Big Data has been among the most innovative topics in literature sources and among organizations for years. Even though only few organizations realized the significant value potentials described by contemporary literature sources, it is widely acknowledged that data assets can provide significant competitive benefits. Given the promises regarding value increases and competitiveness, practitioners as well as academia desire systematic approaches to transform the data sets into measurable assets. This dissertation investigates the current state of literature, conducts an empirical investigation through a structural equation modeling and applies existing theory to develop a model that allows organizations to apply a systematic approach to measure the value of Big Data specifically to their organization. With Business Process Management as the foundation of the model, IT as well as business functions will be able to successfully apply the model. Based on the assumption that Data is acknowledged as a production factor, the developed model supports organizations to justify Big Data investment decisions and thereby to contribute to competitiveness and company value. Furthermore, the findings and the model equip future researchers with a framework that can be adapted for industry-specific purposes, validated in different organizational contexts or dismantled to investigate specific success factors.

The design process of a production system referred to as the production system design process (PSDP) impacts on the operational performancethroughout the lifecycle of the production system, especially on the rampupand operation phases. Despite the impact of activities of PSDP on the operational performance, how to manage the PSDP is still a challenge for manufacturing companies. Earlier research urged to develop a systematic PSDP concerning its impact on the operational performance. This thesis aims to contribute with knowledge of how manufacturingcompanies can manage the PSDP by investigating 1) the enablers in thePSDP that impact on operational performance in ramp-up and operation phases, and 2) how the lean production concept could be adopted tomanage the activities during the PSDP. A case study was conducted in aprocess type manufacturing company, where empirical data were collectedfrom three new production line launching projects by qualitative means. This thesis identifies a set of enablers in the PSDP that potentiallyimpact the operational performance after launching the productionsystem. Empirical findings demonstrate that ensuring proper actions onthe identified enablers in the PSDP could lead to higher operationalperformance of the designed production system. These enablers rangefrom the company´s internal boundary to external vendors, requiring asystematic way to manage these diverse aspects. Adopting the lean production concept in the PSDP context, this thesis proposes a model of Lean Production System Design Process, containing 13 principles andrelevant practices. The proposed model of lean PSDP could be used as a systematic processto manage the activities in the PSDP that would ensure proper actions related to the identified enablers. Empirical findings indicate that adoptionof lean in the PSDP could result in reducing lead time of launching a new production system, and achieving fast ramp-up and desired operational performance considering sustainability aspects. Finally, this thesis demonstrates how the lean PSDP could be a means to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage based on the resource based view theoretical perspective. / Utformningsprocessen av ett produktionssystem, i denna avhandlingkallad produktionssystemets utformningsprocess (PSUP), påverkar denoperativa prestandan under hela produktionssystemets livscykel, särskilt iupprampnings- och driftsfasen. Traditionellt sett ligger fokus underutformningsprocessen på att lansera det nya produktionssystemet vidplanerad tidpunkt och enligt budget. Trots att de aktiviteter somgenomförs i utformningsprocessen påverkar den operativa prestandan idriftsfasen, ägnas ofta mindre uppmärksamhet åt designfasen än vad somvore önskvärt. Tidigare forskning har argumenterat för att utveckla ensystematisk designprocess för framtagning av produktionssystem medsyfte att nå en positiv påverkan på den operativa prestandan. Forskningen i denna avhandling bidrar till att öka kunskapen om hurPSUP kan hanteras och förbättras genom att identifiera: 1) möjliggörare i PSUP som påverkar den operativa prestandan i upprampnings- ochdriftfasen, och 2) hur lean konceptet skulle kunna användas för att hanteraaktiviteterna under PSUP. Resultatet är identifieringen av ett antal faktorer/möjliggörare iproduktionssystemets utformningsprocess (PSUP) som potentiellt kanpåverka den operativa prestandan efter lansering av produktionssystemetoch produktionsstart. Dessa möjliggörare handlar om alltifrån frånföretagets interna gränser till externa leverantörer och kräver ensystematisk procedur för att dra nytta av faktorernas potential. Genom attanvända lean även i PSUP-sammanhanget, föreslås här konceptet Lean PSUP (produktionssystemsutformningsprocess), som innehåller 13 principer och relevanta praxis. Den föreslagna modellen för lean PSUP skulle kunna användas och gestruktur till hanteringen av aktiviteterna i utformningsprocessen.Forskningen indikerar att lean inte bara kan användas i driftsfasen utanäven i utformningen av ett produktionssystem, vilket skulle kunnaresultera i bättre integration mellan olika funktioner, minska ledtiden förutformning och lansering av ett nytt produktionssystem, och uppnå snabbupprampning och önskad operativ prestanda, både avseende produktionoch hållbarhet. Slutligen visar denna avhandling hur lean PSUP kan varaett sätt att uppnå konkurrensfördelar ur ett resursbaserat teoretiskt perspektiv.

Die erste Chemnitzer Brennstoffzellenkonferenz wurde vom Innovationscluster HZwo und dem Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik IWU durchgeführt. Ausgewählte Fachbeiträge und Präsentationen werden in Form eines Tagungsbandes veröffentlicht. / The first fuel cell conference was initiated by the innovation cluster HZwo and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology. Selected lectures and presentations are published in the conference proceedings.

In my thesis, I focused on monitoring of microorganisms in the sample of red grape juice and on the interactions between yeasts, bacteria and filamentous fungi. Three different media were applied for the cultivation of microorganisms; firstly for monitoring of total volume of microorganisms, secondly for yeasts and third time for lactic acid bacteria. The indirect method was used for the determination of the amount of viable cells. This method consists in enumerating of visible macroscopic colonies grown up on agar plates. When the cells grew up, the forms of colonies were analyzed visually and the morphology of microorganisms was detected microscopically. The operating time of enzymes in grape juice in the production of red wine was monitored after application of commercial enzymatic preparation. The enzym action in grape juice was observed on the basis of the process of degradation of high – molecular substrate by enzymes through the use of Ubbelohd´s viscometer. The research findings provided a lot of knowledge about the occurance of microflora in the process of production of red wine. The commercial preparations added to grape juice played a significant role.