Thesis deals with the relationship of costs and change of production volume. The introduction is characterized by the selected company from South region and in terms of profit, the number of employees and total assets. It is also shown changes in costs, revenues and operating results. There are also counted pointer to speak about cost-effectiveness in business. For example, operating leverage, break-even point, profitability ratios, cost ratio. From the calculations it is clear that the best business results achieved in 2007, while the worst of the venture was in 2008.

The Swedish heavy vehicle manufacturer Scania is currently phasing out their main engine assembly line in favor of a new assembly line. As a consequence, there is a need to adjust the logistics to the phase-out to maintain efficiency and free up space. Due to a lack of literature on this particular subject, it has been noticed that both Scania and the literature could benefit from a theoretical methodology that provides general guidance on how to approach reductions in production volume from a logistics perspective. To explore this problem the study answers the research question ”How can heavy vehicle manufacturing companies optimize inventory space at an assembly line when the production volume decreases?”. The study focused on a smaller internal logistics area within Scania’s Södertälje assembly plant, to develop a theoretical methodology that is also applicable to other areas and companies facing similar challenges. The phase-out will be executed in stages, starting with the most common engine types. The production volume will be reduced by changing the takt and removing engine carriers. Takt is a term used to describe the time that an engine spends at each assembly line station. The reduction in production volume leads to a proportional reduction in the amount of material picked at the logistics platforms. Consequently, the material stays in stock for a longer time, and the efficiency of the material handlers decreases. To maintain the stocking times and efficiency of the material handler, the study found that packaging sizes should be reduced in proportion to the production volume, as this would enable the storage to hold fewer items of each article while also holding a larger variety of articles previously stored elsewhere. As a result, additional activities can be given to the material handlers, while also freeing up inventory space that can be used to introduce the new assembly line. Approaching these challenges can be done following the theoretical methodology that has been developed in this study, consisting of three steps: Overview of Potential Changes, Quantifying Inventory Changes, and Calculating Inventory Space. Guided by this theoretical methodology, the study identified that the main potential changes revolved around packaging sizes. Changes in packages were then quantified for the 220 articles stored in the logistics area and synchronized with the phase-out to maintain the current stocking times. At the first step of the phase-out, when the takt is reduced to 3/4-takt, 107 packages could be changed, resulting in a 34% reduction in inventory space, indicating that one of the three logistics platforms in the logistics area can be closed. In the following stages of the phase-out, the further reduction in inventory space is marginal resulting in a final reduction of 46% at 1/3-takt, which might suggest that other approaches are more beneficial later on. As a result of this study, companies facing challenges adjusting the logistics to reduced production volumes can find guidance in the theoretical methodology presented in this thesis. The theoretical methodology highlights important aspects to consider based on both literature and empirical findings from the case study so that the efficiency of the logistics can be maintained during assembly line phase-out / Den svenska lastbilstillverkaren Scania håller för närvarande på att fasa ut en av deras primära monteringslinor för att ersätta denna med en ny. En konsekvens av detta är att den interna logistiken måste anpassas för att behålla dess effektivitet och frigöra lageryta. I dagsläget är litteraturen inom detta ämne begränsad, vilket innebär att både Scania och litteraturen som helhet gynnas av en teoretisk metodik som generellt beskriver hur intern logistik kan anpassas vid varierande produktionsvolymer. För att undersöka detta besvarar denna studie forskningsfrågan ”Hur kan tunga fordonstillverkare optimera lageryta vid monteringslinor vid minskad produktionsvolym?”. Studien fokuserar på ett mindre internt logistikområde vid Scanias motormonteringsanläggning i Södertälje. Målet är att inom detta område presentera en teoretisk metod som är applicerbar på samtliga logistikområden på Scania, såväl som hos andra företag med liknande utmaningar. Scania planerar att genomföra utfasningen stegvis, där det första steget innebär att de vanligaste motortyperna fasas ut och övergår till den nya monteringslinan. Produktionsvolymen kommer att minskas genom taktminskning, samt genom att plocka bort ”carriers” (stativen som motorerna monteras på). Takt är en term som beskriver den tid varje enskild motor befinner sig vid varje monteringsstation. Den minskade produktionsvolymen innebär en proportionell minskning i åtgång av komponenter och produktionsmaterial. Till följd av detta ökar lagertiden och effektiviteten för materialhanterarna minskar. För att bibehålla lagertiden och effektiviteten visade studien att förpackningsstorlekarna borde minskas, vilket innebär att färre artiklar lagerhålls, samt att fler varianter av artiklar kan lagras på mindre yta. Vidare kan materialhanterarna tilldelas fler arbetsuppgifter och den frigjorda yta utnyttjas av den nya monteringslinan. Dessa utmaningar kan hanteras enligt följande metodik med tre steg: 1. Överblick över möjliga ändringar, 2. Kvantifiera möjliga lagerbesparingar och 3. Beräkna lagerbesparingar. Baserat på denna metodik, fann studien att den största potentialen fanns genom ändrade förpackningsstorlekar. Förpackningsändringarna kvantifierades för de 220 artiklarna inom det behandlade området, med hänsyn till taktreduceringen och bibehållen lagertid. Vid första nedrampningssteget när takten reducerats till 3/4, visade studien att 107 förpackningsändringar kunde genomföras, vilket resulterade i en reducering av lageryta på 34%. I praktiken innefattade denna minskning i krävd lageryta att en av tre logistikplattformar inom logistikområdet kan stängas ned. Vid efterföljande nedrampningssteg var lagerbesparingarna marginella med en slutlig reduktion på 46% vid 1/3-takt, vilket implicerar att andra aspekter borde beaktas senare under nedrampningsprocessen.  Avslutningsvis poängterar studien att företag med liknande utmaningar gällande logistik och reducerade produktionsvolymer kan finna vägledning med hjälp av den teoretiska metod som presenterats i denna studie. Denna metod belyser viktiga aspekter som måste beaktas, baserat på litteratur så väl som empiriska resultat från fallstudien. Detta med fokus på att bibehålla effektiviteten och minimera lageryta vid nedrampning av monteringslinor.

Energy issues have always been on the global economics and geopolitics agenda, even though energy sources have been changing over time. In recent years, the awareness of Arctic offshore oil and natural gas development has escalated, yielding economic opportunities and incurring risks. The offshore Arctic is one of ‘edges’ of the global petroleum industry. The importance of these oil and natural gas resources extends beyond regional and national boarders and local economies, as these activities have become a key geopolitical, economic, and social concern. In an attempt to shed light on this growing issue, this thesis outlines the Arctic is a link in the global energy system and shows how it plays a special role. The aim of this research is to provide deeper insight into offshore hydrocarbon development activities in the Arctic. Historical approach is applied as a main conceptual framework to provide a critical link of past to the present in order to explore the origin and intensity of these activities in the Arctic. This licentiate thesis presents the results of an ongoing doctoral research project. The study provides several insights into Arctic offshore oil and natural gas resources development in the global context via an analysis of the relevant investments and technology from a country-by-country and historical perspective in the maximum period time frame between 1920 and 2025. The two papers included in this thesis explore the impact of investment and technology. This research project illustrates the importance of several factors influencing the Arctic offshore oil and natural gas production and highlights the most promising areas for cooperation at the industrial and global level. The implications of the study results can be useful for identifying and emphasizing the factors that influence offshore Arctic hydrocarbon resource development and investment trends, as well as making assumptions regarding future development. Topics for further research are discussed and refined relating to the ongoing study and the conceptual framework presented. / <p>QC 20150407</p>