| 1. |
- Åkesson, Jennie
(författare)
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Design of Product-Service Systems in SMEs : Exploring challenges and the influence of firm characteristics
- 2022
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The manufacturing industry is essential in the transition towards a Circular Economy and a more sustainable society. One way manufacturing companies can become more sustainable and contribute to a resource-efficient society is by offering Product-Service Systems (PSS). PSS means integrating products and services through different types of business models, such as product pooling, leasing, sharing, and other product-related services. Designing PSS is both about the tangible product offering and the design of the complete system around the product. Therefore, it is required for manufacturing companies to have a systems approach when designing PSS. The majority of studies in the PSS field have been conducted from a large-company perspective, and it has been limited focus considering the context and characteristics of SMEs. This thesis aims to contribute to the PSS and servitisation literature by addressing the research gap and lack of insights in studies related to PSS design in a manufacturing SME context.This research is based on a systematic literature review and empirical data from three contract manufacturing SMEs. The findings show that SMEs face both internal and external challenges when designing PSS. The challenges identified are related to several parts of the organisation and are also interconnected and overlapping. Besides, SMEs' characteristics also influence these challenges, showing the importance of the context when discussing challenges in designing PSS in SMEs. The study shows that characteristics such as lack of financial resources influence more than one challenge, making it difficult for SMEs to know which challenges to prioritise when designing PSS. Also, as the studied SMEs are contract manufacturers to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), they need acceptance and support from their OEM customers, but they may not gain customer acceptance. The study indicates that SMEs need to decide if they should design PSS with their customers or find a business opportunity and design PSS independently, despite lacking vital resources needed for PSS design.Keywords: Product-Service Systems, Small and medium-sized enterprises, Servitization, challenges, SME characteristics, manufacturing companies, circular economy
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| 2. |
- Agerskans, Natalie, et al.
(författare)
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Enabling Smart Production : The Role of Data Value Chain
- 2022
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Ingår i: Advances in Production Management Systems. Smart Manufacturing and Logistics Systems: Turning Ideas into Action. - Cham : Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. - 9783031164101 ; , s. 477-485
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- To stay competitive, manufacturing companies are developing towards Smart Production which requires the use of digital technologies. However, there is a lack of guidance supporting manufacturing companies in selecting and integrating a combination of suitable digital technologies, which is required for Smart Production. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is twofold: (i) to identify the main challenges of selecting and integrating digital technologies for Smart Production, and (ii) to propose a holistic concept to support manufacturing companies in mitigating identified challenges in order to select and integrate a combination of digital technologies for Smart Production. This is accomplished by using a qualitative-based multiple case study design. This paper identifies current challenges related to selection and integration of digital technologies. To overcome these challenges and achieve Smart production, the concept of data value chain was proposed, i.e., a holistic approach to systematically map and improve data flows within the production system. © 2022, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.
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| 3. |
- Chirumalla, Koteshwar, Associate Professor, et al.
(författare)
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Configurations for second-life operations of electric vehicle batteries : A guiding framework for ecosystem management
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Firms need multi-stakeholder ecosystems to create successful second-life business models for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. However, there is a lack of guiding instrumentsto support the process of strategizing and managing the EV battery ecosystem for secondlife operations. The purpose of this study is to propose a guiding framework that could support firms in the EV battery ecosystem to establish and manage various configurations for second-life operations. The study developed a framework with four configuration phases—namely, firm-level initiation, ecosystem construction, firm-level optimization, and ecosystem orchestration. Based on these phases, the paper describes three configuration pathways to establish and manage second-life operations
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| 4. |
- Chirumalla, Koteshwar, Associate Professor, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping a circular business opportunity in electric vehicle battery value chain : A multi-stakeholder framework to create a win–win–win situation
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Business Research. - : Elsevier Inc.. - 0148-2963 .- 1873-7978. ; 145, s. 569-582
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electric vehicle (EV) batteries provide new business opportunities through circularity, but identifying these opportunities requires multi-stakeholder collaboration considering the interests of stakeholders, the environment, and society. However, circular business model frameworks to support and guide firms in identifying and mapping multidirectional value in the early phases of designing new circular business models are lacking. Thus, this research proposes a framework that could support stakeholders in the EV battery value chain in identifying and mapping circular business opportunities and multidirectional value among stakeholders in order to generate a win–win–win situation in the value-creation process. The proposed framework for multi-stakeholder circular business model innovation consists of four phases—namely, initiation, ideation, testing, and implementation—subdivided into eight steps to address key challenges facing firms and encourage discussions on shared values and visions among all stakeholders in the early phases of designing the circular business model.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences in Running a Professional Course on Digitally-Enabled Production in Collaboration Between Three Swedish Universities
- 2022
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Ingår i: Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering, Volume 21. - : IOS Press. - 9781614994398 ; , s. 653-664
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Needs for new competences and knowledge arise as industry 4.0 evolves in increasingly digitalized production. This development entails that job transformations and future skills need attention from the perspective of industry 5.0, where human and machine find ways of working together to improve production performance. Facing this perspective, one challenge is a growing need for novel lifelong learning initiatives, to meet emerging and altering occupations for the fulfilment of future skill requirements. This challenge is addressed here by portraying a case where three Swedish universities have formed a distinctive collaboration to develop a flexible (i.e. blended) course for professionals, in the subject of Digitally-enabled production. The purpose is to develop a sustainable collaboration between the universities and create a course format on master level addressing lifelong learning for the increasingly digitalized production. The ambition is to increase the impact of the universities respective efforts by sharing resources and utilizing individual specialized expertise to develop a practical and relevant course that can reach a larger target group. The course encompasses industry 4.0 readiness on three levels of production systems; plant-, production cell-, and component level; to adopt a holistic view of digitalization in production. We followed an action research approach for continuously collecting and documenting our experiences during the course development, implementation, and dissemination of the course. Within the frame of action research, an explorative case study describes and analyzes the initiative. The results highlight challenges and opportunities for succeeding with this form of co-produced course. The joint course gives professionals possibilities to work on cases from their own companies with expert supervision from three manufacturing levels to address complex challenges in industry 4.0 implementation. To conclude, the importance of lifelong learning in relation to the human-centric approach of industry 5.0 is emphasized as a future direction.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Sandberg, Erik, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive research framework in logistics and supply chain management : Bridging the academic research and practitioner gap
- 2022
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Ingår i: Technological forecasting & social change. - : Elsevier Inc.. - 0040-1625 .- 1873-5509. ; 178
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Logistics and supply chain management (SCM) practice has grown in scope and complexity in recent years. A challenge for research in logistics and SCM is to create value for both academics and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to introduce interactive research (IR) into the domain of logistics and SCM research and to describe the lessons learned from the implementation of this research approach. Compared to traditional empirical research methods, IR takes place in a context where inferences are co-produced in collaboration with practitioners. Taking an academic–practitioner lens, we draw on the IR framework to develop a deeper understanding of academic and practitioner exchanges in the increasingly complex and multidimensional domain of logistics and supply chain research. In addition to introducing the IR approach, based on four collaborative research projects, we outline and provide potential solutions to challenges arising from IR. Introducing IR to logistics and SCM research could enrich the understanding of collaborative research approaches and could act as a catalyst to its wider adoption in future research.
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| 8. |
- Toorajipour, Reza, et al.
(författare)
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Preconditions of Circular Business Model Innovation for the Electric Vehicle Battery Second Life: An Ecosystem Perspective
- 2022
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Ingår i: SPS 2022: Proceedings of the 10th Swedish Production Symposium. - Amsterdam : IOS Press. - 9781643682686 - 9781643682693 ; , s. 279-291, s. 279-291
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a strong interconnection between transportation and sustainability. Therefore, electric vehicles (EVs) have received a great deal of attention, and their sales and market share have been growing rapidly. Soon, a huge amount of EV batteries will reach their end of life that need to be handled appropriately. The second life applications are suggested as a potential solution. However, to implement such applications, there is a need to shift towards new business models, which have a central focus on circularity. Therefore, this paper studies preconditions of circular business model innovation (CBMI) for the electric vehicle battery second life from the ecosystem perspective. It also identifies current (as is) and upcoming (to be) business models. Data has been collected from fourteen companies representing the electric vehicle battery second life (EVBSL) ecosystem. Results show three types of current and three types of upcoming business models in the EVBSL ecosystem. Further, four preconditions for CBMI were found, namely, 2nd life value proposition, 2nd life value network development, 2nd life-based revenue model, and digital technologies.
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| 9. |
- Åkesson, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring Challenges to Design Product-Service Systems in SMEs : A Case Study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering. - : IOS Press BV. - 9781614994398 ; , s. 63-74
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transition towards a circular economy (CE) is part of the solution to reduce the global consumption of natural resources and increase resource efficiency in society. Product-Service Systems (PSS) is seen as one of the effective ways of moving towards a CE. PSS leads to an increase in product use by sharing or renting, and by extending material and product lifecycles through repair, remanufacturing, reuse and recycling. Therefore, designing PSSs have great potential to facilitate the CE transition. Many SMEs show an increased interest in a CE transition; however, they fall short in taking the right path towards designing PSS. Designing PSSs involve a rearrangement of resources, and SMEs usually do not possess the same resources as larger firms. Previous research clarifies that the transition from traditional product design to designing PSS is challenging for SMEs. This paper adds insights to the PSS literature and industrial practices through a single-case study by identifying and describing the challenges an SME may face when intending to design PSS. The data is based on interviews, workshops, and internal archive documents. The findings show that an SME faces both internal and external challenges. The internal challenges related to time constraints, the current business model, lack of financial resources, organisational structure and internal processes, dedicated employees for business and service development, and competence. The external challenges relate to SMEs position in the value chain, customer interests in PSS solutions, and handling of reversed logistics.
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