The study focuses on the use of information systems in the Heavy Engineering industry in South Africa and the decision to make, buy or rent information systems. Special focus was placed on the factors that influence the decision to make, buy or rent information systems. It is undeniable that changes in the competitive environment, such as technological advances and globalisation, are driving organisations toward new ways of operating. In striving to become flexible, lean, and more competitive, organisations have been increasingly swift to externalise support service functions. Every organisation must adapt to the current economic environment, the technology available in its industry and consider the risk and rewards within the industry framework. Organisations should carefully analyse the impact of their decisions, especially in consideration of the extent to which organisational competencies and competitive advantage could be affected. An extensive literature study was conducted on the factors that influence the decision to make, buy or rent. The literature study portrays the ideal state or methodologies for acquiring information systems and the best practices used in evaluating the best option for the organisation. The literature indicated the criteria for evaluating the decision to make, buy or rent information systems are the business need, in–house experience, project skills, project management and the time frame. These criteria can be broken down into the factors that have an influence on the decision, competitive advantage, security, skills, expertise, available resources, cost, time, implementation, support, maintenance, performance, quality, documentation, vendor issues, size of organisation, expected annual transactions, software control, functionality, productivity and increased turnover. Calculating the benefit that can be achieved from information systems must also include measures to incorporate the total benefit, not only the financial benefit. The balance scorecard approach measures the total return accompanying an investment in information systems, broken down into four sections, the financial perspective that measures the tangible outcomes, the customer perspective that measures customer value (quality, delivery and skill), the internal process perspective that measures the internal processes that add value and have the greatest impact on strategy and finally the learning and growth perspective that measures the intangible assets which focuses on human capital. Information systems form part of the corporate strategy, competitive positioning and must be aligned with the overall strategy of the organisation. A survey was done to determine the opinions about the different options managers/organisations have to consider when seeking to fulfil organisational requirements for information systems. Methodological issues as well as considerations with regard to gathering the data were discussed. A questionnaire was designed to collect data to obtain the information needed to solve the research problem. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was tested and it was found that a moderate to high level of consistency exists. The survey results were then presented in frequency tables and were analysed using descriptive statistics as well as inferring possible trends or conclusions based on relationships between certain responses on specific related questions and referring to the literature study. A framework was compiled from the literature study and empirical study that can be used for the purpose of decision–making in the make, buy or renting of information systems in the heavy engineering environment in South Africa. Benefits from purchasing software from a vendor include competitive advantage, available resources, implementation of the system, support to the system, system performance, documentation and training, and business functionality. Benefits from open source offerings include the size of the organisation and the number of expected annual transactions by the organisation. Benefits from SaaS (Software as a service) include competitive advantage, expertise, system performance and business functionality. Benefits from the outsourcing of development and other IT functions include competitive advantage, security, skills, available resources, implementation of the system, support to the system, system performance, documentation and training, business functionality and technical functionality. Benefits from developing in–house all or part of the effort include competitive advantage, security, skills, expertise, available resources, time, implementation of the system, support to the system, maintenance and upgrades, system performance, quality, documentation and training, business functionality, technical functionality, productivity improvements and increased turnover. Overall the linkage between the literature study and the empirical study concludes / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

十八世紀工業革命的推進，使得大量生產(Mass Production)幾乎改變了各產業，為社會帶來大量的財富，隨著網際網路以及社群網站的普及化，大量生產已經無法應付日漸複雜的市場環境，而需要新的商業模式來達到突破。 隨著社群的概念興起，群眾外包的觀念也隨之廣泛應用於各種產業，而不再只限於開放原始碼的用途，逐漸被應用於T-shirt、科技業、雜誌業等等的範疇，舉凡美國Threadless.com、Innocentive等等都是應用群眾外包之成功案例。 群眾外包即是指提供平台供群眾使用，並在該平台上提供創意發想的點子，最終經由一定的表決機制發展成新產品，而非傳統商品化方式─由廠商開發製造完成新產品。 本研究探討群眾外包應用於台灣服飾業者之商品化流程，進而找出關鍵成功策略。為了有效釐清群眾外包商品化之複雜關記以及與群眾之互動細節，採用多重個案研究法，該質化的研究方法可由深度訪談產業專家，以了解發展歷程，並藉由個案廠商的角度，探討群眾外包之關鍵策略。 研究發現，群眾外包之策略是否可行有以下四個檢核點：群眾獎勵機制、仲介網路平台、評選機制以及生產與營運。首先要建立凝聚相同興趣的社群，並提供自由發揮的平台，藉由公正且有效率的評選機制選出欲生產之商品，透過有效率的生產才能順利將商品打入市場。 / As internet become more and more popular, customers become pickier because all of the information is so clear in it. Also, it makes the social network become stronger, and become the new method for enterprises to obtain ideas and market their goods. That’s how crowd sourcing has been used in many industries. This study investigates how Taiwan T-shirt enterprises to use crowd sourcing as a method to obtain more works from the crowds on the internet. With the longitudinal study of three companies to investigate processes and content of crowd sourcing strategies. Study found out that the crowd sourcing strategy can be cut into four key points: give awards to attract people with the same interest involving in, establish a web platform for people to share ideas and put their works on, establish a fair appraise mechanism, and manufacture in a efficient way.

Most contemporary South African businesses are facing tough times. This is the result of emerging trends such as intense global competition which requires businesses to be quick, agile and flexible; new technology available to any business willing to adopt it; more advanced customer expectations and the implementation of new strategic, proactive management approaches. In fact, many of them (including wholesalers) will succeed only if they can successfully integrate strategy, processes, business arrangement, resources, systems and empowered workforces to render their core business effectively. Choosing suppliers and purchasing products are critical wholesaling activities and often determine the success of wholesalers. Wholesaling institutions, however, vary considerably in size, activity, style of business, types of products provided and services rendered. These variables imply that the complexity of wholesaling activities differs. It therefore stands to reason that the level of sophistication with which these wholesalers manage their purchasing, sourcing and supply activities may differ. The level of sophistication with which wholesalers manage their purchasing, sourcing and supply function may vary from traditional management approaches to advanced integrated management approaches. The use of the new management approaches by businesses is a vital instrument in facilitating change. This leads to the development of more focused, specialised and high-performance organisations. Manufacturers are not geared to deal directly with the thousands of small retailers and therefore use wholesalers for this function. Wholesalers provide a vital link between manufacturers and retailers, and play a pivotal role in efficiency of the whole supply chain. Adapting to the supply chain management approach may thus mean the difference between success, failure and the continued existence of the wholesaler in supply chains. This research study was undertaken to determine to what extent wholesalers in South Africa have adapted to new demands and developments in their purchasing, sourcing and supply functions. Secondary to this objective was the need to (1) investigate the scope of wholesaling, with reference to the global and South African context; (2) investigate the concepts of and the evolution of purchasing to strategic sourcing as part of the broader supply chain management approach; (3) analyse the scope and concept of supply chain management; and (4) determine the purchasing, sourcing and supply management approaches used by the wholesale sector in South Africa. The study was conducted in several phases. Firstly, a literature research was conducted to gather and integrate secondary data in order to (1) expound the definitions, importance, types, activities and trends of wholesalers; and (2) investigate the development of purchasing to strategic sourcing and evolution of supply chain management, and to give an overview of purchasing, strategic sourcing and supply chain management. Secondly, a questionnaire was compiled containing all the relevant issues identified in the literature research to enable the researcher to establish how far South African wholesalers have advanced in adopting new approaches to managing the purchasing, sourcing and supply function. This questionnaire was pretested on two respondents to verify its validity, before proceeding to the next step. Thirdly, a letter and the refined and tested questionnaire were mailed to all the wholesalers identified to be involved in the survey, informing them of the research study and soliciting their cooperation. The letter requested the participants to return the questionnaire via facsimile. Fourthly, to improve the response rate, after the date for returning the questionnaire had lapsed, additional questionnaires were faxed to all the respondents who had not completed the initial questionnaire. The literature research established that the new demands and developments facing wholesalers in managing their purchasing, sourcing and supply function are a reality. Wholesalers are confronted with a variety of challenges concerning these demands and developments which is jeopardising their vital role in the supply chain, and they need to adopt a more sophisticated method of managing these activities, not only to ensure their own survival, but also to lower the costs of the wholesale operation, and ultimately allow an increase in shareholders' wealth. The empirical study, however, clearly indicated that South African wholesalers are still significantly focused on the tactical aspects of purchasing, incorporating only a few aspects of strategic sourcing and supply chain management. The position of South African wholesalers regarding the level of sophistication in their management approach to the purchasing, sourcing and supply chain management approach can be regarded as a mechanical approach, with proactive tendencies. It is therefore clear that South African wholesalers have not adapted to the strategic sourcing and supply chain management approaches, and need to prepare themselves for this change - or risk failure. / Business Management / M. Comm.

abstract: The dissertation aims to provide a new perspective on the management of multi-tier supply chains. When a firm decides to buy a product from a supplier, the buying firm also needs to decide whether to use the supplier to make the lower-tier sourcing decisions or to make those decisions in-house. I call the former "supply chain-buy" and the latter "supply chain-make." If the choice is supply chain-buy, the buying firm releases sourcing control of its bill of materials (BOM) to the top-tier supplier and this supplier, then engages with the supply base to determine the BOM's supply chain. If the choice is supply chain-make, the buying firm maintains sourcing control of the BOM and engages with its own supply base to select the lower-tier suppliers. The dissertation provides a theoretical foundation and empirical observations for understanding the supply chain make-buy decisions. The dissertation consists of three main chapters: Chapter 2 extends the make-or-buy literature into the multi-tier supply management context to provide theoretical reasons for engaging in supply chain-make as opposed to supply chain-buy. Building on transaction cost economics, the knowledge-based view, and structural hole theory, Chapter 2 explains the phenomenon that cannot be fully explained by a single-theoretic perspective. Chapter 3 empirically investigates the economic and behavioral factors that influence individual purchasing managers' supply chain make-buy decision-making. Specifically, the roles of behavioral uncertainty, interpersonal trust, and familiarity are considered. A scenario-based behavioral experiment involving the members of the Institute for Supply Management is employed. Lastly, Chapter 4 studies the performance implications of particular supply network structures influenced by supply chain make-buy decisions. Supply chain make-buy decisions can affect the prevalence of structural holes in supply networks. Chapter 4 investigates the different types of structural holes in supply networks. It provides a novel way of understanding structural holes in the supply network context by distinguishing structural holes between the focal firm's suppliers (horizontal structural holes) from those between its customers and suppliers (vertical structural holes). Panel data on supply networks and firm financial indicators are used for analysis in Chapter 4. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2017

abstract: One of the greatest 21st century challenges is meeting the needs of a growing world population expected to increase 35% by 2050 given projected trends in diets, consumption and income. This in turn requires a 70-100% improvement on current production capability, even as the world is undergoing systemic climate pattern changes. This growth not only translates to higher demand for staple products, such as rice, wheat, and beans, but also creates demand for high-value products such as fresh fruits and vegetables (FVs), fueled by better economic conditions and a more health conscious consumer. In this case, it would seem that these trends would present opportunities for the economic development of environmentally well-suited regions to produce high-value products. Interestingly, many regions with production potential still exhibit a considerable gap between their current and ‘true’ maximum capability, especially in places where poverty is more common. Paradoxically, often high-value, horticultural products could be produced in these regions, if relatively small capital investments are made and proper marketing and distribution channels are created. The hypothesis is that small farmers within local agricultural systems are well positioned to take advantage of existing sustainable and profitable opportunities, specifically in high-value agricultural production. Unearthing these opportunities can entice investments in small farming development and help them enter the horticultural industry, thus expand the volume, variety and/or quality of products available for global consumption. In this dissertation, the objective is three-fold: (1) to demonstrate the hidden production potential that exist within local agricultural communities, (2) highlight the importance of supply chain modeling tools in the strategic design of local agricultural systems, and (3) demonstrate the application of optimization and machine learning techniques to strategize the implementation of protective agricultural technologies. As part of this dissertation, a yield approximation method is developed and integrated with a mixed-integer program to estimate a region’s potential to produce non-perennial, vegetable items. This integration offers practical approximations that help decision-makers identify technologies needed to protect agricultural production, alter harvesting patterns to better match market behavior, and provide an analytical framework through which external investment entities can assess different production options. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Industrial Engineering 2017

Textilbranschen är i ständig förändring där alltmer krav ställs på företag då industrin utgör en belastning på miljön genom produktionsprocesser och utsläpp. Därmed utgör det ett kritiskt läge där företagen måste ta dess ansvar i hållbarhetsfrågor som rör leverantör och produktion. Historiskt sätt visar det på att kostnadsaspekten varit av prioritet vid val av leverantör och vid inköp, men forskning visar även på att hållbarhet är en aspekt som alltmer uppmärksammas och prioriteras. Studiens syfte är att undersöka och få en förståelse för hur företag prioriterar aspekterna kostnad och hållbarhet vid val av leverantör. Vidare undersöks om samarbete i relationen mellan företag och leverantör kan bidra till större fokus på hållbarhet inom etik och miljö. Studiens fokus är på inköpare i textilbranschen och på hur de resonerar kring avvägningen mellan hållbarhet och kostnad, samt titta på hur en stark leverantörsrelation kan leda till en förbättring i hållbarhetsmässiga frågor. Studiens teoretiska del lyfter fram forskning inom områdena nätverk, relationer, kostnad och hållbarhet som sedan etablerades i undersökningens empiri för att fylla det gap som finns. En kvalitativ metod har använts där en deduktiv ansats och tvärsnittsdesign upprättats genom intervjuer med representanter på företagen 8848 Altitude, Casall, Craft Sportswear, Didriksons och Houdini Sportswear samt en granskning av företagens hemsidor. Datainsamlingen har sedan sammanställts i studiens empiri där huvudsaklig ståndpunkt och information läggs fram som därefter kopplas till studiens teori i en analys. Huvudsakliga slutsatser i studien påvisar att aspekterna hållbarhet och kostnad har möjlighet att kombineras, dock att det fortfarande finns hinder till det. Vidare visar studien på att en stark relation mellan företaget och leverantör kan leda till utveckling och bättre lösningar för alla parter där de måste ta hänsyn till samhällets krav. / The textile industry is constantly changing where the requirements for companies are increasing when the industry is known for its creation of pollution of the environment in its production processes and emissions. This has created a critical situation where companies need to take responsibility in sustainability issues related to supplier and production. The aspects of cost has in a historical point of view been the focus in supplier decisions and in purchasing, research however shows that sustainability aspects are getting more attention and being prioritized. The purpose of this study is to examine and get an understanding about how companies prioritize the aspects of sustainability and cost in supplier decisions. Furthermore, investigate if the aspect of collaboration in the relation between company and supplier can contribute to an increased focus in sustainability aspects related to ethics and the environment. The focus of the study was on how purchasing managers in the textile industry are reasoning about the balance between sustainability and cost in supplier decisions, and look into how a strong relation to suppliers can contribute to improvements in sustainable issues. The study's theoretical framework highlights research in the subjects of network, relations, cost and sustainability, which was brought together with the empirics of the study to fill the research gap. A qualitative research method was used where a deductive research approach and cross-sectional design been established through interviews with representatives at the companies of 8848 Altitude, Casall, Craft Sportswear, Didriksons and Houdini Sportswear, moreover a review of the companies websites. The collection of data where then put together in this study's empirics where the main opinions and information where presented to then be linked to the theoretical framework in an analysis. The main conclusions of this study shows that there is a possibility to combine the aspects of sustainability and cost, but that there are still barriers. The study also shows that a strong relation between company and supplier can open up to development and better solutions for both parties where they need to take the public's requirements into account. The language of the paper is written in Swedish.

Det är inte längre enskilda företag som konkurrerar mot varandra utan snarare hela försörjningskedjor och detta påstående har varit utgångspunkten för den här studien. I takt med att handeln blir mer global, ställs företag inför utmaningar kring hur internationella relationer ska hanteras. En viktig fråga för konkurrenskraften är hur inköp ska struktureras i praktiken. Företag behöver göra en avvägning i val av försörjningsstrategi som berör frågor kring grad av samverkan och integrering till sina leverantörer. Denna studie är ett illustrerande exempel på hur leverantörsrelationer och försörjningskedjor organiseras i praktiken. Syftet är att skapa en fördjupad förståelse för hur relationer i försörjningskedjor kan utformas, där fokus ligger på informationsutbyte och integrering mellan parterna. För att empiriskt undersöka detta har en kvalitativ fallstudie genomförts hos det svenska detaljhandelsföretaget Rusta. De har fått agera som exempel för att belysa hur företag inom den handelsintensiva sektorn arbetar med frågor kring leverantörsrelationer och global försörjning. Till studien har ett ramverk tagits fram som bygger på tidigare forskning och teorier kring transaktionskostnader, kontrakt och kontroll samt leverantörsrelationer, information och integrering. Dessa ämnen har legat till grund för datainsamlingen. Studiens empiri bygger på insamling av data via intervjuer, dokumentgranskningar och en observation. De resultat som framkommit visar att det är många dimensioner som spelar in vid utformandet av leverantörsrelationer. Rusta har inköpskontor i Asien för att komma närmare sina leverantörer och skapa trygghet i affärsuppgörelserna. I vissa fall arbetar Rusta i närmare relation med sina leverantörer och i andra fall är handelsutbytet av mer transaktionell karaktär. Det framkommer att Rusta delar stora mängder information till sina leverantörer och att detta görs på daglig basis. Integrering framgår ske på olika sätt men något delat affärssystem mellan Rusta och deras leverantörer finns inte. Sammanfattningsvis visar studien på att ju mer komplex en produkt är, desto mer komplex blir relationen och en slutsats som dras är att det inte finns någon generell relation som passar alla affärsuppgörelser. / It is no longer individual companies competing against each other but rather supply chains and this assertion has been the starting point for this study. As trade becomes globalized, companies are faced with challenges about how international relations are to be managed. Companies need to make a consideration in the choice of supply strategy with decisions regarding what degree of cooperation and integration they should have with their suppliers. This study is intended as an illustrative example of how supplier relationships and supply chains are organized in practice, with the purpose to provide in-depth understanding of how relationships in supply chains can be designed. The focus in the study lies on information exchange and integration between the parties. To investigate this, a qualitative case study has been conducted at the Swedish retail company Rusta. They act as an example to help illustrate how companies in trade-intensive sectors work with issues related to supplier relationships and global sourcing. For the study, a framework has been designed based on previous research and theories about transaction costs, contract and control, supplier relations, information and integration. These topics have been the basis for data sample. The study is based on data collected through interviews, document examinations and one observation. The results found show that there are many dimensions in the design of supplier relationships. Rusta has purchasing offices in Asia to be closer to its suppliers and create a more secure business environment for trade. In some cases, Rusta works in close relations with their suppliers and in others on a transactional basis. We see that Rusta shares a large amount of information with their suppliers on a daily basis. Integration is evident in various ways, yet there is no shared business system operating between Rusta and their suppliers. In conclusion, the study shows that the more complex a product is, the more complex the relationship becomes. Another conclusion is that there is no general type of relationship that suits all business transactions.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-09-19T15:57:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvio Mauricio de Souza.pdf: 1650881 bytes, checksum: 8b61d5dece246625d9a4f03a416a26d2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-19T15:57:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silvio Mauricio de Souza.pdf: 1650881 bytes, checksum: 8b61d5dece246625d9a4f03a416a26d2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / With the increase in production worldwide advancing, just as is the increased use of natural resources and therefore have a greater environmental degradation. The economic growth is part of the goals of any nation, but civil society is increasingly concerned with the direction this is taking such growth. Not only society, but also the rulers are concerned with environmental issues and climate change that surround the planet. Companies in turn, also following this environmental movement, seek to reduce the use of natural resources and take measures to minimize the impacts caused by its processes on the environment. One way to do this is to establish an environmental assessment on its suppliers, given that bulk of parts of manufacturers are purchased from the supply chain. However, there are many questions of how an environmental assessment can bring positive and effective results for the company, since recent research indicates that many papers, not certain why the supplier was the best choice or even worse make clear, do not make clear how this particular supplier can improve its environmental classification. This study carried out a comparative environmental assessment of two suppliers in a process of dual sourcing using the Material Input per Units of Service - MIPS as environmental tool. For this study the research methodology used was the case study by means semi-structured interviews, comparing the two processes of suppliers with a process called Reference. The results showed how a supplier is more eco-efficient than other and it was possible to generate a rating for both. In addition, the study allowed the least eco-efficient supplier, which clearly visualize the points in your process could be improved. / Com o aumento da produção em nível mundial avançando, da mesma maneira ocorre o aumento do uso de recursos naturais e por consequência têm-se uma maior degradação do meio ambiente. O crescimento econômico faz parte do objetivo de qualquer nação, entretanto a sociedade civil está cada vez mais preocupada com os rumos que este tal crescimento está tomando. Não somente a sociedade, mas também os governantes estão preocupados com as questões ambientais e mudanças climáticas que rodeiam o planeta. As empresas por sua vez, também acompanhando este movimento ambiental, procuram reduzir o uso de recursos naturais e tomam medidas para minimizar os impactos causados por seus processos no meio ambiente. Uma forma de fazer isso é estabelecer uma avaliação ambiental em seus fornecedores, haja vista que os maiores volumes de peças de uma montadora são provenientes de peças compradas da cadeia de suprimentos. No entanto, existem muitas dúvidas de como uma avaliação ambiental pode trazer resultados positivos e efetivos para a companhia, uma vez que pesquisas recentes apontam que muitos trabalhos, não deixam claro o porquê determinado fornecedor foi a melhor escolha, e ainda, não elucidam como o fornecedor que não obteve uma boa avaliação pode melhorar sua classificação ambiental. Este trabalho realizou uma avaliação ambiental comparativa entre dois fornecedores em um processo de dual sourcing com o uso da ferramenta ambiental Material Input per Units of Service - MIPS. Para a realização deste estudo a metodologia de pesquisa adotada foi o estudo de caso por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, que compararam os dois processos dos fornecedores com um processo chamado de Referência. Os resultados demonstraram o quanto um fornecedor é mais eco-eficiente que o outro e com isso foi possível gerar uma classificação para ambos. Além disso, o estudo permitiu que o fornecedor menos ecoeficiente, visualizasse claramente quais os pontos em que seu processo poderia ser aprimorado.

Orientador: Antônio Batocchio / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica. / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T02:21:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rabelo_MarceloMaciel_M.pdf: 1566499 bytes, checksum: d76d98f5a72183bd42b5d44157da3aeb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A competitividade mundial está cada vez mais acirrada entre as empresas e a busca de diferenciais para os clientes passa diretamente pelos custos de seus produtos. Países com alta tecnologia de produção e também com elevados custos de produção interna estão optando por obter fontes de fornecimento em regiões onde os custos de produção são baixos e, conseqüentemente, reduzindo muito os custos do produto final sendo assim capazes de aumentar a atratividade para seus produtos. Devido à busca constante pela para redução de custos dos produtos finais, em especial, as empresas sistemistas estão atuando de forma a desenvolver novas fontes de fornecimento na região asiática que oferece preços altamente competitivos. O estudo mostra as relações e os impactos gerados pelo processo de Global Sourcing, as incertezas deste processo na cadeia de suprimentos e seus possíveis impactos na manufatura dos clientes destes componentes. Atualmente as empresas e seus administradores não possuem todos os recursos e conhecimentos necessários para a avaliação e tomada de decisão correta considerando as vantagens e desvantagens entre manter-se com a fonte atual e uma nova, originária da Ásia. Diante deste problema, este trabalho colaborará com os administradores a ter uma visão sobre quais são algumas das principais variáveis existentes neste processo. Como não há uma regra geral, o grande problema para os administradores é escolher a estratégia correta e, quantificar e qualificar seus benefícios podem ser de grande ajuda. O resultado deste trabalho será uma matriz de decisão que considera os três pilares usualmente considerados na escolha de uma fonte com relação à cadeia de fornecimento: compras, logística e qualidade. O objetivo deste trabalho é definir um método para combinar os três pilares usualmente considerados na escolha de uma fonte de fornecimento para indústria de autopeças, são eles: compras, logística e qualidade com o método AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) que auxiliará os gestores deste processo na tomada de decisão / Abstract: The global competition is increasingly fierce among companies and the search for differentials passes directly to customers the costs of their products. Countries with high technology production and also have high costs of domestic production are opting for more sources of supply in regions where production costs are low and, consequently, greatly reducing the cost of the final product is thus able to increase their attractiveness to products. Due to the constant search for cost reduction of final products, in particular, the systems are operating companies in order to develop new sources of supply in the Asian region offering highly competitive prices. The study shows the relationships and impacts generated by the process of Global Sourcing, the uncertainties of this process in the supply chain and its possible impacts on customers' manufacturing these components. Now the companies and their managers do not have all the resources and knowledge needed to evaluate and correct decision making considering the advantages and disadvantages of keeping up with the current source and a new, native to Asia. Faced with this problem, this paper will work with managers to gain insight into what are some of the main variables in this process. Since there is a general rule, the big problem for managers is to choose the right strategy, and quantify and qualify its benefits can be of great help. The result of this work is a decision matrix that considers the three pillars usually considered in choosing a source with respect to the supply chain: purchasing, logistics and quality. The objective of this work is to define a method for combining the three pillars usually considered when choosing a supply source for auto parts industry, they are, purchasing, logistics and quality with the AHP method (Analytic Hierarchy Process) to assist managers in this process of decision making / Mestrado / Manufatura / Mestre em Engenharia Automobilistica

This research proposes a socially sustainable impact sourcing model (SSISM), pertinent to the field of socially responsible outsourcing and offers recommendations for integrating immigrants in Sweden by using this model. The model brings businesses, communities and people together to create benefits for all stakeholders in a sustainable way.   Sweden has a long history of accepting immigrants, yet, has a comparably low success rate of integrating non-Swedish people into society. If SSISM is applied in Sweden, there is a potential for businesses to save money, for challenges like the integration problem to be mitigated, and for communities to benefit from an increased tax base as well as building stronger, more diverse communities.   The universal model for SSISM was developed through the analysis of existing practices and the use of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), a sustainability planning tool. The research process included informal interviews with businesses, communities and government agencies, formal interviews with businesses, and a survey with immigrants. The interviews and survey helped maintain relevance to the Swedish context and identified potential obstacles and enablers for implementation. From the results, recommendations on how to best apply the model for integrating immigrants into Sweden were developed in the discussion.