The role of a purchaser has traditionally focused on acquiring standard items at the lowest possible cost. The ability to reduce unit cost has been the key performance indicator for purchasers. Most traditional purchasing strategies thus focus on optimizing this situation, focusing on the supplier interface only and not on customer value. However, for many manufacturing companies, the demand from their customers has changed lately. Not only low‐cost standard products but also customized products and short delivery lead times is increasingly required. In order to contribute to the focal actor’s competitiveness, purchasers need a purchasing strategy that supports customer value creation and thus differentiates between acquiring standard items and acquiring customized items. Accordingly, not only the focal actor’s interaction with the supplier needs to be regarded in the purchasing situation, but also the interaction with the focal actor’s customer. This is defined as customer‐driven purchasing in this research. The purpose of this research is to develop knowledge that contributes to increased competitiveness of manufacturing companies. The manufacturer can increase competitiveness by further utilizing knowledge available in manufacturing strategy in the purchasing situation. The main objective of this dissertation is to analyze the competitiveness in customer‐driven purchasing and to develop a method for customerdriven purchasing by aligning supplier interaction with customer‐driven manufacturing. The method for customer‐driven purchasing (the CDP method) was developed in collaboration with Combitech AB, Ericsson AB, Fagerhult AB, Husqvarna AB, Parker Hannifin AB, and Siemens Turbomachinery AB. The CDP method consists of three phases, divided into twelve steps. The first phase focuses on identifying strategic lead times and differentiating between varying circumstances for the purchased items. The second phase focuses on analyzing customer‐driven manufacturing while the third phase focuses on analyzing supplier interaction. The method is concluded with the implementation of customer‐driven purchasing. When applying the three phases of the CDP method, the case companies have experienced a better alignment between customer expectations and supplier performance since the competitive priorities to pursue in a supplier interaction are identified and taken action upon. Direct visible results of implementing the model are, for example, shortened supply lead time for customized items, and reduced inventory levels for standard items. The CDP method has also helped the companies to identify critical suppliers and how the supplier interaction should be affected by the customer demand for the purchased item. Several indirect results have also been reported, such as, improved internal communication, and a better balance between short supply lead time and low cost. Thus the need to differentiate and balance the goals and key performance indicators for purchasers has become evident. Applying the CDP method has been seen as an important learning process in which the objectives of purchasing and manufacturing are aligned for improved competitiveness. This contributes to establishing purchasing as a strategically important competitive function and to support a holistic view of the focal actor’s competitiveness. / Traditionellt har inköparens roll varit att anskaffa standardartiklar till lägsta möjliga kostnad. Förmågan att reducera kostnaden per inköpt artikel har också ofta varit det viktigaste nyckeltalet för inköp. De flesta inköpsstrategier fokuserar därför på att optimera denna situation och därmed endast på gränssnittet mot leverantör, inte på att skapa kundvärde. För många tillverkande företag har dock efterfrågan från kunderna ändrats; numera efterfrågas inte bara standardartiklar till lägsta möjliga kostnad utan även kundanpassade artiklar som kan levereras med kort leveransledtid och med bibehållen låg kostnad. För att kunna bidra till företagets konkurrenskraft behöver inköparna därför få tillgång till en inköps‐strategi som stöder skapandet av kundvärde och därför skiljer inköpssituationer där standardartiklar ska anskaffas från situationer där kundanpassade artiklar ska anskaffas. En sådan inköpsstrategi tar därför inte bara hänsyn till samverkan med leverantören utan även till det tillverkande företagets kund. Detta definieras som kunddrivet inköp i denna avhandling. Syftet med denna forskning är att utveckla kunskap som bidrar till ökad konkurrenskraft för tillverkande företag. Tillverkaren kan öka sin konkurrenskraft genom att skapa sig ett helhetsperspektiv på produktion och inköp där inköpsstrategier och leverantörsrelationer ligger i linje med aktuella produktionsstrategier. Målet med denna avhandling är att anlysera konceptet kunddrivet inköp och att utveckla en metod för kunddrivet inköp genom att samordna inköpsstrategier och produktionsstrategier. Metoden för kunddrivet inköp (KDI‐metoden) har tagits fram i samverkan med Combitech AB, Ericsson AB, Fagerhult AB, Husqvarna AB, Parker Hannifin AB och Siemens Turbomachinery AB. KDI‐metoden består av tre faser uppdelade på 12 steg. Första fasen fokuserar på att identifiera strategiska ledtider och att differentiera mellan olika förutsättningar för de inköpta artiklarna. Den andra fasen fokuserar på att analysera förutsättningarna för kunddriven produktion, och tredje fasen fokuserar på att analysera förutsättningarna för leverantörssamverkan. Metoden avslutas med att kunddrivet inköp implementeras på företaget. Vid implementeringen av KDI‐metoden har de medverkande företagen upplevt ett tydligare fokus på strategisk nivå gällande ledtider och uppdelning mellan prognosdrivna och kundorderdrivna artiklar. Detta har lett till en ökad samordning mellan kundkrav och leverantörsprestationer eftersom kritiska konkurrensfaktorer har identifierats och kommunicerats. Implementeringen av metoden har fått både direkta och indirekta resultat. Exempel på direkta resultat är minskad ledtid för kundanpassade artiklar och reducerade lagernivåer för standardartiklar. KDI‐metoden har också hjälpt företagen att identifiera vilka leverantörer som är avgörande för konkurrenskraften och hur samverkan med dessa leverantörer bör påverkas av kundefterfrågan på den inköpta artikeln. Exempel på indirekta resultat är bland annat förbättrad intern kommunikation och en företagsgemensam insikt att mål och mätetal för inköpare måste differentieras med hänsyn till typ av artikel som köps in. Detta har lett till en förbättrad balans mellan strävan efter korta ledtider och strävan efter låg inköpskostnad. Implementeringen av KDI‐metoden har hos de medverkande företagen setts som en viktig lärprocess genom vilken företaget har tydliggjort och samordnat de interna målen gällande ledtid och kostnad. Genom att skapa denna helhetssyn får inköp och produktion samma förutsättningar för att bidra till kundvärde. Företagets konkurrenskraft får därför direkt stöd av KDI‐metoden.

Globalization of the world’s economy, containerization, intermodalism and specialization have reshaped transport systems and the industries that are considered crucial for the international distribution of goods such as the port industry. Simultaneously, economies of location, economies of scope, economies of scale, optimization of production factors, and clustering of industries have triggered port regionalization and inland integration of port services especially those provided by container terminals. In this integration dry ports have emerged as a vital intermodal platform for the effective and efficient distribution of containerized cargo. Dry ports have enabled port and hinterland expansion increasing the competitiveness of container terminals at seaports. In consequence, container terminals and dry ports are establishing formal and informal relationships to strengthen the competitiveness of their hinterlands and to improve their role in the physical distribution of goods. This study assesses the characteristics of relationships between container terminals and dry ports. Such assessment is conducted based on a set of relationship characteristics proposed in a relationship assessment model for customer/supplier, in which dry ports are given the role of suppliers of port services to container terminals. In addition, the research assesses the impact of the relationships between container terminals and dry ports on inter-port competition. The main findings of the research led to conclude relationships between container terminals and dry ports are characterized by medium mutuality, low particularity, low co-operation, low conflict, low intensity, low interpersonal inconsistency, high power/dependence and medium trust. Additionally, it was concluded that such relationship characteristics impact inter-port competition in two main ways. In one hand by driving container terminals to maximize the utilization of dry port’s capabilities such as container transport/delivery, container storage, customs clearance, information systems and intermodal connections to industrial clusters. On the other hand, by constructing channels of interaction through which dry port’s benefits for hinterlands such as increase of container terminal capacity, reduction of road congestion, increase of modal shift and hinterland expansion are used as leverage in competition for containerized cargo.

In a competitive business environment that requires strategy and innovation to improve the bottom line, supply chain management has been vital in creating competitive advantage. Increasingly, companies are also identifying sustainability as an opportunity to create competitive advantage. This project explores supply chains as a leverage point in advancing sustainable development. Corporations have developed different tools to interact with their suppliers on sustainability. Three of these devices were analyzed against a framework for strategic sustainable development to identify some of their strengths and weaknesses. A general set of criteria for sustainable supply chain management devices that employs a strategic, whole-systems perspective was then developed.

Problem: Public procurement constitutes a large part of the global economy, accounting for 15% of GDP. But it is also responsible for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes vast amounts of raw materials as it is strongly focused on linear products. A more circular alternative is the procurement of Product-Service Systems (PSS), which combine products and services. However, research shows that Circular Public Procurements, such as procurements of PSS, are more complex and require deeper procurer-supplier interaction. Yet, the procurer-supplier interaction in the context of public procurement of PSS has not been empirically explored.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how the interaction between the procurer and supplier throughout the public procurement process can facilitate public procurement of PSS. Method: A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted, exploring four cases of public procurements of PSS between Swedish municipalities and Swedish private companies. Seven semi-structured interviews with interviewees from both sides were conducted. The data was triangulated with case-specific procurement documents.  Results: Procurer-supplier interaction was found to be crucial for procurers and suppliers throughout the public procurement process to make PSS happen and to improve its quality. In both, the preparation and utilisation phase of public procurement, the interaction can bring benefits for procurers as well as for suppliers, thus facilitating PSS.