Improving business processes in a globally dispersed make-to-order supply chain. Case study on outbound logistics in a Multinational Corporation

The purpose of this thesis is to find out how outbound logistics process can be improved by reducing unnecessary waste in a globally dispersed make-to-order (MTO) supply chain. The research problem was addressed by a multinational corporation that aims to find a solution for reducing unnecessary waste in their outbound logistics process. The focus is on customized products that are delivered via sea transportation. Theoretical framework for improving outbound logistics processes in globally dispersed MTO supply chain was created based on business process management, Porter’s value chain theory, value stream mapping and current reality tree. The empirical research was conducted by using constructive approach due to its ability to research a practical problem and to improve the existing practices. The data was collected from ten semi-structured interviews and three non-participant observations. By analysing the data and applying the theoretical framework, five types of waste were detected in the process that were seen to derive from six root causes. Practical solution was constructed to reduce the waste in the process by combining the existing literature with the ideas raising from empirical data. The results of this thesis suggest that a MNC with a globally dispersed MTO supply chain can improve its outbound logistics process by applying activities that enhance internal and external integration, collaboration and coordination, and increase predictability of the process. This research has practical relevance both for the case company as well as for other MNCs with globally dispersed MTO supply chains that aim to improve their outbound logistics processes. This research contributes to the BPM and CRA research by providing an evidence for their applicability in the new context.

In search of the interrelatedness of innovation and internationalisation processes in entrepreneurial life science companies

This study is motivated by the question how resource scarce innovative entrepreneurial companies seek and leverage global resources. This study takes a resource-seeking perspective a step forward and suggests that resources that enable the entrepreneurial internationalisation are largely accrued from the early stages of entrepreneurial life; that is from the innovation development. Consequently, this study seeks to explain how innovation and internationalisation processes are interrelated in the entrepreneurial internationalisation. This main objective is approached through three research questions, (1) What role do inter-organisational relationships in innovation have in the entrepreneurial internationalisation process? (2) What kind of inward–outward links do inter-organisational relationships create in the resource-seeking-based entrepreneurial internationalisation process? (3) What kind of capability to collaborate forms in the interaction of inter-organisational relationship deployment? The research design is a mixed methods design that consists of quantitative pilot study and qualitative multiple case study of five entrepreneurial life science companies from Finland and Austria. The findings show that innovation and internationalisation processes are tightly interwoven in pre-internationalisation state. The findings also reveal that the more experienced companies are able to take advantage of complexcross-border inter-organisational relationship structures better than the starting companies. However, very minor evidence was found on inward links translating into outward links in the entrepreneurial internationalisation process, despite the expectation to observe more of these links in the data. Combined intangible-tangible resource-seeking was the most preferred to build links between inward–outward internationalisation but also to develop competence to collaborate. By adopting a resource- instead of market-seeking approach, this study illustrated that internationalisation extends to early stages of innovative companies, and that in high-technology companies’ potentially significant cross-border relationships have started to form long before incorporation. Therefore, these observations justified the firmer inclusion of pre-company history in innovative entrepreneurship studies. The study offers a conceptualisation of entrepreneurial internationalisation that is perceived as a process. The main theoretical contributions are in the areas of international entrepreneurship and in the behavioural process studies of entrepreneurial internationalisation and resource-based internationalisation. The inclusion of the innovation-based discussion, namely the innovation process, in the internationalisation process theories has clearly contributed to the understanding of entrepreneurial internationalisation in the context of international entrepreneurship. Innovation development is a central act of entrepreneurial companies, and neglecting innovation process investigation from entrepreneurial internationalisation leaves potentially influential mechanisms unexplored.

Monitoring Directed Energy Deposition Processes in Additive Manufacturing

The purpose of this study is to find out how laser based Directed Energy Deposition processes can benefit from different types of monitoring. DED is a type of additive manufacturing process, where parts are manufactured in layers by using metallic powder or metallic wire. DED processes can be used to manufacture parts that are not possible to manufacture with conventional manufacturing processes, when adding new geometries to existing parts or when wanting to minimize the scrap material that would result from machining the part. The aim of this study is to find out why laser based DED-processes are monitored, how they are monitored and what devices are used for monitoring. This study has been done in the form of a literature review. During the manufacturing process, the DED-process is highly sensitive to different disturbances such as fluctuations in laser absorption, powder feed rate, temperature, humidity or the reflectivity of the melt pool. These fluctuations can cause fluctuations in the size of the melt pool or its temperature. The variations in the size of the melt pool have an effect on the thickness of individual layers, which have a direct impact on the final surface quality and dimensional accuracy of the parts. By collecting data from these fluctuations and adjusting the laser power in real-time, the size of the melt pool and its temperature can be kept within a specified range that leads to significant improvements in the manufacturing quality. The main areas of monitoring can be divided into the monitoring of the powder feed rate, the temperature of the melt pool, the height of the melt pool and the geometry of the melt pool. Monitoring the powder feed rate is important when depositing different material compositions. Monitoring the temperature of the melt pool can give information about the microstructure and mechanical properties of the part. Monitoring the height and the geometry of the melt pool is an important factor in achieving the desired dimensional accuracy of the part. By combining multiple different monitoring devices, the amount of fluctuations that can be controlled will be increased. In addition, by combining additive manufacturing with machining, the benefits of both processes could be utilized.

The tree we heard fall : analyzing the societal processes following focusing events

Fokuserande händelser är plötsliga, ovanliga och för med sig negativa konsekvenser för ett stort antal människor. Det handlar om det vi i vardagligt tal kallar kriser och katastrofer. En intensiv medierapportering i kombination med oroade medborgare gör att kriser och katastrofer är viktiga samhällspåfrestningar som beslutsfattare måste hantera. Syftet med avhandlingen är att öka förståelsen för hur fokuserande händelser påverkar samhälleliga processer. Avhandlingens två övergripande forskningsfrågor tar fasta på jämförelsen av olika typer av fokuserande händelser. För det första, skillnader i hur naturkatastrofer och katastrofer som tillkommit genom mänskligt handlade påverkar samhället, och för det andra, hur händelser med olika stark fokuseringskraft påverkar samhället. Medborgarreaktioner studeras i en experimentell laboratoriestudie, den mediala rapporteringen analyseras genom kvantitativ innehållsanalys av texter och bilder, och på den parlamentariska arenan analyseras riksdagsdebatten genom kvantitativ innehållsanalys. De temaområden som identifieras i den teoretiska referensramen ligger till grund för analysen och tar fasta på de känslor som händelsen ger upphov till, hur händelsen kontextualiseras (framing), skuldbeläggning samt möjliga lösningar som förs fram. Resultatet från studierna visar att skillnader mellan olika typer av händelser syns tydligast hos medborgare, uttryckt genom starkare emotionella reaktioner för händelser med stark fokusering, och på den mediala arenan, genom mer utrymme för dessa händelser. Då kriser och katastrofer med olika stark fokuseringskraft når riksdagen får de däremot ett relativt likadant mottagande. I jämförelsen mellan naturkatastrofer och människoskapade händelser visar resultaten att naturkatastrofer ofta diskuteras som specifika händelser, medan människoskapade händelser placeras i en bredare samhällelig kontext och diskuteras under längre tid. Avhandlingen bidrar till diskussionen om hur våra känslor och vår kognition samspelar i krissituationer. De omedvetna signaler som vår kropp ger oss gällande hur vi ska reagera på en farlig situation kan påverka om vi är rädda, oroliga eller till och med positivt inställda. I ljuset av de tre studierna är det tydligt att de emotionella reaktionerna minskar ju högre upp i den politiska processen vi kommer. Trots att medborgare och medier reagerar starkt är de emotionella reaktionerna på den politiska arenan relativt milda och skuldbeläggningen näst intill icke-existerande.