Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Diss (sammanfattning) Karlstad : Karlstads universitet, 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. School of Packaging, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-164). Also issued in print.

The food packaging industry is a £300bn global industry growing at a rate of 12% per year and increasingly favouring polymer or polymer-based materials. This generates 58m tonnes of "plastic" packaging waste annually in the EU and poses significant challenges for management given existing legislative constraints and increasing concerns surrounding the environmental impacts. The government, consumers, food retailers and pressure groups are all driving the demand for biodegradable packaging from renewable resources that can be disposed of with reduced impacts to the environment. Green Peace has devised a pyramid classification system of "Poisonous Plastics", which ranks plastics in terms of their harmfulness to the environment. They are campaigning against the use of oil-based materials and advocating the take up of biodegradable materials. The market for biodegradable food packaging is expanding rapidly but is still in its early stages of development and has not reached a critical mass to achieve significant market penetration. This is predominantly due to a lack of suitable materials that meet all environmental, functional and economical requirements. Whilst the long-term solution requires continued efforts in materials research and development, in the shorter term, changing working practices can abate the environmental impact of the industry. This research project tackled the challenge of environmental packaging from several directions: A novel starch-based material was developed that would fill the current gap in the food packaging market and facilitate recovery of the used materials by home composting. Using the sponsoring organisation as a case study, it was proved that by changing working practices by increasing rework and re-processing waste material for use in lower grade applications, both manufacturing costs and environmental impact can be reduced, thus benefiting both industry and the environment. A Life Cycle Assessment of selected biopolymers and oil-based polymers confirmed Green Peace's damning view of PVC and highlighted the need to develop biopolymers further. A domestic composting study of a range of commercially available "biodegradable" polymer materials revealed that a number of biodegradable packaging materials may typically biodegrade well in industrial high-temperature composting systems but fail to biodegrade under a low-temperature home composting environment and thus alerted the potential pitfall in waste management of some biodegradable polymers.

Background: T-Emballage is an established retailer of packaging materials with a specialization in customer-unique packaging solutions. For T-Emballage, it is crucial to adapt to the increasing importance of packaging materials as an opportunity for value creation and differentiation in an industry where customer demands are increasing, which requires active cooperation with suppliers to be at the forefront. Effective supplier development improves supplier capabilities and performance, helping buyers achieve cost reductions, productivity improvements, quality improvements and optimal resource utilization. SMEs are often characterized by limited resources, which makes it especially essential for these companies to develop the right supplier in the right way. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and explore activities for supplier development based on a portfolio analysis and supplier evaluation, with a focus on improving the quality, price and service of T-Emballage’s various suppliers. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate the potential cost-related effects that can be achieved when implementing the recommended activities for T-Emballage’s strategic suppliers. By achieving this, the study aims to offer insights and recommendations for effective supplier development for retail SMEs in the packaging industry. Method: The study employs a qualitative approach with quantitative elements, where the first research question is primarily qualitative and the second, quantitative. Data collection was conducted through structured, semi-structured, and unstructured interviews. Furthermore, data was gathered from two focus groups, as well as directly from T-Emballage’s business system and statistical programs. Conclusion: The study finds that T-Emballage’s nine largest suppliers, in terms of spend, require different activities for supplier development. For the strategic suppliers, whose performance in the supplier evaluation had room for improvement, direct activities are recommended, in the categories of training and support, technical development, communication and collaboration as well as evaluation and assessment. For the strategic suppliers that have performed well based on the supplier evaluation, along with the bottleneck supplier, non-critical and the leverage supplier, various indirect supplier development activities are recommended. Furthermore, it appears that the implementation of the recommended supplier development activities for T-Emballage’s strategic suppliers potentially generate both cost increases and reductions. The indirect activities offer the greatest potential for cost reductions, while several of the direct ones were considered unfeasible considering, among other things, the resources that would be required. Contribution: The study contributes to filling a research gap regarding supplier development for retail SMEs in the packaging industry. By using portfolio analysis and supplier evaluation, the study offers a unique framework to determine appropriate supplier development activities for different suppliers. In addition, the results of the study constitute a significant decision basis for T-Emballage in terms of the choice of supplier development activities. The study’s societal contribution lies in promoting an ethical supply chain practice through supplier development, fostering long-term stability, potentially benefiting the wider community through improved economic growth and responsible business conduct.

The paper- and packaging industry has for a long time transitioned from a production-focused industry towards a customer-orientation – today the customers have become fundamental. Managers are searching for ways to create superior innovations in the industry which can compete against the oil-based solution, i.e. plastic. However, they face challenges as they attempt to launch products in the market. One exciting scholar who has researched much about the challenges of incumbent firms is Clayton Christensen and his theory of disruptive innovation. The theory has received much attention throughout the years and provides with a holistic literature framework to analyze the industry. The thesis aims to investigate Clayton Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory in order to problematize it in a new context, the paper- and packaging industry. This will be done by discussing how individuals argue, understand and use the term ‘disruptive innovation’ and also discuss Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma in relation to how incumbents tend to manage their innovation projects in the industry. The research used a qualitative research approach implementing one case study. Interviews with incumbent actors in the industry, one producer and two brand-owners, pertaining to an innovation project constituted for the empirical findings. The data analyzed through a theoretical lens of Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory. From an iterative process between theory and empirical findings the thesis has made the following contributions. First, we have problematized Christensen in a new context and identified an industry which is considered an anomaly in Christensen’s theory. The industry is unlikely to be subjected to the Innovator’s Dilemma due to its fundamentals as an industry, e.g. collaborations between actors and listening to customers. Second, our practical contribution is the importance of differentiating between sustaining and disruptive innovation, especially concerning radical and disruptive innovation. If an individual does not have a theoretical understanding of disruptive, it is common to be confused concerning the differences between radical and disruptive innovation. However, learning about the differences creates an opportunity to identify new ways of gaining value.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:40:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ALESSANDRO ARAUJO MEDEIROS.pdf: 2454802 bytes, checksum: d8f8ec98bf26f15e624e8fbf4aa62488 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-10 / In last few years the industry has become a lot more competitive, forcing companies to improve their productive performances. The study shows how a production process of a Flexible Packaging Industry can improve it using the performance indicators. The research developed several performance indicators to various departments. Adopting the methodology of research-action study has taken interventional actions and continuous in whole research process. The result improvements has concentrated on reduces waste, overtime and production increase. So, this work consolidates a methodology implementation and performance indicators developing that support obtain better performances in a flexible packaging industry. / Nos últimos anos, a indústria se tornou muito mais competitiva, obrigando as empresas melhorarem seus desempenhos produtivos. Este trabalho apresenta uma análise de indicadores de desempenho para uma indústria de embalagens flexíveis. O estudo mostra como um processo produtivo de uma indústria de embalagens flexíveis pode melhorar, por meio da utilização de indicadores de desempenho. Na pesquisa foram desenvolvidos vários indicadores de desempenho para os departamentos de extrusão e pintura da organização submetida ao estudo, mediante a adoção de uma abordagem investigativa de pesquisa-ação. A melhoria dos resultados se concentrou em redução de desperdícios, horas extras e aumento da produtividade. Nesse sentido, o trabalho consolidou uma metodologia de implantação e desenvolvimento de indicadores de desempenho que podem auxiliar na obtenção da melhoria de desempenho em uma indústria do setor de embalagens plásticas.

This study takes root in the emergence of new crowdsourcing techniques that have made it possible to solve business problems of complex nature by reaching outside of traditional organizational boundaries. While crowdsourcing is not a new concept, emerging technological trends such as Industry 4.0 and a growing interest by organizations to leverage the collective intelligence of online communities have made it an intriguing subject to study. The case study was conducted in USA, California at an established Swedish firm within the packaging industry. As opposed to traditional forms of crowdsourcing of repetitive and simple tasks, this study has an emphasis on complex problems with open-ended goals that often require iteration and expert skills to solve. The case project called Megatron relates to a packaging product developed to transport data servers for major technology companies in Silicon Valley. The product significantly differs in material and design compared with earlier packaging versions that have served the same purpose. Not only does it fold within its footprint when empty, to save space and gain logistical benefits, but it has a lightweight and robust material. The project development of this prototype of seemingly new features constituted a complex problem for the industrial firm that could be studied. Using innovation, problem types, speed and agility of the project as metrics and benchmarks to evaluate the potential of crowdsourcing, interviews and project documentation was gathered as empirical data. The empirics were then analyzed with the help of literature, theory and models that offered scope of crowdsourcing models for different purposes, and a relationship between problem types and innovation. The study indicated a strong willingness among company employees to integrate digital platforms and tools for experimentation and prototyping. Furthermore, the study identified paradoxes and drawbacks such as the malleability of complex problems. However, recommendations to deal with the uncertainty are provided as well, such as online reputation systems and peerreviewing tools to validate the quality of work. / Denna studie grundar sig i uppkomsten av nya crowdsourcing-tekniker som har gjort det möjligt att lösa affärsproblem av komplexa natur genom att nå utanför organisationens traditionella gränser. Även om crowdsourcing inte är ett nytt koncept har nya teknologiska trender som Industri 4.0 och ett ökat intresse från organisationer att dra nytta av kunskap från internetbaserade grupper och plattformar gjort det till ett intressant fall att studera. Fallstudien genomfördes i USA på ett väletablerat svenskt företag inom förpackningsindustring. Till skillnad från traditionella former av crowdsourcing av repetitiva och enkla uppgifter, fokuserar denna studie på komplexa problem med öppna mål, vilket ofta kräver iteration och expert-kompetens. Fallstudien om projektet Megatron avser en förpackningsprodukt utvecklad för att transportera dataservrar till globala teknikföretag i Silicon Valley. Projektet skiljer sig avsevärt i form av produktens material och design jämfört tidigare förpackningsversioner som tjänat samma syfte. Dels kan den vikas som tom för att spara utrymme, erhålla logistikfördelar som mindre koldioxidutsläpp och kostnad, och dels har den konkurrenskraftiga egenskaper som starkt och lätt material. Med utgångspunkt från projektet och produktens nya egenskaper klassas det i rapporten som ett komplext problem för industriföretaget. Innovation, kostnad och projektetstidsaspekt användes som mätvärden för att utvärdera möjligheterna kring crowdsourcing. Den empiriska datan inkluderade intervjuer och dokumentationen kring projektets olika faser. Empirin analyserades därefter med hjälp av litteratur, teorier och modeller som syftade till sambandet mellan problemtyper och innovation, samt hur dessa förhåller sig till crowdsourcing och företagets affärsvärde. Studien visar en stark vilja bland företagets anställda att integrera digitala plattformar och verktyg för experimentering och prototyputveckling. Vidare identifierade studien paradoxer såsom mycket förändringsbara egenskapen av komplexa problem I förhållande till innovation. Däremot presenterar arbetet rekommendationer för att hantera osäkerheten, exempelvis genom ryktesbaserade plattformar och och granskningsverktyg för att validera arbetens kvalitet.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:31:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SILVIA CRISTINA LIMBERGER.pdf: 9653999 bytes, checksum: da4450bc0f7c2702676d117e10c14d38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study is a review of capital accumulation in plastic packaging industry in Brazil, specifically targeted to the State of Parana, where we seek to discover how the industry has developed in this sector especially in the state and its regions with slow industrial development, where characterizes the consolidation of traditional sectors with lower technological level. To understand the dynamics of the packaging sector, there are some key elements as, II PND Policy (National Development Plan), which required investment for all Brazilian petrochemical chain in the 1970s; expansion of the national petrochemical industry and its reorganizing production in the 1990s; goods manufacturing industry for the plastic packaging sector that constitutes a lever for development; food and beverage industry, the main consumer market of plastic packaging. We demonstrate these features from the case study and analysis of spatial strategies of companies linked to the sector in the state of Parana. / O presente trabalho analisa a acumulação de capital no setor de embalagens plásticas no Brasil e, sobretudo, no Estado do Paraná. Buscamos descobrir como a indústria de embalagens plásticas se desenvolveu no Paraná, principalmente nas regiões do Estado com lento desenvolvimento industrial, que tem como característica a consolidação de setores tradicionais com menor grau tecnológico. Como elementos centrais para compreender a dinâmica do setor de embalagens plásticas estão a política do II PND (Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento), que demandou investimentos para toda a cadeia petroquímica brasileira na década de 1970; a expansão da indústria petroquímica nacional e sua reorganização produtiva na década de 1990; a indústria de bens de produção para o setor de embalagens plásticas, que se constitui como alavanca para o desenvolvimento tecnológico; e a indústria alimentícia e de bebidas, principal mercado consumidor das embalagens plásticas. Buscamos demonstrar essas características a partir do Estado do Paraná, onde analisamos as estratégias espaciais de empresas ligadas ao setor.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:42:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SILVIA CRISTINA LIMBERGER.pdf: 9653999 bytes, checksum: da4450bc0f7c2702676d117e10c14d38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study is a review of capital accumulation in plastic packaging industry in Brazil, specifically targeted to the State of Parana, where we seek to discover how the industry has developed in this sector especially in the state and its regions with slow industrial development, where characterizes the consolidation of traditional sectors with lower technological level. To understand the dynamics of the packaging sector, there are some key elements as, II PND Policy (National Development Plan), which required investment for all Brazilian petrochemical chain in the 1970s; expansion of the national petrochemical industry and its reorganizing production in the 1990s; goods manufacturing industry for the plastic packaging sector that constitutes a lever for development; food and beverage industry, the main consumer market of plastic packaging. We demonstrate these features from the case study and analysis of spatial strategies of companies linked to the sector in the state of Parana. / O presente trabalho analisa a acumulação de capital no setor de embalagens plásticas no Brasil e, sobretudo, no Estado do Paraná. Buscamos descobrir como a indústria de embalagens plásticas se desenvolveu no Paraná, principalmente nas regiões do Estado com lento desenvolvimento industrial, que tem como característica a consolidação de setores tradicionais com menor grau tecnológico. Como elementos centrais para compreender a dinâmica do setor de embalagens plásticas estão a política do II PND (Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento), que demandou investimentos para toda a cadeia petroquímica brasileira na década de 1970; a expansão da indústria petroquímica nacional e sua reorganização produtiva na década de 1990; a indústria de bens de produção para o setor de embalagens plásticas, que se constitui como alavanca para o desenvolvimento tecnológico; e a indústria alimentícia e de bebidas, principal mercado consumidor das embalagens plásticas. Buscamos demonstrar essas características a partir do Estado do Paraná, onde analisamos as estratégias espaciais de empresas ligadas ao setor.