FDI har sedan början på 80-talet växt sig allt större och blivit en av de viktigaste tillgångarna till finansiellt och fysiskt kapital i världen. FDI har enligt många studier en viktig funktion för ett lands ekonomiska utveckling, detta gäller främst för outvecklade länder men också utvecklade länder. Studiens mål var att hitta viktiga faktorer som påverkade FDI inflöde till Sub-Sahara regionen. Den empiriska analysen gjordes med hjälp av en OLS regressionsmodell och hade 42 observationer sammanlagt. Huvudvariabeln var FDI/BNP. Resultatet av den empiriska analysen visade att den viktigaste faktoren för FDI inflöde hos länder söder om Sahara är ett lands ekonomiska öppenhet. Öppenhet visade en positiv signifikans i alla regressioner som gjordes. BNP per capita hade en negativ signifikans i den första regressionen men visade ingen signifikans när kunskapskapital och språkskillnader testades i regressioner. Variabeln för naturtillgångar hade en positiv signifikans när en tredje regression gjordes där länder delades upp i två språkkategorier.

<p>Diss. Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1988</p> / digitalisering@umu

Due to increasing interest in sustainable development, today s engineer is often tasked with designing systems that are environmentally benign over their entire life cycles. Unfortunately, environmental assessments commonly suffer from significant uncertainty due to lack of information, particularly for time-distant life cycle aspects. Under severe uncertainty, traditional uncertainty formalisms require more information than is available. However, a recently devised formalism, information-gap decision theory (IGDT), requires no more information than a nominal estimate; error bounds on that estimate are unknown. The IGDT decision strategy, accordingly, favors the design that is robust to the most estimation error while still guaranteeing no worse than some good enough critical level of performance. In some cases, one can use IGDT to identify a preferable design option without needing more information or more complex uncertainty analysis. In this dissertation, IGDT is investigated and shown to enhance decision support for environmentally benign design and manufacturing (EBDM) problems. First, the applicability of the theory to EBDM problems is characterized. Conditions that warrant an info-gap analysis are reviewed, the insight it can reveal about design robustness is demonstrated, and practical limitations to its use are revealed. Second, a new mathematical technique is presented that expands capabilities for analyzing robustness to multiple info-gap uncertainties simultaneously. The technique elicits scaling factors more rigorously than before and allows one to imprecisely express their beliefs about info-gap scaling. Two examples problems affected by info-gaps are investigated: oil filter selection and remanufacturing process selection. It is shown that limited information about uncertainty can, in some cases, indeed enable one to identify a most preferable design without requiring more information.

In the past few decades, globalization has led to a world economy with unbounded consumption. In addition to the consequential impoverishment of natural resources, this large consumption produces copious amounts of waste and requires high energy use. Proper end-of-life strategies can help to reduce the global impact of these inefficiencies. The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate, through life-cycles analyses of an automotive transfer case and a gear, the positive environmental impact of remanufacturing strategies compared to recycling and disposal end-of-life strategies. In this study, the energy consumption, the air emissions and the wastes resulting from the entire supply chain s engineering processes will be quantitatively evaluated through calculations and also industrial or governmental data. In disposal end-of-life strategies, the analysis will begin with the ore mining phase, will go through material refining and processing; and eventually end with the final parts machining. In recycling scenarios and remanufacturing scenarios, the analysis will begin with the used material collection, will go through material s reprocessing or refurbishing and will finally end with the new or renewed parts machining. This study will show the significant impact of high energy consumption processes such as electrolysis of aluminum and metal melting. It will also show how shipping and collection phases can dramatically change or annihilate the advantage of sustainable reuse scenarios depending on the sorting strategies adopted in the supply chain. To conclude, the goal of this research is to demonstrate how remanufacturing strategies can reduce the energy consumption, air emissions and waste. This thesis will also show how inappropriate supply chain management can negate the impact of these savings.

The main objective of this thesis is the analysis of a specific product from a marketing perspective in selected company. A partial objective is to determine the position of the product as a marketing tool in the marketing politics of company. The aim is to describe and analyze a product of company on the basis of the product life cycle, when it will be clear, how the company cares about customers and how it satisfies their needs in the different phases of the product life cycle. This thesis is processed on company LAMIVEX s. r. o., doing business in serial and custom production of furniture from laminate. The company has a residence in Strakonice and boasts a long tradition. In the application part is introduced the selected company LAMIVEX s. r. o., when it is described company´s history, scope of business, customers, competitors, implemented contract etc. From a marketing portfolio was selected the specific product (Wardrobe LA 02), which was analyzed on the basis of the product life cycle. The analysis shows, how the company determines the price, how the product is

The aim of this diploma thesis is to explain a product´s life cycle principle and process and its influence at marketing decision process ( in a real company). The theoretical part explains the essential concepts related to marketing, such as information, marketing decision making, product´s life cycle and its phases, BCG matrix and marketing mix. The practical part presents the company MADETA, explains the definition of cheese, represents MADETA competitors, and associations that operate in the market of cheese and dairy. The second half of the practical part presents a product´s life cycle analysis. For the life cycle analysis was chosen cheese Madelad as a suitable product. In the framework of Madeland´s life cycle, the marketing decision was analysed in details in the four basic politics of marketing mix, and there were found such strategies, which could be used by Madeland during the individual phases of the life cycle. To confirm the results of a life cycle analysis of the product was designed BCG matrix. In conclusion of this diploma thesis is formulated recommendations that could contribute to an increase in sales volume of Madeland and thus affect its life cycle.

Les produits avec des phases d'usage multiple sont de plus en plus pris en considération a du fait des pressionséconomiques et environnementales. Ces produits aux cycles de vie complexes, utilisent des process tels que leremanufacturing. Ces process doivent être modélisés et évaluée par des équipes de conception. Cette thèse montrecomment représenter, modéliser et évaluer des produits en cycle de vie à boucle fermées. L'étude montre commentétablir des évaluations environnementales pour ces produits et les comparer aux évaluations environnementales decycles de vie classiques.Les modèles ont été développés sur des travaux antérieurs, tels que la méthodologie de Gehin et al. basée sur leconcept du brique du cycle de vie produit. La première approche proposée sert pour évaluer les bénéficesenvironnementaux des opérations et des activités autour du cycle de vie de produit en boucle fermée(remanufacturing scénario de fin de vie et systèmes de produit-service comme stratégie de vente des services).L'introduction de systèmes produit-service vise à réduire les impacts environnementaux de produits parl'intensification de l'utilisation. Ainsi, la thèse propose un modèle pour évaluer les éléments de systèmes produitsserviceet leur cycle de vie du point de vue environnemental. La thèse se concentre sur l'élaboration d'un modèle quiintègre le cycle de vie d’un produit-service système et ses paramètres, en tenant en compte des éléments physiques,ainsi que de l'infrastructures, la conception des unités de services, les acteurs dans la logistique et leurs interactions.Les modèles permettent d’identifier et de distinguer les différentes phases du cycle de vie du produit et de réajuster ladécision des concepteurs dans le processus de conception du produit. De plus, le modèle cherche l'intégration desparamètres du process de remanufacturing et des systèmes produit-service dans l'ensemble du cycle de vie duproduit. Les modèles visent à aider la conception de produits et de processus, ainsi que les acteurs de la chaîneapprovisionnement et les personnes chargées de la prise de décision sur la conception du produit et deschangements dans le système.Les résultats peuvent être utilisés, afin d'évaluer la performance environnementale des différents scénarios de fin devie des produits, fournissant un outil pour les concepteurs qui permet de quantifier les avantages environnementauxliés à l'utilisation des produits en cycle de vie en boucle fermée. / Products with multiple use phases have to be considered regarding new economic and environmental pressures.Therefore, the related complex life cycles of (re)manufactured products have to be modeled and assessed by designteams for a better understanding of their performance. This thesis presents methodologies to represent, model andassess closed-loop product lifecycle (focused on remanufacturing strategies). The study shows how to establishenvironmental assessments for remanufactured products life cycles and how to compare them to environmentalassessments for classical life cycles.The present study shows how to establish the models and how to compare the environmental assessments ofremanufactured products life cycles vs. classical life cycle scenarios. The objective is to provide easy to use methodsand tools for designers to allow them quantifying the environmental benefits related to the use of a closed loopstrategy. In this project, a life cycle assessment, life cycle bricks, and a parametric model of the products are used toevaluate and compare the environmental benefits provided by the remanufacturing. The methodologies and modelshave been developed based on previous works, such as the the life cycle bricks concept developed by Gehin et al.[2007].On the other hand, the thesis proposes a model to assess the product-service systems elements and their respectivelife cycle from an environmental point of view. Here, the thesis focuses on the development of a model whichintegrates the product lifecycle within those parameters by a product-service system strategy, taking into accountphysical elements, as well as the infrastructures network, unit services design, supply chain actors and theirinteractions.Finally, a model has been developed to assess from an environmental point of view the data of the operations andactivities around product life cycle of the products with final non classic disposition scenarios (remanufacturing asend-of-life scenario and multiple uses by the disposition of the service offers system as a business strategy). Themethodologies and models proposed allow identifying and distinguishing impacts between the different product lifecycle stages and readjust the designers’ decision at the product design stage. The results can be further used insimulation, to evaluate the environmental performance of different product life cycle end-of-life scenarios.

A Gestão do Ciclo de Vida (LCM) pode ser entendida como uma abordagem para melhorar continuamente o desempenho em sustentabilidade da organização e de seus produtos e serviços por meio da incorporação do pensamento de ciclo de vida nas práticas de negócio. Entretanto, faltam instrumentos de gestão para auxiliar na sua operacionalização e implementação. Nesse sentido cabe destacar as possibilidades advindas da abordagem de Gestão por Processos de Negócio (BPM), que visa a reestruturação e otimização das atividades organizacionais. Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar e analisar as relações entre essa duas abordagens, verificando as possibilidades de contribuições entre elas. Para isso foi conduzida uma revisão bibliográfica sistemática para identificar as definições e práticas de BPM e LCM, que foram utilizadas para a elaboração de definições de trabalho e para a análise das relações entre as práticas e os processos de negócio. Adicionalmente, foi realizado um estudo bibliométrico para identificar relações entre as duas áreas de pesquisa, a partir do qual é possível afirmar que não há referencial teórico compartilhado entre as duas áreas. Em contrapartida, os resultados da análise de publicações indicam que as práticas de BPM estão relacionadas com os processos de negócio e com o desempenho da organização, e que muitas práticas de LCM estão sendo aplicadas nos processos de negócio, havendo assim uma relação indireta entre as abordagens. Além disso, foram identificadas oportunidades de contribuição relacionados a teoria e prática dessas abordagens: BPM possui um conjunto de práticas para a gestão e melhoria dos processos com base no planejamento estratégico, enquanto LCM possui elementos e práticas que visam a sustentabilidade do ciclo de vida de produtos. / Life cycle management (LCM) is an approach for continuously improve the sustainability performance in organizations and its products through the incorporation of life cycle thinking in business practices. However, there are few management instruments to support this approach. Aiming to meet this demand, the purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship of LCM with Business Process Management, which aims at continuous improvement of organizational activities. A systematic literature review was conduct to identify BPM and LCM definitions and practices, which were used to define BPM and LCM and to analyze the relationship between practices and business process. Additionally, a bibliometric study was conducted to identify relationships between the two areas and its results shows that there are no conceptual framework shared between two. In constrast, the results indicate that BPM practices are related to business processes and organizational performance, and that many LCM practices are being applied into business processes, thus having an indiredt relationship between approaches. In addition, opportunities related to theory and practice are indentified: BPM has a set of practices for the management and improvement of process based on strategic planning, while LCM has elements and practices aimed at sustainability of the life cycle of products.

Business success in software industry is about deploying a product to the right market, with the right features, in the right time with a good quality. Many development projects exceed the budget, is not completed within schedule or do not reach business objectives. One key role managing the business of the product is the software product manager. The software product manager role is though seldom clearly described, competence needed is not always clear and education to become a product manager is today only offered by separate courses provided by some few private initiatives. This thesis uses a qualitative descriptive approach, the purpose with this thesis is to produce further knowledge around the software product manager role. The clarification and structure of the software product manager role is limited in academia; therefore, this research will be combined with an exploratory approach to be able to verify the empirical findings. The thesis also includes observations and data collection from actual job applications to further define the requested competences of a software product manager. This thesis has found that domain competence is the top most important competence for a software product manager. To be able to make success in the role communication skills and analytic skills are most important. The right soft skills are as important as the educated competences. The thesis conclude that the product manager role is wide and it is important to be surrounded with colleagues that support the role were there are lacking of competence in technology, business or market expertise. A successful product manager build network among people, cross-functional teams, around the product and establish an effective way to communicate with those groups. Findings suggest that software companies define the responsibilities and expectations of the product manager role. As important is to support the product manager with the input data needed to be able to perform the product manager activities. By defining the responsibilities and securing the input data needed, the product manager will have a higher probability to produce a result with an impact.

PLM-Strategien stehen heute vor der Herausforderung, immer größere und vor allem auch immer komplexer vernetzte Informationen über Produkte nicht nur, wie im Rahmen von klassischen PDM-Lösungen üblich, weitgehend auf mechanische Komponenten beschränkt für die Produktentwicklung zu verwalten, sondern Lösungen für den gesamten Produktlebenszyklus bereitzustellen. Dabei müssen zum einen vielfältige mechatronische Komponenten (Mechanik, Elektrik, Elektronik und Software), große Komponentenzahlen, tiefe Strukturen, große Variantenvielfalt sowie z.B. auch servicebezogene Informationen abgebildet werden. Zum anderen sind diese Informationen im Kontext einer verteilten Nutzung (collaborative engineering) von der Anforderungsdefinition über die frühen Entwicklungsphasen (front loading) bis zur Wartungsunterstützung bereitzustellen.