Background: Budgets has always been a main factor for the management of organisations. Yet, lately has the role of budgets been increasingly questioned. But how is an organisation managed without budgets and what other alternatives can be used? And can these instruments work more effective? Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to describe how non-budget management distinguish compare to traditional management and how to design an effective non-budget system of management. Furthermore we intend to explain the reasons to such management and to present a model for how such a management can be performed. Research method: Empirical material has been performed based on seven interviews with persons within Svenska Handelsbanken. The study is a case study of Svenska Handelsbanken and their management control system. Results: Management without budgets can, in several cases, work more effective compared to traditional management. Through a plain focus at relative goals and a high degree of responsibility to the individual can the organisation perform with a higher effectiveness? Finally we present a suggestion on such a working method and what it ought to be contained. / Bakgrund: Budgets har varit ett centralt styrmedel för organisationer under lång tid. Under senare tid har dock dess relevans alltmer ifrågasatts. Hur styrs då en verksamhet utan budgets och vilka andra alternativ finns till en budget? Kan dessa i så fall fungera mer effektivt? Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva hur budgetlös ekonomistyrning skiljer sig från traditionell budgetstyrning och hur ett sådant styrsystem i så fall är utformat. Vidare ämnar vi förklara vad orsakerna till sådan styrning är samt presentera en generell modell för hur budgetlös styrning kan bedrivas. Genomförande: Empiriskt material har samlats in genom intervjuer med sju personer med olika befattning inom Svenska Handelsbanken. Undersökningen är en fallstudie av Svenska Handelsbanken och dess nuvarande ekonomiska styrsystem. Resultat: En ekonomisk styrning utan budgets kan i många fall fungera bättre en traditionell ekonomistyrning samt vara mindre resurskrävande. Genom ett tydligt fokus på relativa mål samt stort handlingsutrymme för individen kan organisationen bedrivas mer effektivt. Ett förslag på en sådan arbetsmetod samt vad den bör innehålla presenteras i undersökningens slutsats.

Background: A Balanced Scorecard can be used as a tool for communicating and presenting the vision and strategic goals of an organisation in a way that is easy to understand. Implementing a scorecard will support the learning process and dialog concerning the strategy of the organisation. It will also increase the employees understanding of the organisation and motivate them to reach the strategic targets. Purpose: To evaluate and describe employees opinions of a Balanced Scorecard that has been created by the management group from a management point of view. From that, our aim is to recommend our case company, Swedish Tissue, how to implement their Balanced Scorecard. We will also give more general recommendations on how to implement a scorecard. Method: The conclusions in this thesis are the result of a case study. The case studied is Swedish Tissue, a Swedish tissue manufacturer. Some 20 qualitative interviews with employees at lower level have been performed. Information about the company has been contained from information material and through interviews with the management group. Results: A scorecard that is distributed only through mail does not create any specific interest within the organisation. To create understanding, involvement and dialog, for the scorecard, the employees have to be involved in the scorecard process at an early stage. Other important issues for a successful implementation of a scorecard is: · goals that are derived from all levels of the organisation so that every individual can identify with them · making it easy to understand · connecting rewards to the goals of the scorecard · frequent updating.

<p>Background: In the eighties the debate concerning the declining relevance of the traditional calculation started. The reason was that the method of calculating not had been changed despite that the costs and manufacturing had changed in many companies. This led to the development of activity-based costing. Management by means of activity information is called activity-based management, but there is no general accepted definition of what the term com- prises. Neither are there any studies which describe within which areas activity information is used as a base for decisions. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe in which situations activity information is used as a base for different decisions, and to define the term activity-based management. </p><p>Method: The approach taken is qualitative. A total of 13 telephone interviews with four different companies, three producers and one wholesale firm, have been carried out. </p><p>Results: Activity information is used as a base for decisions principally in situations that concerns changes in the operational work through management of processes, price and product changes and costumer profitability. Changes within these areas may concern increases in efficiency and effectiveness, and changes in price, assortment and focus on different costumers. In a long perspective these changes may lead to an increase in the profitability. From the studied empirical applications we formulated the following definition of the ABM- term: “The use of activity information as a support for decisions, which concerns securing the companies profitability and to make activities and processes visible and in that way make improvements possible.”</p>

<p>Background: It has been shown that EDI can yield positive effects within companies. Which effects are possible for a company to direct assign to the introduction of EDI and is it possible to estimate the total effect.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate and analyze the effects of using EDI in electronic business. We also want to contribute with a model for measure and estimate the effects of EDI.</p><p>Accomplishment: We have studied literature concering EDI and realized a preliminary studie in form of interviews with experts to establish deeper knowledge of EDI. We have also tried to estimate the effects obtained in companies in three different businesses, power, government and transport industry.</p><p>Result: To obtain as good effects as possible it is important that the co- oporation is built on trust and engagement. Before implementing the EDI-system a thorough overhaul of the processes in the company should be done, involving both the top managers and the staff. Internet can be used to achieve minimal cost and it is important to limit the information sent by EDI to only send the information demanded. Finally companies also should mediate the advantages of EDI inside the organisation to make the co-operators realize the good effects obtained by EDI.</p>

Background: It has been shown that EDI can yield positive effects within companies. Which effects are possible for a company to direct assign to the introduction of EDI and is it possible to estimate the total effect. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate and analyze the effects of using EDI in electronic business. We also want to contribute with a model for measure and estimate the effects of EDI. Accomplishment: We have studied literature concering EDI and realized a preliminary studie in form of interviews with experts to establish deeper knowledge of EDI. We have also tried to estimate the effects obtained in companies in three different businesses, power, government and transport industry. Result: To obtain as good effects as possible it is important that the co- oporation is built on trust and engagement. Before implementing the EDI-system a thorough overhaul of the processes in the company should be done, involving both the top managers and the staff. Internet can be used to achieve minimal cost and it is important to limit the information sent by EDI to only send the information demanded. Finally companies also should mediate the advantages of EDI inside the organisation to make the co-operators realize the good effects obtained by EDI.

Background: In the eighties the debate concerning the declining relevance of the traditional calculation started. The reason was that the method of calculating not had been changed despite that the costs and manufacturing had changed in many companies. This led to the development of activity-based costing. Management by means of activity information is called activity-based management, but there is no general accepted definition of what the term com- prises. Neither are there any studies which describe within which areas activity information is used as a base for decisions. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe in which situations activity information is used as a base for different decisions, and to define the term activity-based management. Method: The approach taken is qualitative. A total of 13 telephone interviews with four different companies, three producers and one wholesale firm, have been carried out. Results: Activity information is used as a base for decisions principally in situations that concerns changes in the operational work through management of processes, price and product changes and costumer profitability. Changes within these areas may concern increases in efficiency and effectiveness, and changes in price, assortment and focus on different costumers. In a long perspective these changes may lead to an increase in the profitability. From the studied empirical applications we formulated the following definition of the ABM- term: “The use of activity information as a support for decisions, which concerns securing the companies profitability and to make activities and processes visible and in that way make improvements possible.”