For many years, supply chain research focused on operational aspects and therefore mainly on the optimisation of parts of the production and distribution processes. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in supply chain management and collaboration between supply chain partners. However, there is no model that takes into consideration all aspects required to adequately represent and measure the performance of a collaborative supply chain. This thesis proposes a model of a collaborative supply chain, consisting of six constituents, all of which are required in order to provide a complete picture of such a collaborative supply chain. In conjunction with that, a collaborative supply chain performance indicator is developed. It is based on three types of measures to allow the adequate measurement of collaborative supply chain performance. The proposed model of a collaborative supply chain and the collaborative supply chain performance indicator are implemented as a computer simulation. This is done in the form of a decision support environment, whose purpose is to show how changes in any of the six constituents affect collaborative supply chain performance. The decision support environment is configured and populated with information and data obtained in a case study. Verification and validation testing in three different scenarios demonstrate that the decision support environment adequately fulfils it purpose.

打造一個好的產品是所有早期新創公司的核心，然而如何將產品從構想到販售並取顧客喜愛，則是一個需要理論與實務結合、不斷實驗的過程。在本論文中，作者將過去三年實際帶領產品-Voltset從出生到成長的經驗紀錄下來並與理論相呼應，探討一個新產品如何透過不斷循環的迭代過程 (iteration process)增加其新產品完整度 (product readiness) 。這三年當中，作者歸納了 Voltset從初期抽象構想的形成，獲得第一位付費的客戶，到後期在全球最大的群眾募資平台上進行全球市場驗證的過程。本論文主要會針對兩大部分做深度討論: 第一部分著重於探討如何在各種實際市場驗證測試中增加產品就緒度，並點出在目前現有理論框架，如: 精實創業 (the Lean startup) 下可能與實際執行面不同之處。根據本產品的經驗，新產品第一次的迭代過程循環應該經由以下幾個步驟：產品目標市場願景、產品本身定義、最小可行性產品構築、意見領袖背書、市場驗證、市場測試與學習。第二部分則是討論當在定義一個新產品的功能與特徵時，如何正確地選擇性聽取以及以什麼方式來聽取目標客戶的需求。根據打造 Voltset產品的經驗，作者發現當潛在客戶聲音太廣泛時，應只聽取”已付費”客戶的意見，因為該族群的產生是藉由深入了解產品價值，並經歷認同與付費過程而形成，因此會在產品的功能與特徵上的需求較聚焦。 本論文藉由親身實務經驗與理論的對話提供深度的產品迭代過程探討，作者期許這樣的研究能對於縮小理論與實務的鴻溝做出貢獻。 / Product building is a core activity for any early-stage startup. However, there are still many gaps between literature to real world practice for successfully developing a product that is accepted by the market. In this thesis, the building experience of Voltset -- a one of the kind hardware and software integrated multimeter, is studied for its journey of product iteration process to increase product readiness. The cofounder of the startup as well as the author of this thesis, has reflected his firsthand experience with literature such as the Commercializing New Technologies and the Lean Startup to seek steps necessary to move the project from shaping an abstract concept, acquiring the first paying customer, and then campaigning a successful crowd funding project. The thesis focuses on answering two questions: First, what are the steps required to enhance product readiness through validation testing from the first business idea to receiving its first group of paying customers. Based on the experience of Voltset and the Lean startup framework, it suggests the first product iteration process should loop through the following stages: Product market vision, product definition, minimum viable product building, key opinion leader endorsement, validation sell, measure, and learn. Second, when a product specification needs to be pinpointed, who and how to listen to the voice of targeted customers (VOC) is the state-of-art question for early-stage startups. Within the scope of this experience, it indicates to focus only on paying customers since they understand the potential value of the new product and have similar needs compare to the wide range of feature request from the rest of potential buyers. This thesis provides the insights of product iteration from first-hand experience, enriching the knowledge gap between real product building and theoretic framework point of view.