Circular product flows are found as a business model in several companies and are characterized by the rental of various products. As a result of the products being returned, it creates changes in what can be regarded as a classic linear product flow. The study aims to evaluate the management of rental products at a specific case company and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of selected methods when applied to a circular product flow. The case company with which the study was conducted is Hjälpmedelscentralen Region Västernorrland, which has the task of providing technical aids to individuals with special needs. The methods used to fulfill the purpose are Value Stream Mapping, ABC-XYZ classification and DEA. By applying the methods, it makes it possible to evaluate the efficiency of the case company and the advantages and disadvantages of the methods when applying to circular product flows. The Value Stream Mapping resulted in four potential future states and that a non-value-adding process could be identified. The ABC-XYZ classification shows that about 5 percent of the articles have a high demand and a low variation while about 58 percent have a low demand and a low variation. Based on the DEA analysis, Hjälpmedelscentralen is currently 75 percent efficient in relation to the potentially most efficient state. In evaluation of the studied models, it can be stated that the choice of parameters for ABC-XYZ classification on a circular product flow differs from the most common parameters used in ABC-XYZ. Furthermore, it appears that VSM is not adapted for circular product flows, which contributes to a source of uncertainty in the DEA. / Cirkulära produktflöden återfinns som affärsmodell hos flera företag och kännetecknas av uthyrning av diverse produkter. Till följd av att produkterna returneras skapar det förändringar i vad som kan anses som klassiska linjära produktflöden. Studien syftar till att utvärdera hanteringen av uthyrningsprodukter hos ett specifikt fallföretag samt utvärdera valda metoders för- och nackdelar vid applicering på ett cirkulärt produktflöde. Fallföretaget som studien är genomförd hos är Hjälpmedelscentralen Region Västernorrland, som har till uppdrag att tillhandahålla tekniska hjälpmedel till individer med speciella behov. Metoderna som används för att uppfylla syftet är värdeflödesanalys, ABC-XYZ klassificering samt DEA. Genom att tillämpa metoderna möjliggör det att utvärdera fallföretagets effektivitet och metodernas för- och nackdelar vid applicering på cirkulära produktflöden. Värdeflödesanalysens resultat är fyra potentiella framtida tillstånd och att en icke-värdeskapande process kan identifieras. ABC-XYZ klassificeringen påvisar att cirka 5 procent av artiklarna har en hög efterfrågan och en låg variation medan cirka 58 procent har en låg efterfrågan och en låg variation. Utifrån DEA-analysen är hjälpmedelscentralen i dagsläget cirka 75 procent effektiv i förhållande till det potentiellt effektivaste tillståndet. Vid en utvärdering av studiens modeller går det att konstatera att val av parametrar för ABC-XYZ klassificering på ett cirkulärt produktflöde skiljer sig från de vanligast förekommande parametrarna som används vid ABC-XYZ. Vidare framgår det att VSM inte är anpassad för cirkulära produktflöden, vilket bidrar till en osäkerhetskälla i DEA.

Kurs: Ämnesfördjupande kurs i logistik, 2FE02E, VT 2015 Författare: Martin Norén Kristoffer Nählstedt och Oscar Weberg Handledare: Petra Andersson Examinator: Åsa Gustafsson Titel: En fallstudie om e-handel – Identifierade slöserier i returflödet Bakgrund: I en bransch med mycket returer krävs en effektiv hantering av returer för att inte kostnaderna ska skena iväg. Hela returflödet behöver vara smidigt för att snabbt få ut returnerade varor på marknaden igen. Hur ser ett returflöde ut i nuläget på ett företag i e-handelsbranschen? Returflödet kommer undersökas genom en fallstudie på ett företag. Genom att identifiera slöserier enligt Lean Production förväntas denna uppsats eliminera eller åtminstone reducera identifierade slöserier. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att identifiera slöserier i returflödet och presentera förbättringsförslag som reducerar nämnda slöserier. Metod: Studien har utförts som en kvalitativ fallstudie med ett deduktivt angreppssätt och ett postpositivistisk synsätt.  Primärdatan har samlats in genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer och observationer. Slutsats: Efter en genomförd Value Stream Mapping analyserar författarna returflödes nuvarande tillstånd. Därefter identifieras slöserier och orsakerna till varför slöserierna uppstår. I slutsatsen presenteras förslag på förbättringar såsom att öka andelen webbreturer och minska avstånden inom lagret.

Value Stream Mapping is a common tool used in a lot of instances in today’s industrieswho have adopted any kind of Lean initiatives. However, Value Stream Mapping (VSM) may not always fit to the best extent and intention of the industry applying it; therefore a need for tailoring certain aspects of it have been seen in some cases where the original tool has not been enough. However there is little research on how to adopt VSM towards the tire industry, it is the case that some adaptation is needed in order to fully map the value the chain is trying to capture as seen by some authors who use VSM on other industries. This leads to conclude that further research is needed in order to see the benefits and chal-lenges in the creating of a tailored value stream tool in order to understand how it would affect the company its applied on as well as increasing the knowledge of its capabilities and drivers for it application. The impact this research would have is to begin bridging a gap of the usage of how a Tai-lored Value Stream Mapping (TVSM) tool would affect when applied to a specific industry. For this paper, a case study within a Tire Company located in Europe, who stated that they had issues regarding their current usage and utilization of VSM, was conducted. The com-pany has projects going all over the globe but sees a lack of initiative and success without the direct involvement of its central plant. The purpose of this research is to investigate the perceived impact as well as the benefits and challenges of utilizing a company TVSM, in-stead of a standardized one, taking into consideration both particularities of the industry, as well as the culture of the firm. Also an understanding is sought to recognize the motiva-tions that drove the Tire Company to choose a tailored approach. The research was conducted as a qualitative single case study involving three different sitesbelonging to the tire industry located in Europe. It is built upon both a theoretical part, comprised by a literature review of the concepts of VSM, Lean and TVSM; and an empiri-cal part derived from the case. The Empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews as well as participant observations, supported by secondary data collected from the company in form of written documents concerning the internal training of VSM. The findings concluded that, the reasons for sustaining a TVSM are its ease of use, and ability to reach out and be understood by people with little to no training in VSM’s. The company fitted training documents would decrease the training needed and the time spent doing so. Some other benefits were the empowerment of employees and the sharing of knowledge across multiple sites in a standardized company language. Albeit with the chal-lenge of creating and upholding such documents and training, compelling the company to have experts with knowledge of VSM and the company processes and culture with the added challenge of also maintaining regularly updates as the company moves forward. Implementation of a tailored approach is practical where there has been identified that it exists a gap between different plants or departments, local or globally, regarding knowledge or experience when there is a requirement for standardisation, communication and need for change.

Current concepts of environmental waste focus on the total production of waste from a production plant or industrial setting and the subsequent consequences on the natural environment. Hence, there is an emphasis on containing waste within the industrial boundaries and applying a post-production process to clean it up. However, waste is generated by individual processes within the production system and can be more effectively treated at this individual site level. Therefore, focused management of environmental waste reduction requires that production engineers first know what the environmental waste is and where specifically it is being generated. However, this is often simply not known with any accuracy. In addition, production plants are controlled and improved by lean methods. Current environmental waste methods lack integration with lean methods and thus are not included in the continuous improvement cycles. Consequently, there is a need to include environmental waste impacts alongside the other primary lean wastes. This work develops just such an integrative method which includes both environmental waste and Value Stream Mapping (VSM). This method was developed and tested in a re-manufacturing setting (i.e. Christchurch Engine Centre, Pratt and Whitney) and is able to represent a variety of environmental wastes. Specifically, it integrates aspects from the generic environmental standard ISO14001 through to an organisational environmental risk register. It provides integration within the VSM process which ensures that the established lean improvement programme (through the use of Kaizen improvements) is focused on specific environmental improvement actions. While the example for this thesis used the factors of carbon footprinting, perceived impact, costs to remediate and waste volumes (both removed from process and residual); the method is capable of being generalised to nth dimension environmental factors. It is thus able to represent a customised environmental waste index for any particular industry. Ambiguous user estimation of waste quantities was accommodated through PERT beta distributions. Several ways to represent the multi-dimensional environmental waste impact data were explored via industry focus group reviews and the preferred representation was designed to completion. The resulting method can be used by production staff to quantify and represent environmental impacts at the level of the individual processes and aggregated to report wastes for the whole value stream. The method may also be used by executives to align organisational practices with strategic objectives for waste reduction.

Les travaux présentés dans ce mémoire se situent dans le cadre général de la recherche de nouveaux médicaments par le biais de techniques informatiques. La première partie de ce document est centrée autour du développement de la plateforme logicielle VSM-G (Virtual Screening Manager for Grids). Le but poursuivi par ce projet est de fournir un outil convivial et simple d'utilisation afin de conduire des études de criblage virtuel à haut-débit. Le coeur de VSM-G repose sur une stratégie multi-étapes de filtres successifs permettant le traitement efficace de chimiothèques de grande taille. Deux filtres ont été utilisés pour ce travail et implémentés dans VSM-G : un programme innovant d’estimation rapide de complémentarité géométrique entre molécules-candidates et site actif (SHEF) précéde un algorithme de docking flexible plus conventionnel (GOLD). Les avantages de cette méthodologie, associée à la prise en charge de multiples conformations de la cible étudiée (le récepteur nucléaire LXRß), sont présentés tout d’abord par une étude de preuve de concept, puis à travers une campagne de criblage virtuel à grande échelle. L'autre partie de ces travaux, exclusivement applicative, concerne l'étude du domaine FAT de la kinase d'adhérence focale FAK. FAK est une cible d’intérêt pharmaceutique particulièrement intéressante, car clairement impliquée dans divers processus de développement cancéreux. Le but de cette étude est double : il s’agit tout d’abord de mieux comprendre le mode de fonctionnement du domaine FAT de FAK à travers une étude biophysique pour en évaluer la flexibilité ; et ensuite concevoir in silico des petites molécules peptidomimétiques permettant de moduler son activité, ce qui pourrait limiter une progression tumorale. / The work presented here deals with drug discovery by means of computational techniques. The first part is focused around the development of the VSM-G (Virtual Screening Manager for Grids) software platform. This project aims to provide a user-friendly and easy-to-use tool for performing high throughput virtual screening experiments. The core of VSM-G is a multiple-step screening strategy in which several filters are organized sequentially as to tackle large chemical libraries efficiently. Two filters were used for this study and implemented into VSM-G: a new and fast ligand-active site geometrical complementarity estimation program (SHEF) precedes a conventional flexible docking tool (GOLD). We describe the advantages of such an approach, associated with the use of multiple target conformations for the LXRß nuclear receptor, by presenting a proof-of-concept study. A high-throughput virtual screening campaign is then performed. The second part of this work, exclusively applicative, deals with the study of the FAT domain of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK). FAK is an important pharmaceutical target due to its involvement in the development of various forms of cancer. The first goal is to gain knowledge regarding FAT flexibility and active state structural properties. The second objective is to design in silico peptidomimetic compounds targeting FAT and therefore potentially modulate FAK activity during tumour progression.

I fordonsindustrin är det högt fokus på lönsamhet och att ständigt förnya sin produktflora. Företagen jobbar ständigt med att göra sina processer effektivare och nå en högre produktivitet. Som underleverantör till bilindustrin är detta något man ständigt jobbar med. Trycket från kunder som vill ha billigare produkter gör att Kongsberg Automotive AB behöver jobba med sina processer för att behålla sina kunder och för att förbli lönsamma. Kongsberg Automotive AB har ett monteringsområde som inte uppfyller den standard som krävs. Genom att sänka PIA-nivån (produkter i arbete) minskas materialet inom området. Detta ska åstadkommas genom att effektivisera materialhanteringen.   Målet med studien blev då att identifiera de aktiviteter som bidrar till att man får en hög PIA-nivå och därmed får onödig materialhantering. När dessa aktiviteter hade identifierats skulle de reduceras eller elimineras helt för att öka effektiviteten i materialhanteringen och även öka produktiviteten i monteringsområdet.   För att identifiera hur stor del av en arbetsdag som försvinner på grund utav ineffektiv materialhantering, gjordes en frekvensstudie. Frekvensstudien identifierade alla aktiviteter som var icke-värdeskapande och deras andel av det totala arbetet. Några av de aktiviteter som var av icke-värdeskapande karaktär kunde kopplas till problemet PIA. Till dessa aktiviteter formades åtgärdsförslag. En VSM (värdeflödesanalys) utfördes för att få en större bild över alla produkter som ingår i monteringsområdet och denna analys gav underlag till hur åtgärdsförslagen utformades.    Resultatet av frekvensstudien visade på att 19,5% av aktiviteterna i monteringsområdet hamnade under kategorin, icke-värdeskapande. Grundorsakerna till varför denna kategori var 19,5% av den totala arbetsdagen analyserades fram. Tre åtgärdsförslag utformades för att reducera de icke-värdeskapande aktiviteterna och effektivisera materialhanteringen. Dessa tre åtgärdsförslag var kittning av produkterna, kittning av emballaget, samt att lägga till de småkomponenter som redan borde tillhöra line feedingen. / In the automotive industry there is a high focus on profitability and to constantly renew its product range. Companies are constantly working to make their processes more effective and achieve higher productivity. As a subcontractor to the automotive industry, this is something that you continuously work with. The pressure from customers who want cheaper products means that Kongsberg Automotive AB will need to work with its processes to keep its customers and to remain profitable. Kongsberg Automotive AB has an assembly area that does not meet the required standard. By lowering the WIP (work in progress) level, the material is reduced in the area. This should be achieved by making the material handling more effective.   The aim of the study was to identify the activities that contribute to a high WIP level and unnecessary material handling. Once identified, these activities would be reduced or eliminated entirely to increase the efficiency of the material handling and also to increase the productivity in the assembly area.   In order to identify how much of a workday that disappears due to inefficient material handling, a frequency study was made. The frequency study identified all non-value added activities and their share of the total work. Some of the activities that were of non-value added nature could be linked to the problem WIP. For these activities action proposals were formed. A VSM (value stream map) was conducted to get the bigger picture of all products included in the assembly area, and this analysis provided a basis for the action proposals.   The result of the frequency study showed that 19,5% of the activities in the assembly area fell under the category of non-value added activities. The root cause of why this category was 19,5% of the total working day was analyzed. Three action proposals were designed to reduce non-value added activities and to make the material handling more efficient. These three action proposals were kitting of the products, kitting of the packaging, and also to add the small components to the line feeding, that should already have belonged there.

Flygplats logistik

Lean Six Sigma is a method used to improve the quality and efficiency of processes by reducing variation and eliminating wastes (non-value added activities) in an organisation. The concept of combining the principles and tools of Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma has been discussed in the literature. The majority of Lean Six Sigma applications in private industry have focused primarily on manufacturing applications. The literature has not provided a framework for implementing Lean Six Sigma programmes in non-manufacturing or transactional processes like those in the Entertainment Media industry. The Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), like many other industries in Saudi Arabia, has high occupational safety risks, such as electric, fire and fall hazards which often occur in the media workplace. These risks are considered very costly and affect productivity and employee morale in general. The main objective of this research is to provide a synergistic approach to integrating occupational health and safety programmes and Lean Six Sigma tools using the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control) problem-solving method to strengthen and assure the success of safety programmes in the Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). This research identifies the roadmap (i.e. activities, principles, tools, and important component factors) for applying Lean Six Sigma tools in the media industry. A case study addressing the safety issues that affect employees’ performance within the Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) TV studio is used to validate work outlined in this research. Furthermore, the Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN) method is used to understand the probability occurrence of safety hazards. The application of the Taguchi Experimental Design method and other Lean Six Sigma tools, such as Cause and Effect diagrams, Pareto principles, 5S, Value Stream map, and Poka-Yoke have been incorporated in to this research. The application of Lean Six Sigma DMAIC problem-solving tools resulted in significant improvement in safety within SBC. The average electrical hazard incident decreased from 2.08 to 0.33, the average fire hazard incident decreased from 1.25 to 0.08, and the average fall hazard incident decreased from 3.42 to 0.17. The research has important implications for the company and its employees, with positive outcomes and feedback reported by top management, the senior technicians, and experts. The research improved the safety by reducing electrical, fire and fall risks. The Safety training sessions are one of the most significant factors that improve their safety awareness. It is observed that Lean Six Sigma problem-solving tools and methods are effective in the Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).

This thesis describes line balancing of indoor optical cable production. First, the thesis explains basics of classical and lean manufacturing management and tools that helps to achieve production line improvement. This theory is the baseline for practical part. With help of analysis of movement of workers and a time study, new standard work that increases line output is set up.

<p>Instrument Control Sweden (ICS) is a software company that develops NATO STANAG 4586 compatible ground station software for control of unmanned systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). To perform testing and demonstration of the ground station software ICS needs a realistic UAV simulator that implements the STANAG 4586 protocol. This thesis studies what methods are best suited for the rapid development of such a simulator.</p><p>One goal with the project was to examine what existing flight simulator systems and flight dynamics models can be used to rapidly develop a UAV simulator. Another goal was to design and implement such a simulator. It is found that it’s possible to quickly develop a UAV simulator based on existing projects such as the flight simulator FlightGear, the simulation framework OpenEaagles and the flight dynamics model (FDM) JSBSim.</p><p>The design of the simulator is modular, object-oriented and features real-time design techniques. The main application is a simulation of a Vehicle Specific Module, which implements the STANAG 4586 protocol. Another module based on the OpenEaagles framework simulates the aircraft and its subsystems. A third module consists of the JSBSim FDM and simulates the flight dynamics and movements of the aircraft under the forces and moments affecting it.</p>