the mental and physical efforts of the bet in enterprise's electronization , the government offers favourable measure , society to make the standard , big factory of the industry and invest in the person who carries out the case and best instance , information industry of electronization and provide aid of technology etc., the effect carried on in big electronization specifically of factory is obvious to all, but the information drop of visiting a existence from upstream to downstream in the supply and demand chain is still quite great, the information hedge among enterprises, reduce the transparency of information , the unfairness of the trade, delay, the obstacle of linking up among enterprises fails to suppress effectively, to stepping the enterprise , transnational towing the Utopia in coordination with the commercial speech. This article is focus on ¡§What is the development trend of the Steel Industry¡¦s supply and demand chain systems?¡¨, and how the steel downstream and upstream complay with it , and in order to build and construct the information structure of the supply and demand chain of the steel industry in management tactic topic that the information transparency improves among enterprises (B2B), what happen in relevant enterprises in running the supply and demand chain implementation project? Especially,what need to be changed in existing systems? What is the driver of the changes? As to extant information system, is there any new or change requirements that revise in these decisions? The author has participated in practice going through and experience of every special project actually in the case company over the past over years by ten, extract with a case of chain electronization of supply and demand, make into the research paper of the case. The case company was established in 1973, the total capital is more than 3,200 million NT$, plate the surface steel factory Cold-Rolled, Galvanized Steel Coils, Printed Color Steel Coils for the representative and medium-and-large-sized consistent homework in Taiwan , Southeast Asian steel industry , there is cold-rolled , zinc-plated , roast intact consistent homework procedure of paint, total sales amount is NT$18,900 million in 2004, a customer-oriented, at the orientation builds and constructs one steel industry model as, " We are not biggest but will be the best " , " Investigate steel industry second by enterprise model popularity for eight years in succession international high to is it cold-rolled speciality have , plate surface steel factory march toward to make a profit. Give a new lease of life to and shorten and hand over a procedure, purchases to the procedure , guest and tells the procedure the procedure and system, good staff , shareholder , customer , social relationships that and is devoted to establishing at the same time ; Quality exceeding customers' expectation , Ethical business conduct, Safe and pleasant working environment , Personal development through challenging work, Fair reward to employees , set up the good mechanism of communication with supplier and customer, it is satisfied with the environment to create the staff , feedback the social home town. With the quality policy that ¡§Correctly grasp each customer's expectation¡¨, the market coming to get up because should be new developing, new customer develop and set up with the new stronghold , set up dynamic fast reaction system , react fast , make policy fast , hand in one quickly , serve fast. The case company always offers better quality products to meet customer's demand , maintain better equipment stability and efficiency. In the tactics of expanding of the market , pay attention to the technological innovation and study development , develop the high additional value products , research and develop the new technology , new application, it set up SCM , CRM , BI ,etc. information infrastructure, give play to ' pursue to the good and not only on to the good ' spirit, cooperate in coordination, set up international and specialized dull and stereotyped steel product group. This thesis carries on the process as follows. To study and present having it about the steel industry and supply and demand chain and the article of the relevant field of transparency of information first . And then state taking action and describing reason of special project designed to solve above-mentioned problems. Then, important incidents happened during taking action of discussion, and explain the case company during special project in order to implement the topic produced of information systems which constructs the supply and demand chain of the steel industry , will to address considering the key factor and key performance and assessment model of the e-SCM and information transparancy implementation, and to provide as a consultation and good application example to the relevant enterprises of steel in the electronic tactics of the supply and demand chain finally.

The overall objective of this thesis is to describe and explain how different quality management philosophies can be combined in the supply/demand chain, in order to contribute to its resilience. The analysis is both quantitative and qualitative, based on theory and literature related to TQM, Lean, Agile and Six Sigma, one literature study and three case studies that were performed in companies. The studies are related to four research questions and are presented in four papers. The first research question focuses on similarities and differences between the quality management concepts TQM, Lean and Six Sigma. The findings were that TQM, Six Sigma and Lean have many similarities, but they differ in some areas. For examples Lean addresses process flow and waste, whereas Six Sigma addresses variation and design. The conclusion is that there is a lot to gain if organisations are able to combine these three concepts, as they are complementary. Two case studies and a literature survey supported the findings. The second research question focuses on outcomes in a logistics process if using quality management. The findings were that the quality management approach leads to risks being mitigated, managed and monitored and ensures a more effective, robust and flexible process, very much in line with the Agility philosophy. Solutions for quicker response to customers have also been introduced. The findings were supported by two case studies in seven companies. The third research question focuses on how prepared the transport- and logistics-oriented companies are for the application of quality concepts and quality management philosophy. The findings were that they can be described as being TQM-oriented. The companies do not consider Lean and Six Sigma to be future trends. Focus is on the customer, while they do not focus on variations or removing waste. The findings were supported by a case study in 24 companies. The fourth research question focuses on how quality concepts can contribute to risk control and resilience in an organisation. A combined Lean/Six Sigma approach by using Six Sigma framework and the last phase, Perfection, in the Lean concept, implies that the companies’ resilience, due to their strengthened ability to handle variability, risk management and agility, was improved. The findings were supported by two case studies in seven companies. / <p>I. Andersson Roy, Henrik Eriksson and Håkan Torstensson (2006), Similarities and differences</p><p>between TQM, Six Sigma and Lean, The TQM Magazine; Vol. 18, Issue 3, pp 282-296.</p><p>This paper was also presented at the 7th International QMOD Conference, Monterrey, Mexico</p><p>2004:</p><p>Andersson Roy, Henrik Eriksson and Håkan Torstensson (2004), Similarities and differences</p><p>between TQM, Six Sigma and Lean, Conference proceeding, 7th International QMOD Conference,</p><p>Monterrey, Mexico, pp 143-158.</p><p>II. Andersson, Roy, Peter Manfredsson and Anders Näslid (2005), Application of Six Sigma to</p><p>Control Variability in Production Logistics: A Case Study, PLAN Conference Quality and</p><p>efficiency in the entire supply chain, University College of Borås, pp 21-37.</p><p>III. Andersson, R., M. Fredriksson and H. Torstensson (2005), Reducing logistic variations by</p><p>quality techniques, Conference proceedings, Vol 1, 8th International QMOD Conference,</p><p>Palermo, pp 457-464.</p><p>IV. Andersson, R. and H. Torstensson (2006), A combined quality approach to controlling supply</p><p>chain risk. Conference proceedings, Vol 1, 9th International QMOD Conference, Liverpool.</p>

Uppsatsnivå: D

One big issue for the mail order business is how to avoid and manage returns. Oneapproach being taken is that consumer insight can result in better customer satisfaction andfewer returns. The fashion industry delivers more than just a function within the clothes;fashion, excitement, and customer service for example.It is believed that a part of demand chain management, consumer insight, can help toreduce the amount of returns. This thesis approaches this issue from a company point ofview. It is investigated how mail order businesses utilizes opportunities given byeCommerce, how the companies perceives their customers, and how well they are able totailor their services to different consumer groups.Online sales channels were reviewed in order to investigate how the company is perceivedand what kinds of efforts the companies go through in order to add value to the customers.These results were combined with interviews of three companies in the mail order businessand one company selling clothes in retail stores.The complexity of the customer and the silo mentality in many companies was the firsthurdle to emerge. It was hard to get in contact with the right person. The interviewsshowed both focus on products and focus of really understanding the customer. Thisshowed both in the rigid layout of the homepages and the lack of understanding thatcustomers might have different needs when it comes to value adding services. However,the interviewed companies had varying ways of defining their customer’s needs.It is evident after this thesis that a lot of work can be done in order to better understand thecustomers, for example investigating causes to returns and how differentiated servicesmight improve how the customers perceive the service. In order to succeed in a holisticapproach, cooperation between mail order companies might be required.

A presente dissertação procurou identificar, por meio de revisão de literatura, entrevista com especialistas e pesquisa de mercado, atributos do lombo suíno considerados importantes para o consumidor gaúcho. A pesquisa de mercado foi realizada através de survey via internet e obteve uma amostra de 392 consumidores, sendo que 50,8% pertencentes ao sexo masculino, 49,2% do sexo feminino e com idade predominante entre 21-30 anos (49,2%). Os resultados auferidos indicam que os consumidores gaúchos almejam um lombo suíno mais suculento, com menor fibrosidade, em porções menores nos pontos de venda e com maior diversidade de preparo. Também se identificou a importância da criação dos animais dentro das práticas de bem-estar animal e que são necessárias ações que visem melhorar a imagem do produto em termos de confiança e segurança alimentar. Na etapa seguinte, através de entrevistas com especialistas e com auxílio de uma matriz modificada do Desenho da Cadeia da Demanda (DCD) de Canever (2007), foram identificados os pontos críticos processuais que merecem maior atenção na cadeia produtiva estudada, no intuito de propor melhorias aos atributos identificados anteriormente. Os resultados apontam como pontos críticos processuais na cadeia produtiva integrada do lombo suíno os respectivos setores e ações: i) setor de produção: manejos dos animais em fase de crescimento/terminação e seleção genética; ii) transporte dos animais: cuidados operacionais e adequação do veículo; iii) setor de processamento: abate humanitário e embalagem; iv) setor de distribuição: campanha de informação ao consumidor e ações promocionais. / The present dissertation has sought to identify through literature rummage, interviews with experts and market research, attributes of pork loin considered "important" for the “Gaúcho” consumer. Market research has been conducted through survey via the Internet and has obtained answers of 392 consumers, of which 50.8% were male and 49.2% female, predominantly aged between 21-30 years (49.2 %). The results received indicate that “Gaúcho” consumers wish a juicier pork loin, with less fibrousness in smaller portions at points of sale and greater diversity of preparation. It has also identified the importance of breeding animals using practices in which are included animal welfare, being necessary actions to improve the product’s image in terms of trust and food safety. In the next stage, by interviewing experts and with the aid of a modified matrix of Design Chain Demand (DCD), from Canever (2007), it has been identified the critical procedural points that deserve more attention in the supply chain studied, in order to propose improvements to the attributes identified above. In summary, the results indicate as critical procedural points in the integrated pork loin supply chain the following sectors and actions: i) production sector: management of growing animals/finishing and genetic selection, ii) animals transportation: operational care and vehicle adequacy, iii) processing sector: packaging and humanitarian slaughter; iv) distribution sector: information campaign and promotional strategies.

A presente dissertação procurou identificar, por meio de revisão de literatura, entrevista com especialistas e pesquisa de mercado, atributos do lombo suíno considerados importantes para o consumidor gaúcho. A pesquisa de mercado foi realizada através de survey via internet e obteve uma amostra de 392 consumidores, sendo que 50,8% pertencentes ao sexo masculino, 49,2% do sexo feminino e com idade predominante entre 21-30 anos (49,2%). Os resultados auferidos indicam que os consumidores gaúchos almejam um lombo suíno mais suculento, com menor fibrosidade, em porções menores nos pontos de venda e com maior diversidade de preparo. Também se identificou a importância da criação dos animais dentro das práticas de bem-estar animal e que são necessárias ações que visem melhorar a imagem do produto em termos de confiança e segurança alimentar. Na etapa seguinte, através de entrevistas com especialistas e com auxílio de uma matriz modificada do Desenho da Cadeia da Demanda (DCD) de Canever (2007), foram identificados os pontos críticos processuais que merecem maior atenção na cadeia produtiva estudada, no intuito de propor melhorias aos atributos identificados anteriormente. Os resultados apontam como pontos críticos processuais na cadeia produtiva integrada do lombo suíno os respectivos setores e ações: i) setor de produção: manejos dos animais em fase de crescimento/terminação e seleção genética; ii) transporte dos animais: cuidados operacionais e adequação do veículo; iii) setor de processamento: abate humanitário e embalagem; iv) setor de distribuição: campanha de informação ao consumidor e ações promocionais. / The present dissertation has sought to identify through literature rummage, interviews with experts and market research, attributes of pork loin considered "important" for the “Gaúcho” consumer. Market research has been conducted through survey via the Internet and has obtained answers of 392 consumers, of which 50.8% were male and 49.2% female, predominantly aged between 21-30 years (49.2 %). The results received indicate that “Gaúcho” consumers wish a juicier pork loin, with less fibrousness in smaller portions at points of sale and greater diversity of preparation. It has also identified the importance of breeding animals using practices in which are included animal welfare, being necessary actions to improve the product’s image in terms of trust and food safety. In the next stage, by interviewing experts and with the aid of a modified matrix of Design Chain Demand (DCD), from Canever (2007), it has been identified the critical procedural points that deserve more attention in the supply chain studied, in order to propose improvements to the attributes identified above. In summary, the results indicate as critical procedural points in the integrated pork loin supply chain the following sectors and actions: i) production sector: management of growing animals/finishing and genetic selection, ii) animals transportation: operational care and vehicle adequacy, iii) processing sector: packaging and humanitarian slaughter; iv) distribution sector: information campaign and promotional strategies.

A presente dissertação procurou identificar, por meio de revisão de literatura, entrevista com especialistas e pesquisa de mercado, atributos do lombo suíno considerados importantes para o consumidor gaúcho. A pesquisa de mercado foi realizada através de survey via internet e obteve uma amostra de 392 consumidores, sendo que 50,8% pertencentes ao sexo masculino, 49,2% do sexo feminino e com idade predominante entre 21-30 anos (49,2%). Os resultados auferidos indicam que os consumidores gaúchos almejam um lombo suíno mais suculento, com menor fibrosidade, em porções menores nos pontos de venda e com maior diversidade de preparo. Também se identificou a importância da criação dos animais dentro das práticas de bem-estar animal e que são necessárias ações que visem melhorar a imagem do produto em termos de confiança e segurança alimentar. Na etapa seguinte, através de entrevistas com especialistas e com auxílio de uma matriz modificada do Desenho da Cadeia da Demanda (DCD) de Canever (2007), foram identificados os pontos críticos processuais que merecem maior atenção na cadeia produtiva estudada, no intuito de propor melhorias aos atributos identificados anteriormente. Os resultados apontam como pontos críticos processuais na cadeia produtiva integrada do lombo suíno os respectivos setores e ações: i) setor de produção: manejos dos animais em fase de crescimento/terminação e seleção genética; ii) transporte dos animais: cuidados operacionais e adequação do veículo; iii) setor de processamento: abate humanitário e embalagem; iv) setor de distribuição: campanha de informação ao consumidor e ações promocionais. / The present dissertation has sought to identify through literature rummage, interviews with experts and market research, attributes of pork loin considered "important" for the “Gaúcho” consumer. Market research has been conducted through survey via the Internet and has obtained answers of 392 consumers, of which 50.8% were male and 49.2% female, predominantly aged between 21-30 years (49.2 %). The results received indicate that “Gaúcho” consumers wish a juicier pork loin, with less fibrousness in smaller portions at points of sale and greater diversity of preparation. It has also identified the importance of breeding animals using practices in which are included animal welfare, being necessary actions to improve the product’s image in terms of trust and food safety. In the next stage, by interviewing experts and with the aid of a modified matrix of Design Chain Demand (DCD), from Canever (2007), it has been identified the critical procedural points that deserve more attention in the supply chain studied, in order to propose improvements to the attributes identified above. In summary, the results indicate as critical procedural points in the integrated pork loin supply chain the following sectors and actions: i) production sector: management of growing animals/finishing and genetic selection, ii) animals transportation: operational care and vehicle adequacy, iii) processing sector: packaging and humanitarian slaughter; iv) distribution sector: information campaign and promotional strategies.

Purpose: This research aims to enhance the current understanding and knowledge of the demand-supply chain management (DSCM) concept by determining its elements, benefits, and requirements, as well as by analyzing key elements of the concept. Methodology: This research has utilized the case study strategy and the survey strategy, however, the case study strategy dominates. The case study research has involved five companies originating from Sweden and the collection of empirical data mainly from in-depth interviews with key persons representing senior and middle management. The survey research targeted the largest firms in Sweden and Finland and empirical data was collected through an online questionnaire. Findings: This research has established that the main elements of DSCM include market orientation, coordination of the demand and supply processes, viewing the demand and supply processes as being equally important, as well as value creation, differentiation, innovativeness, responsiveness, and cost-efficiency in the demand and supply processes. It has also been revealed that the main benefits of DSCM include enhanced competiveness, enhanced demand chain performance, as well as enhanced supply chain performance, while the main requirements of DSCM include organizational competences, company established principles, demand-supply chain collaboration, and information technology support. A key element of DSCM further investigated is differentiation focused supply chain design. It has been shown that these efforts can be organized into a process of five stages. In addition, it is important that this process is addressed in parallel with the new product development (NPD) process, that information is exchanged between them, and that they are directed on the basis of the same segmentation model. Another key element of DSCM further investigated is coordination between NPD and SCM. This research has identified several significant linkages between these management directions, which motivate the use of an integrative NPD process where the NPD functions are aligned with the main supply functions in the company and other sales-related functions supporting the commercialization. A final key element of DSCM further investigated is the significance of regarding the demand processes and the supply processes as being equally important. This research has revealed that logistics outsourcing can be risky, if it results in the supply processes being considered less important. Nevertheless, if senior management regards the outsourced processes as equally important as the in-house processes, the effect of logistics outsourcing on company strategies and direction in SCM could be reduced and logistics outsourcing could instead provide an opportunity to improve the design and differentiation of the supply chain. Research limitations/implications: This research has proposed, described, and further analyzed a demand-supply oriented management approach. Such a management approach stresses that the demand processes and the supply processes have to be coordinated and directed at an overlying level, in order to gain and sustain a competitive advantage in competitive and fragmented markets. This research is mainly explorative in nature, and more empirical data, from similar and other research settings, is needed to further validate the findings. Another limitation of the research is that it is essentially limited to Swedish companies (even if some Finnish companies are involved in the survey), however, many of the case companies have a large international presence and are among the top three in their industries, facts which provide some grounds for generalization. Practical implications: This research provides researchers and practitioners with insights into how to develop a demand-supply oriented business. It shows that companies should organize themselves around understanding how customer value is created and delivered, as well as how these processes and management directions can be coordinated. In order for this to occur, the demand and supply processes must be considered as being equally important and the firm needs to be managed jointly and in a coordinated manner by the demand- and supply-side of the company. It is also important that value creation is considered in both the demand and supply processes. Originality/value: Despite strong arguments from both researchers and practitioners for a demand-supply oriented management approach only a minority of companies appear to have effectively coordinated the demand and supply processes. This might be influenced by the lack of research examining how the demand and supply processes can be coordinated, what benefits can be gained by coordinating them, and what requirements are necessary to succeed. This research contributes by investigating these types of aspects further.