| 1. |
- Ekeskär, Andreas, 1984-
(författare)
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Exploring Third-Party Logistics and Partnering in Construction : A Supply Chain Management Perspective
- 2016
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The construction industry is associated with problems such as low productivity and high costs. This has been highlighted in several government-funded reports in both Sweden and in the UK during the course of over two decades. The construction industry is a large industry sector employing hundreds of thousands and a large contributor to a country’s GDP. The problems therefore have a large impact on society. Some of the problems are rooted in the organizational structure of the construction industry. Compared to other manufacturing industries, the construction industry is organized in temporary organizations. The temporary organizations cause temporary supply chains, fragmentation among construction industry actors and adversarial relationships between those actors. Partnering has been but forward as a solution to overcome the temporariness and the adversarial relationships in the construction. Another solution to mitigate the problems suggested in the reports is supply chain management (SCM). Both concepts have been taken from the manufacturing industries and partnering has been more successful compared to SCM in the construction industry. In the construction industry the progress towards SCM has focused on logistics. In recent years dedicated third-party logistics (TPL) solutions have emerged in the Swedish construction industry, where a company is hired to manage the logistics in a construction project.The purpose with the research presented in this licentiate thesis is to explore how client initiated TPL solutions and partnering can be facilitators for SCM in the construction industry. Being a new phenomenon in the construction industry TPL solutions provide a logistical competence not necessarily included in a traditional construction project. Therefore, TPL solutions are of particular interest when studying the realization of SCM in the construction industry. In the process of realizing SCM in the construction industry, the construction clients have been put forward as having a crucial and important role. The clients are the initiator and funder of construction projects and as such the client can influence the course of a construction project. Therefore, it is of interest to study how the client can take an active role in this process. Initiating a TPL solution in a construction project is one way for a client to take an active part in the realization of SCM in construction.However, in order to study how clients can take an active role towards the realization of SCM in the construction industry, there have to be an understanding of how SCM is to be adopted to the construction industry context. SCM that derives from the manufacturing industry is designed to be used in long-term relationships with permanent organizational structures. The construction industry on the other hand is associated with short-term relationships and a temporary organizational structure. Partnering that is designed to mitigate the temporariness and establish long-term relationships have been quite successful in the construction industry, and could therefore be used as a facilitator for SCM in construction.To study the use of client initiated TPL-solutions in construction and the realization of SCM in the construction industry the following research questions have been addressed:RQ1: To what extent can a third-party logistics solution be a facilitator for client driven SCM in the construction industry?RQ2: How will upstream and downstream tiers be affected when a thirdparty logistics provider is used in a construction project?RQ3: How can partnering be used a mean to facilitate the realization of SCM in the construction industry?To answer the research questions two main methodologies have been used; case study for the empirically grounded research and conceptual studies for the analysis of the case studies as well as for comparing the two concepts of partnering and SCM. All questions have been grounded in literature and previous research. The findings of this research is therefore grounded in both theory and in practice. The main findings of this research is that TPL solutions are not a quick fix for realizing SCM in the construction industry. However, if used right a TPL solution can be an effective tool to address logistical issues in a construction project and to establish an interface between the supply chain and the construction site. By initiating a TPL solution the client addresses the importance of logistical competence in a construction project. A TPL solution does not have a purpose of its own; a TPL solution is a service function to the construction project, providing expertise on logistics management. There are also a number of driving forces and concerns that have been identified, if they are addressed prior to a TPL solution is implemented, the likelihood of its success will increase.Furthermore, both partnering and SCM rely on high trust and share several key components and issues that have to be addressed. Partnering on strategic level with several suppliers included can even be hard to distinguish from SCM. Wherefore, partnering is considered a facilitator for the realization of SCM in construction. By addressing the necessary issues in both concepts a good foundation for SCM is established.
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| 2. |
- Johansson, Johan
(författare)
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Towards successful integration of maintenance and production
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis focuses on the integration of maintenance and production in process industries. Earlier research shows that coordinating maintenance plans with production plans is more important in flow manufacturing. The overall aim of this thesis is to identify important factors when integrating maintenance with production, as well as to develop and improve the Crespo Márquez (2007) maintenance management framework.Research is based on three multiple case studies at Swedish process industries. These cases provide a foundation for identifying the factors influencing integration of maintenance and production. The first multiple case study analysed whether process industries perform holistic maintenance management. It also shows what elements of maintenance management the process industries focus on. The second multiple case study presents production planning at tactical level in process industries. The final multiple case study presents the levels of production planner consideration of maintenance in their planning processes.This research shows that only one out of three of the process industries analysed used a holistic view of their maintenance management. The maintenance management frameworks used by the companies are either too detailed or complicated to use, or too loosely formulated. This research also shows that these process industries are fairly flexible in their production planning.The factors which influenced the integration of maintenance and production most were summarised as a list of the five most important. The first integrating factor is top managements interest in maintenance management, followed by transparency within departments. The third factor is the importance of understanding other departments' needs in order to perform well and using Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) properly. The final integrating factor is working with the production assets in systems rather than as components and using cross‐functional knowledge in teamwork. The further development of the maintenance management framework also indicated the importance of leadership and organisational issues, as well as the application of CMMS and work with Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) which the Crespo Márquez (2007) maintenance management framework did not include, even though this is vital to success.
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| 3. |
- Jonsson, Henric
(författare)
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Towards a Framework for Production Strategy in Construction
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The problem with low productivity increase in the construction industry is highlighted in many studies and in Sweden the need to improve productivity and client satisfaction in the construction industry has promoted a number of government investigations. One suggested way of improving productivity and client satisfaction is to move value adding activities offsite, to a more industrial environment. Compared to traditional on-site production, off-site production has been said to have many advantages such as: higher productivity, lower production cost, higher quality and shorter lead times. The trade-off when increasing the degree of off-site production is the reduced product and process flexibility. The trade-off between productivity and flexibility indicates that different production systems perform well in different areas of competition.The purpose of this research is to develop a production strategy framework for the construction industry, and more specifically for the production of multifamily residences. This framework can help construction firms to design the production system and find the right balance between productivity and flexibility. For the manufacturing industry, production strategy frameworks have been developed and shown useful when designing new or redesigning existing production systems. A corresponding framework adapted to the construction industry would be useful for construction firms when designing production systems to meet the targeted market in the most efficient way.Production strategy theory is traditionally built around two broad groups, decision categories and competitive priorities. Decision categories are areas in which a company must make decisions that are of long term importance for the production function. In this thesis focus is on the decision category traditionally named product/process technology and more specifically on the so called process choice i.e. choosing a production system that meets the demands from the targeted market in the most efficient way. To do this a classification matrix is developed that classify production systems along two dimensions, the degree of off-site assembly in one dimension and the degree of product standardisation in the other. This way of visualising the process and product characteristic has been used before, in traditional production strategy frameworks, to facilitate the process choice.For the classification matrix to be useful, the positions in the suggested classification matrix must be linked to the ability of different production systems to deliver manufacturing outputs. Therefor a performance measurement system is developed. In the process of developing classification matrix and the performance measurement system three research questions are addressed:RQ1. What dimensions can be useful, from a production strategy perspective, when classifying different production systems for the production of multifamily residences?RQ2. What manufacturing outputs/competitive priorities have to be taken into consideration when evaluating different production systems forproduction of multifamily residences?RQ3. How should the ability of a production system to deliver manufacturing outputs be measured?To answer the research questions an abductive approach has been used. The results from a literature review have been used to develop theoretical constructs. Case studies have then been used to empirically test the constructs. Thereafter the empirical data and information from additional literature reviews has then been used to further develop and refine the theoretical constructs. The findings of this research are thereby grounded in both theory and practise.There are two main contributions in this thesis. The first one is the proposed classification matrix for production systems producing multifamily residences. The classification matrix can be used as a base for production strategy reasoning in the construction industry. The second contribution is the suggested performance measurement system in which KPIs for measuring quality, delivery (speed and dependability), cost (level and dependability) and flexibility (volume, mix and expansion) have been defined.By positioning different production systems in the classification matrix and then use the defined performance measurement system, relative differences between the ability of different production systems to deliver manufacturing outputs can be exposed. The classification matrix can help companies to work with production strategy in a structured way, and to visualize the link between the market strategy and the production function of the firm in order to meet the demands from the targeted market in the most efficient way.
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| 4. |
- Noroozi, Sayeh
(författare)
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A Framework for Sales and Operations Planning in Process Industries
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis studies Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) in process industries. S&OP is a planning process which has a role of balancing demand and supply at an aggregate level. S&OP has traditionally been considered as a generic process meaning that it is independent from the context of the industry in which it is implemented. Process industries do; however, have specific characteristics which affect their planning and control processes, including S&OP. Therefore, the aim in this thesis is to reconcile these two contradictory stances and furthermore investigate how the specific properties in process industries should be included into an S&OP framework. Such a differentiated framework aims to support process industries to design/implement their S&OP process based on their unique requirements in relation to their markets, products and processes while it also takes into account the specific characteristics regarding the continuous production. Consequently, the process industries would realize the expected benefits from S&OP process to a greater extent.The study starts with a literature review on S&OP in process industries in order to build the knowledge foundation for subsequent studies. The results show that the underlying difference between process industries and discrete industries is the object continuity which affects the selection of production processes including resources. Thus, process industries are often hybrids in the sense that their production processes include both continuous production, when the transformed object (material) is continuous, and discrete production when the object (material) turns into discrete products after the discretization point. In other words, process industries deploy both continuous production and discrete production while discrete industries use only discrete production. The specific characteristics of process industries are actually related to the continuous production part and influence the planning processes as well. As the result of this study, the continuous production characteristics that can affect the S&OP process are identified.In the continuation of the thesis and in order to provide a typology for planning and control purposes, the object type (continuous and discrete) is combined with two other dimensions i.e. mode type (onetime, intermittent and continuous) and driver type (customer order driven and forecast driven) into a planning and control typology. The mode type addresses the repetitivity of the flow and the driver type takes into account the trigger of the flow. Each dimension has a transition point – i.e. the discretization point for the object type, mode interface point for the mode type and customer order decoupling point for the driver type – and represents a hybrid situation since different production environments are required before and after each transition point. The typology aims to illustrate how each dimension affects the planning and control issues as well as how the dimensions are interrelated and how this combination influence the managerial decisions. The typology integrates the concepts from both process industries and discrete industries and thus, is applicable for both.Thereafter the typology is applied to the S&OP process and an integrated framework is suggested based on the three dimensions with specific focus on process industries. In this framework, the effects of hybridities within each dimension and cross-hybridities between the dimensions on the S&OP process are also considered. The importance of hybridities and cross-hybridities lies in the fact that the planning of the hybrid systems is a complex task due to the varying managerial decisions before and after the transition points. Finally, implementation steps for the suggested S&OP framework are outlined for the process industries in order to position themselves in the framework, identify the implementing procedures, and obtain potential benefits based on the differentiated S&OP process.
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| 5. |
- Thunberg, Micael
(författare)
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Towards a Framework for Process Mapping and Performance Measurement in Construction Supply Chains
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose with this study is to develop a framework for process mapping and performance measurement in construction supply chains. This is done as current literature suggest that many of the problems that cause the cost- and time overruns in construction can be mitigated by implementing supply chain management (SCM) principles. For example, temporary organisations, fragmentation, etc. can affect the time and cost as work and information among members easily are delayed and even distorted. It is also recognised by many authors that planning the construction work and logistics often are tainted with synchronisation and coordination problems between supply chain members. It is deemed necessary with a framework for mapping logistic activities and measuring supply chain performance. Up until now, there exists no framework for mapping the whole construction supply chain and measuring its performance, that encompasses the whole chain from raw material to the finished building.As stated above, the purpose with this thesis is to develop such a framework. In order to do so an existing framework is used as a basis, the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model. The SCOR model consists of five process groups (Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, and Return) hierarchically structured in three levels and some 500 predefined performance metrics. This framework is proven fruitful in other industries but it is also proven by other authors in the field suitable as a basis for a construction adapted version. Other frameworks do exist, but none of these are as comprehensive as the SCOR model. Resent research also suggests that the SCOR model is possible to adjust to unique industry settings. It is identified in this study that the SCOR model has to be adapted to the characteristics of the construction industry. Therefore, the framework presented in this thesis is developed via adaption of the SCOR model to the characteristics of the construction industry. In doing so, a total of four research objectives corresponding to the process groups in the SCOR model are considered for adapting the SCOR model. The Return process, however, is not included in this thesis.Objective 1. Adapt the SCOR model’s Deliver process to the characteristics of the construction industry.Objective 2. Adapt the SCOR model’s Source processes to the characteristics of the construction industry.Objective 3. Adapt the SCOR model’s Make processes to the characteristics of the construction industry.Objective 4. Adapt the SCOR model’s Plan processes to the characteristics of the construction industry.The main method utilised in the study is case study research. The results are derived from a total of three case studies. The SCOR model is applied to the cases as it is. Through observing how suitable the framework is for the industry the four aforementioned objectives are addressed. Except from direct observations (with time measurements), other data gathering methods utilised are questionnaires and interviews.The adapted version of the SCOR model is entitled the Builder’s SCOR model (BSCOR). Findings from the studies indicate that necessary changes to the SCOR model concerns how the material flow in the processes are separated. The SCOR model suggests separating materials based on type of end product (e.g. Make-to-Stock – MTS, Make-to-Order – MTO, or Engineer-to-Order – ETO character). In the BSCOR model, the flow of materials are separated based on who orders them (the main contractor or any of the subcontractors), rather than type of material. The BSCOR model also suggests how the planning process should be organised in order to overcome coordination issues. Finally, one measurement included in the BSCOR model is to keep track of whether an incoming delivery of construction materials is notified in time. An order is not perfectly delivered if it is not notified in time.One managerial contribution with the study is a framework for mapping supply chain activities and measuring supply chain performance. The framework also offers the ability to measure how the supply chain of a company performs compared to other companies’ supply chains. The study contributes to the academia as it fills the gap of a lack in frameworks suitable for mapping and measuring construction logistics. It also contributes in reporting on the current logistics status in the construction industry.
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| 6. |
- Waldemarsson, Martin
(författare)
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Energy and Production Planning for Process Industry Supply Chains
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis addresses industrial energy issues from a production economic perspective. During the past decade, the energy issue has become more important, partly due to rising energy prices in general, but also from a political pressure on environmental awareness concerning the problems with climate change. As a large user of energy the industry sector is most likely responsible for a lot of these problems. Things need to change and are most likely to do so considering current and assumed future governmental regulations. Thus, the energy intensive process industries studied and focused on in this thesis exemplify the importance of introducing a strategic perspective on energy, an appropriate approach for planning, as well as the possibilities of including energy issues in a production and supply chain planning model.The thesis aims to provide models, methods and decision support tools for energy related production and supply chain planning issues of relevance for process industries as well as for other energy intensive industries. The overall objectives are to analyze the strategic importance of energy management, production and supply chain planning, and the opportunities provided when energy is included in a production and supply chain planning model. Three different studies are carried out, analyzed, and presented as in this thesis.The first study is a case study at a specialty chemicals company and resulted in the first paper. Since the energy issue is not only a cost issue driven by supply and demand, but also a political issue due to its environmental aspects, it is likely to believe that political influence and especially continuity will have escalating effect on the energy intensive process industry sector. Thus, the strategic dimension of energy is highly relevant in this thesis. The importance of organizational integration, having a main responsible person, locating core business, and political continuity are addressed as prerequisites for including energy into the corporate strategy. Regarding long term profitability, the importance of correctly utilizing the energy system by appropriate energy planning and with respect to energy efficiency and effectiveness in both flexibility and investment issues are addressed. Further on, the quest of finding alternative revenue while striving for a proper exergy usage is addressed.The second study is a multiple case study with four different case companies involved; pulp, specialty chemicals, specialty oils, as well as a pulp and paper company. The need for improved production and supply chain planning is also addressed where for instance the lack of planning support for process industries is still an area of improvement. The production and supply chain planning in process industries is found to be rather poor compared to regular manufacturing companies. The planning methods found are often tailor made and adapted to the individual characteristics that are typical for many process industries. It has further on been difficult to distinguish similarities and differences among process industries regarding these planning issues and thus hard to generalize.The third study focuses on mathematical modelling and programming developing a combined supply chain and energy optimization model for a pulp company. Taking the first papers together there are reasons to believe that a planning and optimization model that take energy aspects in consideration, as a previously missing link, will contribute to improve the operations in process industries. A clear impact of involving energy issues into the supply chain planning is shown. The results show that a different production schedule is optimal when the energy issues are applied, and depend on, for instance, variations in energy prices such as the one for electricity. This is shown by using a model for a supply chain where the energy flow, and especially the utilization of by-products, also is involved.
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