Precision Farming is by far the most exciting new agricultural technology developed during the past decade, and although technology transfer is especially difficult in agriculture for a number of reasons, this technology has survived its initial stages of implementation. Historically field boundaries were often along natural soil boundaries, leading to small fields, which were treated homogenously. As agricultural machinery was developed and grew ever larger, fields were often combined to allow for more efficient cultivation. As result, fields with varying properties were created resulting in inefficiencies. Precision Farming was developed to overcome this problem. In this paper some results of initial research undertaken in South Africa under a variety of circumstances will be shown. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Civil Engineering / Unrestricted

Content: We are a group company of a major department store in Japan. We are in charge of quality control and customer service of items sold by our stores. We constantly monitor our customers’ concerns, and we have been keeping customer correspondence records since 1996. We hold over 100,000 cases for all items of food, clothing, living and services. The record includes not only customer requests but also test results of each item before sales as well as reproduction test results based on customer requests. We use the database to build our quality standards for everything we sell and for the education of our sales staff. All personal information in these correspondence records are, of course, kept completely confidential. However, improving the quality of the items we sell is not simply a problem of finding solutions within our supply chain. Using compiled results, we aim to clarify the type and level of problems users experience with leather goods, leading to overall quality improvement of supply items of scale. However, we cannot perform this task alone. As a survey method, it is based on compiling all 7,000 records of leather goods over the past decade sorted by our original ‘product-code’ and ‘consultation-code’. By using compiled results, we are able to clarify what kinds of items and what kind of complaints is more often in major sales items. Additionally, by using text extraction from the content of customers’ requests and compiling them manually, totals can be determined for each use period and product color. For example, we can compare customer complaint data with test results for colour fastness. Referring to required performance items specified by ISO standards, the gap between customer requests and quality standards can be clarified. With the internationalization of purchasing networks of sales items, quality control based on setting various safety and quality standards is becoming increasingly important. In terms of the characteristics of leather, we think that there is probably a level that is impossible to realize, however, not only the problems of regulations and safety but the nature of the customer's viewpoint must also be discussed. Take-Away: We are going to present current data showing proof of what consumers actually want. Using this data, leather goods manufacturers can efficiently make products that consumers want and avoid making products that consumers don’t want. We suggest that quality standards , including ISO, should consider not only safety and regulations of environment, but consumer`s opinions as well.

This thesis puts focus on the points where organisations perceive, translate and implement a new organisational idea, and the implementation and translation of one specific efficiency method is studied. We have looked at how a group of small manufacturing companies have implemented an efficiency method (Efficient production/Lean Production) and how they have translated it to fit their own organisation. The authors were interested in finding out both about the challenges and the positive outcomes of implementing an efficiency method in a company. While getting to know more about the subject, the translator’s (the person responsible of implementing the method into the own organisation) role and importance to the implementation became more interesting. In cooperation with a Host Company (HC), a decision was made to study a group of small manufacturing companies who had all participated in one of HC’s programs, Lean School for Small Companies. To be able to make generalisations from the results, a multiple-case study was carried out. To fulfil our purpose and gain a somewhat objective understanding of the processes of implementation we decided that it was necessary to interview two people from each company, one that had attended the Lean School and one who did not, but was directly affected by the efficiency method in daily work. The empirical findings were analysed in the light of the theoretical ideas we found about implementation of efficiency methods and translation of organisational ideas. The results of the study were in many aspects consistant with the theories found on the subject. The processes of an implementation is complex and are affected by the factors commitment of leaders, problems or obstacles, the translators role and ability to manage the translation process and, furthermore, by knowledge input.

Thesis, civilekonomprogrammet, School of Management and Economics at Växjö University, Logistics, FE3094, spring 2009 Author: Patrik Schultz 840222 Tutor: Helena Forslund Title: Performance management process at Wica Cold – towards an improved performance in the order-to-delivery process Background: Performance measurement and the management of it have become of great importance for organizations in order to compete in today’s business environment. The performance management process at Wica Cold AB is not very well developed and they would know like to know how it can be developed in order to improve performance in the order-to-delivery process. Performance in this thesis covers the aspects of efficiency, quality, deliveries, time, flexibility and improvements. The PM-process is in this thesis seen as measures used, collection and analyzing of data and make use and take action based on the measures. How to make use of the measurement information, what should be measured and that lack of resources is an important aspect for the PM-process in SMEs like Wica are the main problems identified. Objectives: The objectives are to describe the PM-process at Wica Cold and the corresponding performance in the OTD-process. Furthermore the objectives are to find ways to develop the PM-process in order to improve performance in the OTD-process, also taking into consideration the characteristics of a SME regarding the PM-process. Methodology: This thesis is a case study and it is both descriptive and explanatory. The main scientific perspective in this thesis is the positivistic and it has a deductive approach. Data is mostly collected through semi-structured interviews. The scientific credibility is secured by interviewing employees at different positions, consider many views (theory, the benchmark study at Getinge Disinfection and the variety of data collection at Wica) and by gather all relevant information for the thesis on my hard drive. Results, conclusions: The current PM-process only has a few measures and it is not communicated to the employees very well. The performance in the order-to-delivery process is satisfying but can in many ways be improved. The PM-process can develop with some new measures and some small changes and additions in the current measures. One main aspect in this regard is to measure the amount of guarantee claims and percentage of orders delivered on time instead of only costs for backorders and guarantee claims. The measures should be published on a board on the shop floor as a way to make use and take action based on the measures. Meetings every other week should be in place to discuss ideas from employees and the value-added time. This improves performance since it highlights important aspects and common problems and a way to improve that performance can be found. The characteristics of a SME are taken into consideration for instance by limiting the amount of measures used and by making them simple and easy to collect.

<p>This thesis puts focus on the points where organisations perceive, translate and implement a new organisational idea, and the implementation and translation of one specific efficiency method is studied. We have looked at how a group of small manufacturing companies have implemented an efficiency method (Efficient production/Lean Production) and how they have translated it to fit their own organisation.</p><p>The authors were interested in finding out both about the challenges and the positive outcomes of implementing an efficiency method in a company. While getting to know more about the subject, the translator’s (the person responsible of implementing the method into the own organisation) role and importance to the implementation became more interesting. In cooperation with a Host Company (HC), a decision was made to study a group of small manufacturing companies who had all participated in one of HC’s programs, Lean School for Small Companies.</p><p>To be able to make generalisations from the results, a multiple-case study was carried out. To fulfil our purpose and gain a somewhat objective understanding of the processes of implementation we decided that it was necessary to interview two people from each company, one that had attended the Lean School and one who did not, but was directly affected by the efficiency method in daily work. The empirical findings were analysed in the light of the theoretical ideas we found about implementation of efficiency methods and translation of organisational ideas.</p><p>The results of the study were in many aspects consistant with the theories found on the subject. The processes of an implementation is complex and are affected by the factors commitment of leaders, problems or obstacles, the translators role and ability to manage the translation process and, furthermore, by knowledge input.</p>

<p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Thesis, civilekonomprogrammet, School of Management and Economics at Växjö University, Logistics, FE3094, spring 2009</strong></p><p><strong>Author:</strong> Patrik Schultz 840222</p><p><strong>Tutor:</strong> Helena Forslund</p><p><strong>Title:</strong> Performance management process at Wica Cold – towards an improved performance in the order-to-delivery process</p><p><strong>Background:</strong> Performance measurement and the management of it have become of great importance for organizations in order to compete in today’s business environment. The performance management process at Wica Cold AB is not very well developed and they would know like to know how it can be developed in order to improve performance in the order-to-delivery process. Performance in this thesis covers the aspects of efficiency, quality, deliveries, time, flexibility and improvements. The PM-process is in this thesis seen as measures used, collection and analyzing of data and make use and take action based on the measures. How to make use of the measurement information, what should be measured and that lack of resources is an important aspect for the PM-process in SMEs like Wica are the main problems identified.</p><p><strong>Objectives:</strong> The objectives are to describe the PM-process at Wica Cold and the corresponding performance in the OTD-process. Furthermore the objectives are to find ways to develop the PM-process in order to improve performance in the OTD-process, also taking into consideration the characteristics of a SME regarding the PM-process.</p><p><strong>Methodology:</strong> This thesis is a case study and it is both descriptive and explanatory. The main scientific perspective in this thesis is the positivistic and it has a deductive approach. Data is mostly collected through semi-structured interviews. The scientific credibility is secured by interviewing employees at different positions, consider many views (theory, the benchmark study at Getinge Disinfection and the variety of data collection at Wica) and by gather all relevant information for the thesis on my hard drive.</p><p><strong>Results, conclusions:</strong> The current PM-process only has a few measures and it is not communicated to the employees very well. The performance in the order-to-delivery process is satisfying but can in many ways be improved. The PM-process can develop with some new measures and some small changes and additions in the current measures. One main aspect in this regard is to measure the amount of guarantee claims and percentage of orders delivered on time instead of only costs for backorders and guarantee claims. The measures should be published on a board on the shop floor as a way to make use and take action based on the measures. Meetings every other week should be in place to discuss ideas from employees and the value-added time. This improves performance since it highlights important aspects and common problems and a way to improve that performance can be found. The characteristics of a SME are taken into consideration for instance by limiting the amount of measures used and by making them simple and easy to collect.</p>

Organizational decisions are significant to an organizations' future. Research shows that many organizations tend to make decisions based on previous experiences, ‘gut feeling’ and assumptions rather than facts. This is troubling since decision-makers leave the organization’s future to the hands of chance. It is impossible to foresee the future, but accurate factual data can be of guidance towards a successful path. The food industry is one industry which must undertake tremendous efficiency efforts due to current climate change in order to sustain a growing population while resources are diminishing. Therefore, organizations must be efficient with resource allocation. Here accurate decisions must be made. Much research has been conducted into the food industry regarding sustainability practices, and data-driven approaches have become widely regarded as promising in sustainability practices due to the new industry paradigm of industry 4.0 and availability of data. Fact-based decision making based on the collection, storage, and analysis of data has been widely studied and coined Business Intelligence &amp; Analytics (BI&amp;A). This study is based upon Scandinavian food producers and processors and explores the current adoption and utilization of BI&amp;A towards efficient production and its challenges. Through an explorative approach with interviews and analysis of organization reports, the current progress into BI&amp;A towards efficient production and accompanying challenges were identified. Findings show that BI&amp;A is applied to varying degrees for storage of data, and to monitor, analyze, and identify targets of action within energy consumption, food waste, material waste, and supply chain. Challenges identified were integration both internally within organizations and externally in the supply chain, economic, and leadership. To manage these challenges, managerial complications are provided. Further research could investigate the data collection processes in production, understanding the role of BI&amp;A for top managers in decision making, investigate BI&amp;A strategies towards efficient production, and provide empirical results from other parts of the supply chain.

Miljömässig hållbarhet är en förutsättning för en fortsatt hållbar ekonomisk utveckling ochför en fortsatt konkurrenskraft, genom olika verktyg kan så väl miljö- som hållbarhetsarbeteatt utvecklas. Syftet med den här studien har varit att identifiera miljöaspekter för att sedanåstadkomma praktiska åtgärder med målet att öka tempot i miljöförbättringsarbetet.Arbetet är utfört vid produktionsenheten AstraZeneca Sweden Operations i Södertälje, påenheten tillverkas aktiv läkemedelsubstans och enheten står för tillverkning, formulering,fyllning och förpackning av slutprodukter. Enheten Sweden Operations, som är AstraZenecasstörsta högteknologiska produktionsenhet, är indelad i sju olika fabriker som kallas för PET.Detta arbete är utfört vid PET Turbuhaler, vid en av de produktionslinjer som producerarinhalatorn Turbuhaler Symbicort.Att utsläppen måste minska är idag de flesta överens om, de finns olika tillvägagångssätt attgöra det på. I det här arbetet har fokus varit på att använda metoden Green PerformanceMap (GPM), det är en metod som integrerar lean och miljöarbete och kan användas som ettverktyg för miljöförbättringsarbete. I detta arbete har GPM-metoden använts för attidentifiera de miljöaspekter som finns på produktionslinjen på PET Turbuhaler i AstraZeneca.Vidare har ett flertal av dessa identifierade miljöaspekter analyserats djupare ur ettekonomiskt- och miljöperspektiv, under arbetet har medarbetare från operatörsnivå tillledningsnivå involverats. Genom att sätta fokus på kostnadsdrivna förbättringar inom miljönoch involvera fler medarbetare kan drivkraften för det gröna förbättringsarbetet i enverksamhet ökas.Med identifiering som grund har en karta tagits fram över de miljöaspekter som finns iproduktionsprocessen, både i form av material och energi. Vidare har dessa miljöaspekterdiskuterats och kunnat värderas i miljö- och kostnadsbesparingar. / Environmental sustainability is a prerequisite for a sustainable economic development andfor competitiveness, the environmental as well as the sustainability work, can through varioustools, be developed. The purpose of this study has been to identify environmental aspectsand then to provide practical measures aimed to improve the environmental improvementactivities.The thesis work was carried out at AstraZeneca Sweden Operations in Södertälje, the siteproduces active pharmaceuticals ingredients and is responsible for the manufacture,formulation, filling and packaging of end products. Sweden Operations site is AstraZeneca'slargest high-tech facility, the facility is divided into seven different sections called PET. Thiswork has been performed at PET Turbuhaler, at one of the production lines that produces theTurbuhaler Symbicort Inhaler.In this work, the focus has been on studying the environmental aspects by using the GreenPerformance Map (GPM), it is a method of continuous improvement tools in the “lean andgreen” area and can be used as a tool for improving the environmental performance. In thiswork the GPM method has been used to identify the environmental aspects of the PETTurbuhaler production line in AstraZeneca. Furthermore, a number of these identifiedenvironmental aspects have been analysed deeper from an economic and environmentalperspective. By focusing on cost-driven improvements in the environment and by involvingmore employees, the ‘step-up the pace’ of improvement can be increased.Based on the identified aspects, a map of environmental aspects was drawn up, representingmaterials and energy. Furthermore, these environmental aspects have been discussed toassess the environmental and cost savings.

Wir stehen im fächerübergreifenden Dialog inner- und außerhalb der Universität und sind auch Ansprechpartner zu den wichtigen Fragestellungen der Zukunft – sei es in Lehre und Studium, in der Forschung, in der Ausbildung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses oder im Transfer von Wissen und technologischem Know-how in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Exemplarische Einblicke in die Chemnitzer Arbeit zu Themengebieten, die auf deutscher und europäischer Ebene als zukunftsweisend diskutiert werden, gibt diese Broschüre. / We invite you with this brochure to join us in the dialogue about our shared future.

Die erste Chemnitzer Brennstoffzellenkonferenz wurde vom Innovationscluster HZwo und dem Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik IWU durchgeführt. Ausgewählte Fachbeiträge und Präsentationen werden in Form eines Tagungsbandes veröffentlicht. / The first fuel cell conference was initiated by the innovation cluster HZwo and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology. Selected lectures and presentations are published in the conference proceedings.