<p>The purpose of this report is to single out and apply the most critical factors for dynamic performance meausrement systems. The report concludes that the existence in practice of theoretically important aspects are diverse and that the most appropriate way of governing the aspects are through the creation of a performance management process.</p><p>The theoretical chapter is established for dual purposes. The first is to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of what has been done in the field of performance measurement and management so far and the second is to answer the first research question imposed.</p><p>The empirical chapter investigates to what degree the existence of factors singled out in theory are present in practice. Further, the chapter also answers research question two.</p><p>Finally the result and analysis chapters focuses on cross-analysing the case studies made and generate a recommendation. Research question three is answered under these headings.</p> / PREPARE

<p>The role of the manufacturing units has a big impact on a company’s business. If competitive priorities and the production weapons can be merged together and describe a factory profile, it can be a factor that provides the competitive advantages for the company. This thesis has two objectives in this area, the industrial and the academic.</p><p><p>The industrial objective will investigate how we can visualize and describe a manufacturing structure and make the desired positioning. The manufacturing footprint structure will be set up according to the performance objectives Innovation, Flexibility, Lead-time and Efficiency representing the product life cycle that also support decisions for the make or buy process. The result is a model that describes the manufacturing structure and a conflict area, or a “Black Hole”, is indentified and is leading to the academic research questions; why most of the manufacturing units are positioned in the conflict area and how to leave the “Black Hole”? The intersection in the views of positioning, knowledge and the network paradox are analysed and a scaled model connected to Dreyfus knowledge model, brings some understanding to the positioning problem.</p><p><p>A process model is proposed for the characteristic profiles of the concept factories and how to move to the desired positions. This concept can be applied on a group of manufacturing units and handle the trade off dilemmas for the separate units by letting a group of units achieve top performance for all the performance objectives. The visualization and relation to the products life cycle can contribute to communication and developing the manufacturing footprint strategy. The model has been tested, in a positioning context for strategic purchasing with experience of supplier quality audits for positioning suppliers, with positive result.</p><p><p>Further research of top performance factories would be interesting to do in order to find out their 8M profiles and identify more trade off dilemmas, connecting them to the different performance objectives in order to support the development in moving to different desired directions.</p></p></p></p> / PREPARE

<p>It is a well-established view that, over time, companies in a business-to-business setting develop long-lasting business relationships. The business relationship between two companies involves a wide range of exchanges on products, technical and economic issues. It also has a social content as it engages people in both companies. Business relationships are, therefore, argued to be founded on a varying extent of exchanges and content of behaviour. This thesis deals with the current and complex issue of the integration of information technology in such business relationships.</p><p>Integration in this thesis refers to when information technology is purposefully used and inseparable from the business relationship. A special standardized questionnaire was used to collect extensive empirical data on 353 business relationships between suppliers and one of their important customers. The results of the analysis of the data in the thesis show that high information technology integration, in terms of exchanges and behaviour, increases the efficiency of information exchanges in business relationships. Integration is also connected to the importance of business relationships for the development of information technology and increases a company’s knowledge on this technology. Furthermore, the results show that what is fundamental for the integration of information technology is its combination with the strength of the business relationship. Thereby, the integration of information technology has a wider impact on business relationships than simply facilitating higher efficiency under certain circumstances. It affects the general competence in using information technology, and allows new opportunities for the business relationship and the companies.</p><p>Through its rich empirical content, theoretical approach and proximity to current business situations, this thesis is of interest to researchers and students who wish to understand the employment of information technology in business relationships, or for business professionals who want to further understand their situation regarding information technology in order to make decisions about further employment.</p>

<p><!--[if !mso]> <object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object><mce:style><! st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } --> </p><p>This report is the result of an investigation of the possibility to use RFID-technology in a producing company. The investigation is focused on a flow between the company’s producing subsidiary company in Lithuania and its main facility in Sweden.</p><p>RFID is the abbreviation for radiofrequency identification. The RFID-technology forms the base of a system with wireless information transmission between an object to which a transponder, also called tag, has been attached and a reader. The information is transmitted by radio waves and the system is equipped with software that can digitalise the radio waves. The information is thereby converted into useful input to, for example, the company’s business system. RFID makes it possible to decrease the human interaction necessary and does not demand free line of sight in contrast to barcode systems.</p><p>The objective of this final thesis is to:</p><p>·         give suggestions of how RFID can be applied in the flow of pallets between the Lithuanian subsidiary company and the main facility in Sweden</p><p>·         investigate if the adoption is practicable and what consequences will follow the suggested appliance</p><p>·         present profitability calculations</p><p>·         investigate what future opportunities the technology offers the company</p><p>The scope of my work is to be able to present a report to the company that gives them a good insight in the RFID-technology and to give suggestions on how to use it in their operations. The report shall be useable as a decision basis for the company when deciding weather it is interesting for them to continue the investigation or not.</p><p>The result of the investigation is a description of the flow which forms the basis of the two suggested alternatives of application of RFID-technology. The first alternative consists of a system of active tags which is attached to the pallets directly after the goods are produced. The second alternative is a system based on the use of passive tags in the form of self adhesive labels. Both alternatives induce a division of the flow into five zones between which a reading of the tags takes place and the pallets are thereby identified automatically.</p><p>The system of active tags results in an initial investment of SEK 1 256 000 and the system of passive tags, SEK 227 000. Both alternatives make a SEK 648 000 saving in cost possible, mainly consisting of decreasing need of working effort in identifying pallets and manual reporting to the business system.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>An analysis of the suggestions shows that the pay-back time for the alternative with active tags may be too long depending on the company’s intentions of future expansion of the system. The investment can be proven justifiable after a more thorough investigation. Concerning the system of passive tags, the analysis shows that the alternative is practicable and gives a great chance of fast profitability and also further profitability over time.</p><p>The investigation is based on a theoretic study of RFID, Supply Chain Management and process analysis. A survey of the process has resulted in a flow chart and this has formed the basis of the work resulting in the two suggested applications. These have then been evaluated from a profitability and practicability perspective.</p><p> </p>

<p>Isaberg-Rapid has problems with their internal material handling. The goal with this report is to create a layout for a pilot group in the production. Furthermore will appropriate carriers be suggested and the way of communicate between the stock keeping unit through coating to the assembly group will be analyzed.</p><p>The focal point is on a pilot group where the assembly of staple guns occurs. We have reviewed the material handling in the pilot group. By doing a spaghetti diagram the assemblers’ movements in the group is being analyzed and from that a new layout is proposed that will facilitate the handling of material in the assembly group.</p><p>Besides the spaghetti diagram the report is based on observations, interviews, a process flow schedule, a layout flow schedule and calculations.</p><p>To make the material flow to the assembly group more effective a proposal with a supermarket has been developed. The reason for using a supermarket is also to minimize tied up capital after coating. The transportation of material is handled by a dedicated material handler to minimize the interruptions in work for the assemblers.</p><p>The carriers that are used in the assembly group has been reviewed and to easily handle these a proposal with FIFO lines has been developed to make it easier for the assemblers.</p> / Materialhantering, layout, kanban, kapitalbindning, FIFU

<p>Information technology (IT) is often assumed to be a prerequisite for the modern and developed organization, even though IT projects are described as problematic in practice. Starting with this paradox and using a narrative method, this study focuses on how, through their stories, employees of an organization ascribe different meanings to IT.</p><p>The study, which entailed following an IT project at an insurance company, illustrates how the employees of the organization actively ascribe various and contradictory meanings to IT. On the one hand, preference is given to one grand narrative of IT as a tool in the service of the organization. This grand narrative ascribes the meaning of achieving management, control, and change, which is supposed to help the organization on its way toward a more successful future. Great responsibility is transferred to the technology for attaining the desired impact in the organization, which can backfire, especially against project management as they are hit with demands to fulfill the expectations for IT. On the other hand, employees wrestle to control the project, which they describe as unwieldy and unmanageable. The desired management, control, and change are described as elusive.</p><p>The IT project has in this way come to be developed in a field of tension between contradictory meanings, where problems and solutions are constructed over time. The employees thus become, to an extent, victims of the meanings they have reproduced, something that can be described as double-edged power. The employees who were the keenest advocates of IT are also those who have the greatest difficulty accepting the failure of the technology to live up to expectations. In parallel, the study illustrates the employees’ opportunities to actively engage themselves in storytelling that complement and challenge the dominating meanings in the organization.</p>

<p>Behandlingsassistenter och lärare på Lövsta skolhem, ett behandlingshem för ungdomar mellan 12-21 år, har i nuläget svårigheter att enas om hur skolgången ska bedrivas och finna en bra samarbetsform för skolundervisningen.</p><p>Syftet med studien är att belysa den framväxande organisationsutvecklingen på Lövsta skolhem och utveckla konkreta förslag för behandlingsassistenter och lärare att finna samarbetsformer och en gemensam målbild för de omhändertagna ungdomarnas skolgång.</p><p>Metoden är av kvalitativ karaktär vilket gjort det möjligt att i studien undersöka kontexten i organisationen och skapa en helhetsuppfattning.</p><p>Förslagen som presenteras för behandlings- och skolverksamheten är följande; struktur och kontinuerlighet i <em>KNESS- mötena</em>, enhetliga riktlinjer i arbetsutförandet, att medarbetarna följer de angivna rutinerna och att <em>den ledande funktionen </em>lyssnar och tar aktiv del av deras samlade kunskaper och idéer.</p><p> </p>

<p>Många företag upplever problem i multiprojektmiljöer som dagens projektmodeller oftast inte tar hänsyn till. Projektmodellerna är dessutom ofta anpassade för stora affärssystemprojekt vilka inte behöver vara tillämpbara för mindre projekt.</p><p>Det här arbetet syftar till att utreda och ta fram projektmetodik för hur projektarbete bör utföras på en typ av projektorganisation med en viss typ av förutsättningar. Studien är anpassad att gälla för en projektorganisation på ett konsultföretag som arbetar med införandeprojekt av affärssystem mot mindre företag.</p><p>Företaget som fallstudien beskriver är Medius AB som har en affärsidé att med bred kompetens leverera IT‐lösningar som förenklar och effektiviserar processer i organisationer. Företaget är under stark tillväxt vilket påverkar samtliga av företagets tre affärsområden. Den studerade projektorganisationen tillhör ett av dessa affärsområden som bland annat arbetar med införande och underhåll av affärssystem mot en byggkedja. Det som är speciellt i nuläget är att det bedrivs fler projekt parallellt än tidigare och företaget har ett behov att se över sin projektmetodik.</p><p>För att skapa en teoretisk plattform att utgå ifrån har två huvudområden studerats. Till att börja med har litteratur kring projektledningsmetoder och förändringsprojekt studerats. Därefter har en litteraturstudie kring affärssystem och införandeprojekt genomförts. Detta gav en samlad bild av hur projekt teoretiskt bör genomföras för ett affärssystemsinförande av detta slag.</p><p>För den empiriska insamlingen har forskningsmetodiken varit att delta i den dagliga verksamheten i så stor utsträckning som möjligt. Framförallt är det tre områden som ligger till grund för informationsinhämtningen vilka är intervjuer med projektledarna, deltagande i veckovisa projektledningsmöten samt studier av företagets befintliga dokumentation.</p><p>Studien resulterar i en framtagen projektmodell med rekommendation för hur projekt bör genomföras i den studerade organisationen. Den framtagna projektmodellen tar hänsyn till de givna förutsättningarna och beskriver projektprocessen, lämpliga mallar och dokument samt projektets roller. Ett särskilt fokus har lagts på att antalet parallella projekt är relativt stort vilket betyder att projekten verkar i en multiprojektomgivning vilket ger konsekvenser för samordning och kunskapsöverföring.</p><p>Slutligen diskuteras projektmodellens användbarhet i andra organisationer samt att metoden för att ta fram projektmodellen skulle kunna användas av andra liknande företag. Bidraget med studien är framförallt att den ger ett nytt perspektiv på hur projektledningsmetoder kan användas i fråga om införande mot mindre företag där andra pågående projekt ger stor en inverkan på projektgenomförandet.</p> / <p>Many companies are experiencing problems in multi‐project environments. Usually, today's project models do not take this into consideration and the models are often suited for large ERP projects.</p><p>This study aims at investigating and developing a project methodology for how projects should be carried out in this type of project organization. The study is designed to be applicable to project organizations in consulting companies that engage in introduction of ERP projects to smaller firms.</p><p>The company in focus is Medius AB with its business concept to deliver IT solutions that simplify and streamline the processes within an organization. The company is in a phase where it is expanding considerably which is affecting all of the company's three business units. The projects in focus for this study are one part of Medius´ organization that concerns the establishment and maintenance of an ERP system for a hardware retailer. Compared to the past, more projects are conducted in parallel and the project methodology Medius utilizes is in need of a review.</p><p>To create a theoretical platform to build upon, two main areas have been studied. Firstly, literature in project management techniques and change projects has been studied. Secondly, a literature review in ERP implementation project has been executed. This gave an overall view of how, projects in theory should be implemented.</p><p>In order to create an empirical basis for this study, the research methodology has been to participate in the daily activities as much as possible. In particular, data has been gathered through interviews with project managers, participation in weekly project meetings and studies of the existing documentation in the project organization.</p><p>This study results in a project model with recommendations for how projects should be implemented in the studied organization. The model describes the project process, appropriate templates and documents, and role descriptions. Due to the high numbers of active projects, the study has a particular focus on the multi‐project environment, project coordination and knowledge transfer.</p><p>Finally, this report discusses the usefulness of the model may have in other organizations and the method for developing the project model could be used by other organizations. The contribution of this study is primarily that is gives a new perspective on how project management techniques can be used for the introduction of ERP projects to smaller companies where the multi‐project environment gives a big impact on project implementation.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Information technology (IT) is often assumed to be a prerequisite for the modern and developed organization, even though IT projects are described as problematic in practice. Starting with this paradox and using a narrative method, this study focuses on how, through their stories, employees of an organization ascribe different meanings to IT. The study, which entailed following an IT project at an insurance company, illustrates how the employees of the organization actively ascribe various and contradictory meanings to IT. On the one hand, preference is given to one grand narrative of IT as a tool in the service of the organization. This grand narrative ascribes the meaning of achieving management, control, and change, which is supposed to help the organization on its way toward a more successful future. Great responsibility is transferred to the technology for attaining the desired impact in the organization, which can backfire, especially against project management as they are hit with demands to fulfill the expectations for IT. On the other hand, employees wrestle to control the project, which they describe as unwieldy and unmanageable. The desired management, control, and change are described as elusive. The IT project has in this way come to be developed in a field of tension between contradictory meanings, where problems and solutions are constructed over time. The employees thus become, to an extent, victims of the meanings they have reproduced, something that can be described as double-edged power. The employees who were the keenest advocates of IT are also those who have the greatest difficulty accepting the failure of the technology to live up to expectations. In parallel, the study illustrates the employees’ opportunities to actively engage themselves in storytelling that complement and challenge the dominating meanings in the organization.