Allt högre krav ställs på såväl samhälle, organisation som individ. Dagens organisationer präglas av ett högt arbetstempo som innefattar höga krav. Det leder till en ansträngd arbetsmiljö, vilket i sin tur kan vara en bidragande faktor till den psykiska ohälsa som breder ut sig i samhället. Kvinnodominerade branscher innehar en hög grad av psykosocial arbetsbelastning vilket avspeglas i sjukfrånvarostatistiken. Denna studie syftar till att skapa en djupare förståelse om kvinnliga enhetschefers psykosociala arbetsmiljö. Resultaten tolkas med hjälp av teorier tillämpbara på arbetsmiljöområdet. En kvalitativ metod har tillämpats genom sex stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts med enhetschefer verksamma inom vård- och omsorgssektorn. Resultaten visar att enhetscheferna har ett stort arbetsengagemang, en hög arbetsbelastning, ett till viss del begränsat handlingsutrymme, en känsla av otillräcklighet men ett starkt socialt stöd från närmaste chef och chefskollegor. Förutsättningar som understödjer en hälsorelaterad hållbarhet hos kvinnliga enhetschefer inbegriper bland annat tydligare gränsdragningar och arbetsbeskrivningar, en kartläggning av kompetens, minskade personalgrupper och utrymme för dialog. / Increasing demands are placed on society, organizations and the individual. Today's organizations are characterized by a high pace of work that includes high demands. This leads to a strained working environment, which in turn can be a contributing factor to the mental illness that is spreading in society. Female-dominated industries have a high degree of psychosocial workload, which is reflected in sick leave statistics. This study aims to create a deeper understanding of the psychosocial work environment of female unit managers. The results are interpreted using theories applicable in the field of occupational safety and health. A qualitative method has been applied through six semi-structured interviews conducted with unit managers active in the health care sector. The results show that unit managers have a high level of work involvement, a high workload, to some extent limited latitude, a sense of inadequacy, but a strong social support from the immediate manager and senior colleagues. Conditions supporting the health-related sustainability of female unit managers include clearer boundaries and job descriptions, skills mapping, reduced staff groups and room for dialogue.

Currently, customers are exerting a lot of pressure on companies by demanding for best product quality, customized products, reduced product lead time and reliable product delivery. Therefore, for companies to be highly competitive, there is need to improve productivity and delivery performance by having an efficient material flow. Nevertheless, the task of making the material to flow efficiently throughout the manufacturing process up to when the customer receives the product is not easy. To solve this, companies are focusing on the material handling system as it has an impact on efficient material flow and productivity. Hence, the aim of this project was to explore how an internal material handling system can be improved to guarantee a better delivery performance. To fulfil the aim, a single case study was undertaken at a dairy food producing company in Jonkoping. The information on the subject area was obtained through interviews, observation at the company and an extensive literature review. The information that was obtained was assessed in accordance with the framework of the project that includes; principles and physical elements used for designing a material handling system, software and information, and human and management. Combined analysis of the findings from the empirical study and the extensive literature review helped to identify the problems faced in an internal material handling system of the company. This was followed by identifying ways of improving material handling system and thereafter, improvement suggestions were made targeting enhancement of the delivery performance of the system. In conclusion, the findings indicate that improvement of an internal material handling system does not only depend on improving the physical attributes of the system, far from it, it is more dependent on having an efficient and effective information system. Another factors that came out is that there should be a proper integration of the material handling system and the workers operating the system. From a systems perspective this research has added information sharing and human and management to the one dimensional physical elements improvement of a material handling system.

This thesis seeks to improve the workflow in the product development process when using the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system PLM2020, incorporated at Siemens Energy. Focus is on three problem cases that emerge when working with Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) data during the development process. Apart from solving these problems, a current situation analysis was conducted, and possible solutions of these problems were investigated on how they affect the lead time in the product development process. The problems consist of exploration of an unused function and solving of two problematic situations that can occur while using PLM2020 during development work. A case study was established to investigate the problems, using participatory observations and interviews. The interviews established the current situation of Siemens work methodology to handle these situations and how PLM2020 is used. During the observations, the problems were attempted to be solved using an arbitrary Computer Aided Design (CAD) model while exploring different functions in a sandbox environment. During the interviews, it was discovered that there exist different ways of working in PLM2020 and that some approaches nullifies the benefits of using a PLM system. The participatory observations revealed that that there exist functions in the PLM system that solves the problems encountered. A set of proposed solutions are presented to Siemens

Purpose - This thesis aims to developing a decision-making tool which fits in a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) milieu used to identify whether to introduce and produce a new product into an already existing assembly line or to invest in a new assembly line. To fulfil the purpose, four research questions were developed.  Which line balancing problem-solving techniques exist in the literature? Which investment costs can be considered vital for new assembly lines as a    consequence from new product introductions? Can a decision-making tool be designed to evaluate new product introductions which considers both line balancing KPIs and investment costs in an assembly line? To what extent can criteria in the RMS theory be linked with the attributes of the    designed decision-making tool to support its applicability? Method - Literature studies were performed in order to create a theoretical foundation for the thesis to stand upon, hence enabling the possibility to answer the research questions. The literature studies were structured to focus on selected topics, including reconfigurable manufacturing systems, line balancing, and assembly line investment costs. To answer the third research question, which involved creating a decision-making tool, a single-case study was carried out. The company chosen was within the automotive industry. Data was collected through interviews, document studies and a focus group. Findings & analysis - An investigation regarding which line balancing solving-techniques suit RMS and which assembly line investment costs are critical when  introducing new products has been made. The outputs from these  investigations set the foundation for developing a decision-making tool which enables fact-based decisions. To test the decision-making tool’s compatibility with reconfigurable manufacturing systems, an evaluation against established characteristics was performed. The evaluation identified two reconfigurable manufacturing system characteristic as having a direct correlation to the decision-making tool. These characteristics regarded scalability and convertibility. Conclusions - The industrial contribution of the thesis was a decision-making tool that enables fact-based decisions regarding whether to introduce a new product into an already existing assembly line or invest in a new assembly line. The academic contribution involved that the procedure for evaluating the tool was recognized as also being suitable for testing the reconfigurable correlation with other production development tools. Another contribution regards bridging the knowledge gaps of the classifications in line balancing-solving techniques and assembly line investment costs. Delimitations - One of the delimitations in the thesis involved solely focusing on developing and analysing a decision-making tool from an RMS perspective. Hence, other production systems were not in focus. Also, the thesis only covered the development of a decision-making tool for straight assembly lines, not U-shaped lines.

The current industry landscape is witnessing a trend towards high-mix production, which requires a reconsideration of the existing production systems. Although high levels of automation have been achieved in the industry, the traditional automated production line, designed for mass production of homogeneous goods, is not well-suited for high-mix production. To address this situation, flexible and adaptable alternatives have been sought to replace the inflexible and rigid traditional production lines. One of the proposed solutions is the combination of digital technology and physical automation, creating a highly connected and intelligent production environment. Such an environment requires the implementation of a cyber-physical production system that integrates Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and flexible robots. This system enables a set of robots to perform different tasks instead of being exclusively dedicated to a specific task, making it moreadaptable and flexible. The integration of advanced technologies, such as AGVs and Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS), can significantly enhance workflow optimization, reduce production times, and enable flexible layout adaptations to cater to the specific requirements of different products in the production line. Furthermore, it can facilitate better control of information and enable real-time monitoring of the production process, leading to improved production efficiency and quality. To demonstrate the potential of such a system, a virtual commissioning of a fully innovative production line has been carried out, encompassing all the previously mentioned technologies and elements. The virtual commissioning of the production line serves as a proof-of-concept for the cyber-physical production system and its ability to provide a highly connected, intelligent, and adaptable production environment. / <p>Utbytesstudenter</p>

Companies strive to optimize their processes to increase productivity, efficiency, and quality in the production system. The complexity of different operations in a production system can vary, the level of complexity impacts the automation approach. The requirements of an automated solution increases with the level of complexity. A vision system is a type of automation solution which can improve the quality inspection process in many companies where the inspection process is performed manually. A challenge with implementing a vision system in different industries is that there are no general solutions. Depending on the requirements of an industry, the implementation of a vision system needs to be tailored to suit that industry. In this thesis, a case study is conducted in a foundry setting where empirical data is gathered through observations and interviews conducted with several departments. Nine parameters are identified which can affect the performance of a vision system in a metal casting environment. The identified parameters are analysed using relevant literature to find possible solutions. The result of the analysis is a set of guidelines which can be used when implementing vision systems in the metal casting industry and aims to mitigate possible negative effects of each parameter. A conceptual layout of a vision cell used to inspect cylinder heads based on the guidelines is also presented.

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Introduction: The development of complex products requires specialized departments to handle the demands and to be competitive in the market. To handle the knowledge integration between the specialized departments, the boundaries need to be identified. Compared to previous research, this case study takes focus on the phases of one specific product development process in a software development organization. Therefore: The purpose of this paper is to explore why boundaries exist in a software service development organization during a product development process and why they appear. To fulfill the purpose of the study, the first research question focuses on where and when the boundaries appear in the organization’s product development process. Moreover, if these boundaries appear vertically or horizontally in the organization’s hierarchy structure. The second research question then needs to elaborate on why these appear. Therefore, the research questions for the study are: RQ1: Where are the vertical and horizontal boundaries appearing in a software development organization during product development? RQ2: Why did the identified boundaries appear in the organization? Method: To answer the research questions, a single case study with an inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary qualitative data from individuals involved in the product development process. A 10-step structured literature review was used to collect secondary data. The interviews were analyzed by a thematic analysis and later combined with the secondary data through theoretical analysis. The theoretical analysis was the basis to fulfill the research questions and the purpose. Findings: The conclusion of the study shows that each of the phases in the product development process had boundaries that affect knowledge integration. Boundaries could be syntactic, semantic, or pragmatic, thus creating different kinds of consequences for the organization. Furthermore, the boundaries were either domain- specific, task-oriented, spatial, or temporal and could be vertical in the different levels of hierarchy, horizontal between departments and teams, or both. The reason behind the appearance of these boundaries was traced to multiple different possible explanations, like lack of artifacts, lack of trust, extensive use of tacit knowledge, and lack of integration. Implications: The study has a theoretical implication by giving a practical approach to how to identify boundaries during a product development process in a software service organization. Furthermore, by identifying these boundaries and why they appear, the study has a practical implication for the case organization by contributing with understanding for their product development and future work with boundary crossing in their processes. Limitations: The study is limited by being a single case study, thus having somewhat low generalizability for other organizations. Hence, it is recommended that future research repeats a similar study in other contexts.

Companies are constantly seeking new ways to increase their efficiency and flexibility to be able to meet the market demand, industry 4.0 has provided companies with new tools that enables them to better track the performance of a process and more easily optimise it. In a high mix and low volume manufacturing process a lot of inefficiencies are prone to occur due to the high variety. A simulation can be a very beneficial tool to use in the optimisation of a manufacturing process. In a simulation a digital twin of the physical process is constructed to replicate the real-world results, the simulation can then be used to test how changes to the process affects the desired performance objectives. The purpose of this study was to use a simulation to optimise the process by increasing output and reduce lead time as well as increase the visual presentation of the process. The purpose was fulfilled by a review of literature on the subject, interviews, observations and a document study before a simulation model and value stream map was constructed. The bottleneck analysis and the value stream map highlighted a few inefficiencies in the process that was solved by implementing a few solutions that would improve the balance of the process and increase output and decrease lead time. A visual presentation tool was also developed to calculate the expected lead time for a new order and show how the flow of orders would develop in the near future.

Introduction: To stay relevant, it is required that companies work with continuous improvements.Finding inefficiencies is not always easy. One way to try to find inefficiencies is throughflow mapping. This study examines what causes inefficient activities for industrial servicecompanies. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate how a workflow at an industrial servicecompany can be made more efficient with the help of flow mapping. Method: The study is conducted through a case study at a service industry company that maintainsand repairs motors and frequency converters. Flow mapping was used to map activitiesin the workflow and literature was collected to be able to conduct a flow mappingcorrectly. Interviews and observations have been used to support the flow mapping. Results: The company has two service workshops that have similar activities in their flow. Evenso, one of the workflows is more efficient than the other. Based on the comparison of theworkflows, inspiration has been used to adjust the workflow for the frequency converterworkshop. Using flow mapping and methods from lean, a future flow map has beencreated where non-value-added activities have been eliminated. Conclusion: Based on the results, several improvement proposals have been drawn up for thecompany's workshops. Industrial service companies can use flow mapping and VSM toeliminate non-value-added activities. Lean tools can be used to create order and structurethat lead to shorter lead times.