Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Location and tracking of personnel and assets is a lucrative enterprise that has seen much expansion in the last decade or two. This expansion is coupled with the rise in popularity of GPS-based technologies. It has become common practice for businesses to track and manage vehicle fleets with GPS enabled devices. We use GPS to navigate while driving our cars, to keep track of our loved ones and we even have GPS receivers in our cell phones. Unfortunately, GPS technology has a few limitations. It can only be used in areas with a clear view of the sky, as line-of-sight must be maintained with at least four satellites at all times. This precludes the use of GPS indoors or in heavily built-up areas. GPS receivers are also still quite expensive. This thesis developed and implemented a strategy for Localised Position Location. Several possible solutions were investigated. Spread Spectrum was selected as the best method to develop into a working example. The characteristics of Spread Spectrum signals and Pseudo-Noise Codes were investigated in some detail, which led to the proposal of several simulation models. These simulations suggested that a simple configuration consisting of a transmitter, sliding correlator, bandpass filter and RF power detector can effectively track a stationary target. A transmitter was designed and implemented and was then used in a simplified measurement to corroborate the predictions made by earlier simulations. With results looking positive it was decided to continue with the design and implementation of a receiver. A complete transmitter/receiver system allowed for extensive measurements to be made. The physical measurements agreed with simulated predictions, confirming that the proposed position location strategy is effective. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toenemende gewildheid en toeganklikheid van GPS-gebaseerde opsporingstegnologie het gelei tot ‘n geweldige toename in die verkope van toerusting om die beweging van besigheidsbates te monitor en bestuur. Selfs op die persoonlike ontspanningsmark vind GPS-tegnologie toenemend aanklank met vervaardigers van selfone en voertuignavigasietoerusting. GPS-gebaseerde opsporingstegnologie het egter beperkinge, omdat dit te alle tye direkte oogkontak moet behou met minstens vier satelliete. Gevolglik kan GPS-gebaseerde opsporingstegnologie nie binnenshuis of in erg beboude gebiede gebruik word nie. GPS ontvangers is ook redelik duur. Hierdie thesis het `n strategie vir Gelokaliseerde Posisie Bepaling ontwikkel en geïmplementeer. Ondersoek is ingestel na `n verskeidenheid van moontlike oplossings. Strek Spektrum is gekies as die beste metode om verder in `n werkende voorbeeld te ontwikkel. Die eienskappe van Strek Spektrum seine en Pseudo-Ruis Kodes is in detail bestudeer, wat gelei het na die opstelling van `n aantal simulasie modelle. Hierdie modelle dui aan dat `n eenvoudige opstelling, bestaande uit `n sender, glykorellator, banddeurlaat filter en `n RF drywingsmeter doeltreffend aangewend kan word om `n stilstaande teiken te monitor. `n Sender, wat in `n vereenvoudigde meetopstelling gebruik kon word om van die voorspellings wat vroeër gemaak is te staaf, is hierna ontwerp en gebou. Met positiewe resultate is daar besluit om voort te gaan met die ontwerp en bou van `n ontvanger. Met `n volledige sender/onvanger stelsel was dit moontlik om uitgebreide meetings te neem. Die fisiese meetings stem ooreen met die simulasies se voorspellings, wat dien as bevestiging dat die voorgestelde strategie vir posisie bepaling doeltreffend aangewend kan word.

近年來，速食業在台灣的營收約占餐飲業的三成以上，已成為台灣最具影響力的餐飲業之一。有許多文獻在探討有關影響速食店設點策略的因素，其中包括在地市場的情況以及與其他廠商之間的競爭條件。除此之外，多篇文獻亦指出，為解決總公司與分店之間的資訊不對稱問題，加盟系統是速食業者最常使用的解決方案。雖然競爭與加盟議題對於台灣速食業相當重要，但大多數的實證文獻都聚焦在歐美地區的案例。本研究藉由實證上探討台灣速食業的獨特性，以補足文獻上的缺漏。結果顯示，人口越密集和平均年齡越低的地區，存在越多的速食店。除此之外，本研究也發現摩斯漢堡在較大及有高比例兒童人口的市場，傾向遠離麥當勞以避免競爭。最後，實證結果亦指出，台灣麥當勞傾向加盟那些位於人口較少的地區，但是加盟與否和該分店提供的附加服務較無關。 / With shares over 30% in the restaurant market, the fast-food industry has recently become one of the most influential restaurant businesses of Taiwan. The literature has much discussed factors that affect the location strategies of fast-food companies such as the state of local competition conditions. In addition, some studies mentioned that a franchise system is the most common solution to the problem of asymmetric information between headquarters and restaurants for the fast-food industry. Although competition and franchising issues are significant in the Taiwanese fast-food industry, most empirical studies focus on cases in Europe and America. This study fills that gap by exploring empirically the unique features of this industry in Taiwan. The results show that more fast-food outlets are concentrated in more crowded districts or those where the population is averagely younger. The analyses also indicate that MOS Burger tends to move away from McDonald’s when the market size is large or when proportion of children in the district is high. Finally, McDonald’s in Taiwan tends to franchise the outlets in districts which are less populated, but have a low correlation with the auxiliary services provided by outlets.

O setor de produção de celulose mundial vem passando por mudanças significativas nas últimas décadas, principalmente no que tange à sua localização, haja vista o deslocamento de seu centro produtivo dos países desenvolvidos para os países emergentes. Dentre estes, destacam-se os da região do Cone Sul, especialmente o Brasil, o Chile e o Uruguai. O objetivo desta tese é investigar a formação de um paraíso de poluição, ou seja, a possibilidade de indústrias com elevado potencial poluidor estarem migrando para países com regulamentação ambiental supostamente mais branda. Para tanto, analisou-se a existência de diferenciais de conduta e de desempenho ambiental em dois grupos de empresas: um formado pelas empresas estrangeiras situadas na região e suas coirmãs no exterior, e outro pelas primeiras e as nacionais. Na conduta ambiental, analisaram-se as certificações ambientais, a divulgação de relatórios de sustentabilidade e, nestes, a publicação de níveis de emissão de poluentes e de investimentos direcionados ao controle da poluição e/ou de melhoria ambiental. O desempenho ambiental foi avaliado a partir dos parâmetros de emissão de poluentes no ar e na água propostos pela abordagem Best Available Techniques (BAT). Foi possível identificarem-se diferenças tênues de conduta ambiental entre as empresas estrangeiras e as nacionais, havendo, porém, diferenças importantes de desempenho. As plantas estrangeiras localizadas no Cone Sul apresentam, em geral, um desempenho ambiental superior ao das suas próprias coirmãs no exterior e ao das firmas nacionais do segmento. Como estas se diferenciam por serem plantas recentes, que começaram a operar na segunda metade de 2000, tudo indica que a tecnologia utilizada é igual, ou superior, àquela observada nos seus países de origem. Portanto, a hipótese de formação de um paraíso de poluição no Cone Sul não foi confirmada. Entretanto, há um eminente processo de efeito poluição em formação, basicamente decorrente da presença local de tantas instalações industriais de grande porte, muitas delas com capacidade produtiva instalada que excede a um milhão de toneladas/ano. / The sector of world cellulose production has undergone significant changes in recent decades, especially in regard to its location, given the displacement of its production center from developed to emerging countries. Among these countries, we highlight those of the Southern Cone, especially Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the formation of a pollution haven, that is to say, the possibility of industries with high pollution potential to be migrating to countries with supposedly more lenient environmental regulations. Therefore the existence of differential behavior and environmental performance was analyzed in two groups of companies: one formed by foreign companies located in the region and sister companies abroad, and another by the foreign companies and the national ones. As to the environmental conduct, the environmental certifications and the disclosure of sustainability reports were analyzed, and in these reports, the publication of emission levels of pollutants and investments directed to the control of pollution and / or environmental improvement. The environmental performance was evaluated from the parameters of pollutant emissions in air and water proposed by the Best Available Techniques (BAT) approach. It was possible to identify subtle environmental conduct differences between foreign and domestic enterprises, presenting, however, important differences in performance. Foreign industrial plants located in the Southern Cone show, in general, a superior environmental performance to those of their own sister companies abroad and to national firms in the sector. As these are different because they are newer plants which began operating in the second half of 2000, it seems that the technology used is equal to or higher than that observed in their countries of origin. Thus, the hypothesis of the formation of a pollution haven in the Southern Cone was not confirmed.

O setor de produção de celulose mundial vem passando por mudanças significativas nas últimas décadas, principalmente no que tange à sua localização, haja vista o deslocamento de seu centro produtivo dos países desenvolvidos para os países emergentes. Dentre estes, destacam-se os da região do Cone Sul, especialmente o Brasil, o Chile e o Uruguai. O objetivo desta tese é investigar a formação de um paraíso de poluição, ou seja, a possibilidade de indústrias com elevado potencial poluidor estarem migrando para países com regulamentação ambiental supostamente mais branda. Para tanto, analisou-se a existência de diferenciais de conduta e de desempenho ambiental em dois grupos de empresas: um formado pelas empresas estrangeiras situadas na região e suas coirmãs no exterior, e outro pelas primeiras e as nacionais. Na conduta ambiental, analisaram-se as certificações ambientais, a divulgação de relatórios de sustentabilidade e, nestes, a publicação de níveis de emissão de poluentes e de investimentos direcionados ao controle da poluição e/ou de melhoria ambiental. O desempenho ambiental foi avaliado a partir dos parâmetros de emissão de poluentes no ar e na água propostos pela abordagem Best Available Techniques (BAT). Foi possível identificarem-se diferenças tênues de conduta ambiental entre as empresas estrangeiras e as nacionais, havendo, porém, diferenças importantes de desempenho. As plantas estrangeiras localizadas no Cone Sul apresentam, em geral, um desempenho ambiental superior ao das suas próprias coirmãs no exterior e ao das firmas nacionais do segmento. Como estas se diferenciam por serem plantas recentes, que começaram a operar na segunda metade de 2000, tudo indica que a tecnologia utilizada é igual, ou superior, àquela observada nos seus países de origem. Portanto, a hipótese de formação de um paraíso de poluição no Cone Sul não foi confirmada. Entretanto, há um eminente processo de efeito poluição em formação, basicamente decorrente da presença local de tantas instalações industriais de grande porte, muitas delas com capacidade produtiva instalada que excede a um milhão de toneladas/ano. / The sector of world cellulose production has undergone significant changes in recent decades, especially in regard to its location, given the displacement of its production center from developed to emerging countries. Among these countries, we highlight those of the Southern Cone, especially Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the formation of a pollution haven, that is to say, the possibility of industries with high pollution potential to be migrating to countries with supposedly more lenient environmental regulations. Therefore the existence of differential behavior and environmental performance was analyzed in two groups of companies: one formed by foreign companies located in the region and sister companies abroad, and another by the foreign companies and the national ones. As to the environmental conduct, the environmental certifications and the disclosure of sustainability reports were analyzed, and in these reports, the publication of emission levels of pollutants and investments directed to the control of pollution and / or environmental improvement. The environmental performance was evaluated from the parameters of pollutant emissions in air and water proposed by the Best Available Techniques (BAT) approach. It was possible to identify subtle environmental conduct differences between foreign and domestic enterprises, presenting, however, important differences in performance. Foreign industrial plants located in the Southern Cone show, in general, a superior environmental performance to those of their own sister companies abroad and to national firms in the sector. As these are different because they are newer plants which began operating in the second half of 2000, it seems that the technology used is equal to or higher than that observed in their countries of origin. Thus, the hypothesis of the formation of a pollution haven in the Southern Cone was not confirmed.

O setor de produção de celulose mundial vem passando por mudanças significativas nas últimas décadas, principalmente no que tange à sua localização, haja vista o deslocamento de seu centro produtivo dos países desenvolvidos para os países emergentes. Dentre estes, destacam-se os da região do Cone Sul, especialmente o Brasil, o Chile e o Uruguai. O objetivo desta tese é investigar a formação de um paraíso de poluição, ou seja, a possibilidade de indústrias com elevado potencial poluidor estarem migrando para países com regulamentação ambiental supostamente mais branda. Para tanto, analisou-se a existência de diferenciais de conduta e de desempenho ambiental em dois grupos de empresas: um formado pelas empresas estrangeiras situadas na região e suas coirmãs no exterior, e outro pelas primeiras e as nacionais. Na conduta ambiental, analisaram-se as certificações ambientais, a divulgação de relatórios de sustentabilidade e, nestes, a publicação de níveis de emissão de poluentes e de investimentos direcionados ao controle da poluição e/ou de melhoria ambiental. O desempenho ambiental foi avaliado a partir dos parâmetros de emissão de poluentes no ar e na água propostos pela abordagem Best Available Techniques (BAT). Foi possível identificarem-se diferenças tênues de conduta ambiental entre as empresas estrangeiras e as nacionais, havendo, porém, diferenças importantes de desempenho. As plantas estrangeiras localizadas no Cone Sul apresentam, em geral, um desempenho ambiental superior ao das suas próprias coirmãs no exterior e ao das firmas nacionais do segmento. Como estas se diferenciam por serem plantas recentes, que começaram a operar na segunda metade de 2000, tudo indica que a tecnologia utilizada é igual, ou superior, àquela observada nos seus países de origem. Portanto, a hipótese de formação de um paraíso de poluição no Cone Sul não foi confirmada. Entretanto, há um eminente processo de efeito poluição em formação, basicamente decorrente da presença local de tantas instalações industriais de grande porte, muitas delas com capacidade produtiva instalada que excede a um milhão de toneladas/ano. / The sector of world cellulose production has undergone significant changes in recent decades, especially in regard to its location, given the displacement of its production center from developed to emerging countries. Among these countries, we highlight those of the Southern Cone, especially Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the formation of a pollution haven, that is to say, the possibility of industries with high pollution potential to be migrating to countries with supposedly more lenient environmental regulations. Therefore the existence of differential behavior and environmental performance was analyzed in two groups of companies: one formed by foreign companies located in the region and sister companies abroad, and another by the foreign companies and the national ones. As to the environmental conduct, the environmental certifications and the disclosure of sustainability reports were analyzed, and in these reports, the publication of emission levels of pollutants and investments directed to the control of pollution and / or environmental improvement. The environmental performance was evaluated from the parameters of pollutant emissions in air and water proposed by the Best Available Techniques (BAT) approach. It was possible to identify subtle environmental conduct differences between foreign and domestic enterprises, presenting, however, important differences in performance. Foreign industrial plants located in the Southern Cone show, in general, a superior environmental performance to those of their own sister companies abroad and to national firms in the sector. As these are different because they are newer plants which began operating in the second half of 2000, it seems that the technology used is equal to or higher than that observed in their countries of origin. Thus, the hypothesis of the formation of a pollution haven in the Southern Cone was not confirmed.

På en alltmer global handelsplats med allt tuffare kundkrav handskas många företag med utmaningar kopplade till flexibilitet. Kunderna vill ha korta ledtider, stora anpassningsmöjligheter och utmärkt service, naturligtvis till ett lågt pris. Ytterligare en dimension av komplexitet adderas när stora koncerner gör förvärv av mindre bolag, vilket gör att koncernen måste säkerställa att även dessa nya förvärv kan möta kundens krav i samma utsträckning.  En lösning på denna problematik återfinns i litteraturen i konceptet logistikplattform. Konceptet innebär att ett företag arbetar med en centralt framtagen resursbas som sedan servar alla delar av företaget på en mer decentraliserad nivå för att kunna möta kundens krav. Fem viktiga byggstenar i en logistikplattform är central styrning, logistiska koncept, fysisk struktur, logistiska processer och aktiviteter samt informationssystem (Abrahamsson, et al., 2003).  I denna studie beskrivs koncernen Kesko, som i Sverige framför allt är aktiv inom byggbranschen och den tekniska handeln, med varumärkena K-Bygg, K-Rauta, Onninen samt Mark & Infra. Där återfinns denna problematik, speciellt kopplat till förvärv och kapaciteten på centrallagret som servar hela koncernen. Baserat på detta har denna studie syftet att utreda hur Kesko kan använda sig av en logistikplattform för att serva de olika varumärkena samt vad användandet får för konsekvens för centrallagret i Pilängen.  Studien fokuserar framförallt på de logistiska koncepten och den fysiska strukturen inom Kesko. De logistiska koncepten har avgränsats till att handla om försörjningskoncepten lagerhållning, kontinuerlig försörjning, leverantörsstyrt lager, cross-docking samt direktleverans och den fysiska strukturen har avgränsats till att hantera lokaliseringsstrategi, lagerstrategi samt transportstrategi.  Baserat på Keskos kunders, leverantörers samt produkters karaktäristik utformas vilka krav detta ställer på en logistikplattformen. Baserat på denna karaktäristik och krav utreds en ideal bild av Keskos logistikplattform i form av försörjningskoncept och den fysiska strukturen. Sedan utreds hur Kesko i nuläget verkligen arbetar med försörjningskoncepten och den fysiska strukturen. Dessa två versioner, den ideala bilden och nuläget, jämförs sedan i en så kallad gap-analys där skillnader utreds för att upptäcka var förbättringspotential finns och vilka förändringar Kesko kan genomföra för att kunna sägas jobba mot konceptet logistikplattform.  Analysen visar att Kesko är på god väg till det som anses viktigt inom konceptet, men att framtiden ställer stora krav på centrallagret och dess kapacitet. De sex gap som identifierades mellan den ideala och nuvarande utformningen och som ansågs påverka kapaciteten på centrallagret var 1) Användandet av cross-docking, 2) E-handelslagrets lokalisering och transportupplägg, 3) Förädlingsstrukturen, 4) Varumärket K-Byggs sortiment på centrallagret, 5) Varumärket Onninens sortiment på centrallagret och 6) Användandet av extern part för säsongslagring. Utifrån dessa gap formulerades åtta stycken förändringsförslag för hur Kesko kan minimera dessa gap och i och med detta gå mot den mer ideala utformningen. Förslagen visade att centrallagret, för att kunna fungera som en resursbas för Kesko i framtiden, troligen behöver en utökning av antalet pallplatser och plockautomatsplatser, en utökning av antalet in- och utlastningsportar samt utlastningsyta. Genom dessa förändringar förväntas centrallagret bli bättre anpassat för att serva de nuvarande varumärkena inom koncernen men även vara bättre förberett för att serva framtida nyförvärv. / In a business environment which is becoming more and more globalized and with continually increasing customer requirements, companies are dealing with flexibility challenges. Customers want short lead times, a lot of customization and excellent service, everything while keeping prices low. Another dimension of complexity is added when large company groups make acquisitions of smaller companies, which means that the company group must ensure that these new acquisitions also can meet the customer's requirements to the same extent.  A solution to this problem can be found in the literature as the concept of a logistics platform. The concept describes a company working with a centralized resource base that serves all parts of the company at a decentralized level in order to meet the customer's requirements. Five building blocks of a logistics platform are central control, logistics concepts, physical structure, logistics processes and activities, and information systems (Abrahamsson, et al., 2003)  This study describes Kesko Sverige, which is a company primarily active in the construction and technical trade, with the brands K-Bygg, K-Rauta, Onninen and Mark & Infra. The problems described above are also found within Kesko, especially regarding acquisitions and the capacity of the central warehouse, which is a warehouse that serves all brands in Kesko Sverige. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate how Kesko can use a logistics platform to serve the various brands and what the use is for the central warehouse in Pilängen.  The study primarily focuses on the logistical concepts and the physical structures within Kesko. The logistics concepts have been restricted to deal with the distribution concepts warehousing, continuous replenishment, vendor managed inventory, cross-docking and direct deliveries, and the physical structure has been restricted to handle location strategy, inventory strategy and transport strategy.  Based on Kesko's customer, supplier and product characteristics, the requirements for the logistics platform are discovered. Based on these characteristics and requirements, an ideal picture of Kesko's logistics platform in the form of distribution concepts and the physical structure is investigated. It is then investigated how Kesko currently is applying the distribution concepts and the physical structure. These two versions, the ideal state and the current state, are then compared in a so-called gap analysis where differences are investigated to discover where there are areas for improvement for Kesko to be considered working towards the concept of a logistics platform.  The analysis shows that Kesko is well on its way to what is considered important in the concept, but that the future places great demand on the central warehouse and its capacity. The 6 gaps that were identified between the ideal and current state and which were considered to affect the capacity of the central warehouse were 1) The use of cross-docking, 2) The e-commerce location and transport arrangements, 3) The physical structure for value-adding services, 4) K-Bygg's assortment at the central warehouse, 5) Onninen's assortment at the central warehouse and 6) The use of external part for seasonal storage. Based on these gaps, eight proposals were formulated regarding how Kesko can minimize these gaps and hence move towards the ideal state. The proposals showed that the central warehouse, in order to work as a resource base for Kesko in the future, probably needs an increase in the number of pallets and places in the automated picking machine, as well as an increased number of loading and unloading ports and an expansion of the unloading area. By making these changes the central warehouse will be better at serving the current brands and the warehouse will also be better prepared to serve future acquisitions.