Purpose – Manufacturing companies are challenged to utilize their full resources in the form of raw materials. Thus, the residual material that is not used becomes waste for the companies. By minimizing the material waste, operations can become more profit- driven because the manufacture can produce more units for the same amount of raw materials. In addition, the raw material has a direct impact on the environment as it contributes to footprint waste. Thus, the purpose of this study is:  To increase the understanding of material waste in production processes  The purpose has been broken down into two research questions:  Why does the material waste occur in production processes? How can the material waste be reduced in production processes? Method – The study conducted a case study with quantitative and qualitative focused research to fulfil the study's purpose and answer the study's questions. The literature review has been shaped by reviewing previous research and, together with the data collection methods: interviews, observations, and document studies, has formed the empirical section. The authors have used various Lean tools to map the fall company's processes and identify causes of material waste. In the analysis section, the authors intend to identify repeated patterns of cause-effect-cause-effect and then present solutions to manufacturing companies.  Findings – There are several reasons why material waste occurs and thus various suggestions for improvement. Manufacturing companies can integrate and collaborate with their suppliers and customers through workshops. The effect is that manufacturing companies can reduce material waste because natural waste and overproduction are reduced. Thus, they achieve a more sustainable supply chain. Thereafter, manufacturing companies should design a functional production system to reduce machine conversions and thereby reduce the number of scraps. Furthermore, manufacturing companies can apply quality controls at goods receipt to obtain good quality on incoming materials. Finally, manufacturing companies should include operators in the application of standardized working methods. Consequently, manufacturing companies can identify systematic deviations and work on continuous improvements to reduce material waste.  Implications – The study can provide manufacturing companies with innovative thinking and provide the opportunity to apply the recommendations the studied possessed. Consequently, manufacturing companies that use similar manufacturing methods as the case company can use the study as a guide on how these to think about reducing material waste.  Limitations – The study was intended to have good reliability and validity, which means that the study uses triangulation. On the other hand, it would have been advantageous to study several manufacturing companies with a similar manufacturing process to further strengthen the study's reliability. / Syfte – Tillverkningsföretag har en utmaning att utnyttja sina fulla resurser i form av råmaterial. Det gör att restmaterial som inte används blir slöseri för verksamheten. Vid minimering av materialspill kan verksamheter bli mer vinstdrivna eftersom de kan tillverka mer enheter för samma mängd av råmaterial. Dessutom har materialspill en direktpåverkan på miljön då det bidrar till avfallfotsavtryck. Därmed är syftet med denna studie:  Att öka förståelsen för materialspill i produktionsprocesser  Syftet har sedan brutits ned i två frågeställningar:  Varför uppstår materialspill i produktionsprocesser?  Hur kan materialspill reduceras i produktionsprocesser?  Metod – I studien genomfördes fallstudie med kvantitativ och kvalitativ inriktad forskning för att uppfylla studiens syfte och besvara studiens frågeställningar. Litteraturöversikten har formats genom granskning av tidigare forskning och har tillsammans med datainsamlingsmetoderna: intervjuer, observationer samt dokumentstudier utgjort empiriavsnittet. Författarna har använt sig av olika Lean- verktyg för att kartlägga fallföretagets processer och identifiera orsaker till materialspill. I analysavsnittet avser författarna att identifiera upprepade mönster av orsak-effekt-orsak-effekt för att sedan presentera lösningar till tillverkningsföretag.  Resultat – Det finns fler orsaker till att materialspill uppstår och därmed olika förbättringsförslag. Tillverkningsföretag kan integrera och samarbeta med sina leverantörer och kunder genom workshops. Effekten är att tillverkningsföretag kan reducera materialspill eftersom naturligt spill och överproduktion reduceras. Därmed uppnår de en mer hållbar försörjningskedja. Därefter bör tillverkningsföretag utforma ett funktionellt produktionssystem för att reducera maskinomställningar och därmed reduceras antalet kassationer. Vidare kan tillverkningsföretag tillämpa kvalitetskontroller vid godsmottagning för att få god kvalité på inkommande material. Slutligen bör tillverkningsföretag inkludera operatörer vid tillämpning av standardiserat arbetssätt. Följaktligen kan tillverkningsföretag identifiera systematiska avvikelser och arbeta med ständiga förbättringar för att reducera materialspill.  Implikationer – Studien kan tillhandahålla nytänkande till tillverkningsföretag och ge möjlighet till att tillämpa de rekommendationer studien besitter. Följaktligen kan tillverkningsföretag som använder liknande tillverkningssätt som fallföretaget använda studien som en vägledning om hur de kan tänka kring reduktion av materialspill. Begränsningar – Studien avsåg att få god reliabilitet och validitet, vilket gör att studien använder sig av triangulering. Däremot hade det varit fördelaktigt att studera flera tillverkningsföretag med liknande tillverkningsprocess för att stärka studiens reliabilitet ytterligare.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids is a world leading manufacturer of power transformers, operating on an increasingly competitive market. With the advancements in digitalization and electrification, the production of power transformers has been subject of higher demands, both in terms of product quality and production efficiency. To stay ahead of market rivals, constant development of the business and its production processes is necessary, which has been enabled by increased access to innovative technical solutions. Novel appliances and areas of development has been investigated, of which 3D-scanning is one of the promising technologies that has proven useful in the manufacturing industry.  The purpose of this study has been to map the production process of power transformer manufacturing at Hitachi ABB Power Grids, with the intention of identifying potential areas for use of 3D-scanning technology in quality management. By analyzing each individual production segment, the study has sought to answer to where in the production system that 3D-scanning technology can be beneficial, what type of improvements it can contribute with, and what risks and limitations that using the technology might entail.  The results were obtained by analyzing empirical data, collected through both qualitative and quantitative methods. Interviews with employees and on-site observations has been the main sources of data, together with documentation and statistics from the company’s own data bases.  Central factors that the analysis was built upon are the registered costs of failure and reported quality defects, combined with the appropriateness of 3D-scanning technology in each segment regarding the practical usability, advantage in time, economic profitability, and the feasibility of implementation in the production system. A value assessment was made of the device’s potential, leading to identifying improvements in transparency, traceability, and efficiency. Some of the discussed drawbacks were limited visual access, faulty handling of the equipment, and excessive reliance on the technology. / Hitachi ABB Power Grids är en världsledande tillverkare av krafttransformatorer, agerandes på en alltmer konkurrensbenägen marknad. Med digitaliseringens och elektrifieringens framfart ställs högre krav på produktionen av krafttransformatorer, både gällande produktkvalitet och produktionseffektivitet. För att bibehålla en ledande position krävs därför ständig utveckling av verksamheten och dess processer, vilket bland annat möjliggjorts av den ökade tillgången till innovativa tekniska lösningar. Nya verktyg och förbättringsområden undersöks, varpå en av de uppmärksammade teknikerna är 3D-skanning, vilket visat sig användbart inom tillverkningsindustrin.  Syftet med studien har varit att kartlägga processen för krafttransformatortillverkning hos fallstudieföretaget Hitachi ABB Power Grids, med avsikt att identifiera möjligheterna kring användning av 3D-skanningsteknik i kvalitetsarbetet. Genom att undersöka varje individuellt delmoment i produktionsprocessen har studien sökt besvara var i produktionssystemet som 3D-skanningstekniken kan medföra förbättringar, vilken typ av förbättringar som kan åstadkommas, samt de risker och begränsningar som användning av tekniken eventuellt kan medföra.  Resultaten erhölls genom analys av empiriska data som samlats in genom både kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. Intervjuer med personal och observationer på anläggningen har utgjort de huvudsakliga källorna till information, tillsammans med dokumentation och statistik från företagets interna databaser.  Centrala faktorer som analysen har byggt på är produktionens registrerade felkostnader och rapporterade kvalitetsfel, i kombination med 3D-skanningsteknikens lämplighet för respektive avsnitt gällande praktisk användbarhet, tidsmässig fördel, ekonomisk lönsamhet och implementerbarhet i produktionssystemet. En värdering gjordes därefter av teknikens potential, och förbättringar i form av transparens, spårbarhet och effektivitet kunde identifieras. Några av de brister som uppmärksammades var begränsad visuell åtkomst, felaktig manövrering av utrustningen och överdriven tillförlitlighet till tekniken.

Background: The Swedish Royal School of Technology (KTH) was hired to conduct a pilot study project on stress prevention, "Stress Prevention Project" in a Swedish high-tech global manufacturing company with headquarters in Sweden. The aim was to identify the root causes of stress among employees at the organizational level and to offer a way to prevent the root causes. The initiative to implement the project came from the HR department in the company. The occupational health department had not been able to lower the costs of sickness and rehabilitation. One of nine divisions was included in this evaluation study. The project was carried out during the years of 2012-2014, and three quantitative stress measurements were carried out using the modern working environment form “Modern Work Life” based of knowledge from KTH and designed by Metodicum. The present study has evaluated the root causes of the division's stress. In the division, it was stated that the risk areas that the division had to work with were: resources, demands, control, support but also leadership and reorganization with implementing the Agile methods (autonomous work) in the form of. The aim was to improve the psychosocial occupational health and to make the production work more efficient. Aim: The aim was to evaluate the effect of stress preventive measures in one of the nine divisions (that were included in the overall project) and the effect of implementing the Agile methods (autonomous work) in the organization. Limitations: The evaluation is restricted to one of the nine divisions. Method: The method is a quantitative and qualitative case study, with a narrative approach. The study includes a division with 200 employees of which data was collected from 18 of these employees in two focus groups interviews. Materials have also been collected from interviews with the division's HR director, section leader, head of unit and head of the organization's business health. The evaluation is based on qualitative data, which were obtained through 3 single interviews and 4 focus group interviews and participant observation. Quantitative data were obtained through three different measurements (between 2012-14). The quantitative data were compared and analyzed with the qualitative data in order to understand the results up to the final measurement 3 (2014). Results: The evaluation of the stress prevention – where the focus was to prevent risk areas including demands, develop resources, control, support and also leadership – showed that introducing and using the Agile working principles had had a significant positive effect on all the risk areas. Additionally, this change in the organization contributed to positive results regarding the efficiency of the production process; a reduction of working hours from 12 months to 2 weeks of action at the same result. The absence due to illness and rehabilitation has been decreasing from 4 % to 0,5-1% right after introducing the Agile methods in the division. However, the results also showed no improvement regarding some other working environment; as conflicts and bullying persisted. This may be due to how the reorganization of the groups was done. It should be clarified that the outcomes may be influenced by the extensive reorganization that took place in connection with the stress prevention project and the introduction of the agile approach. Conclusions - The stress prevention could not have been done efficiently due to other on-going reorganizations in the company and the staff has not been able to follow the recommendation for efficient stress-prevention due to lack of support from the headquarter. That created a crisis in the stress prevention-project group. The agile methods seem to have had a significant good result in all risk areas as resources, demands, control, support and also leadership and the absence has decreased from 4 to 0,5 %. Due to the agile methods have the productions process been shorter from 12 months to 2 weeks.