Ostotoimintojen verkkolaskutuksen kehittäminen terästehtaalla

Diplomityön tavoitteena on järkeistää terästehtaan laskujen käsittelyä sekä parantaa ostotoiminnan kustannustietämystä. Työssä keskitytään kolmeen case-tapaukseen: ostolaskuja eniten lähettävään yritykseen ja kahteen romutoimittajaan, joiden laskukäsittely vie ajallisesti pitkään. Ostotoimintoja tarkastellaan prosessina tilauksesta ostolaskukäsittelyyn. Työssä on haastateltu kunnossapidon työnjohtoa ja laskunkäsittelijöitä, joiden perusteella on kartoitettu nykytila ja listattu parannusehdotukset. Työn lopputuloksena ehdotetaan toimintatapojen muutosta. Tavoitteena on saada laskut paremmin kirjattua järjestelmään ja kohdennettua oikeille tilauksille, jolloin kustannusinformaatio parantuu. Sähköisellä laskutusohjelmiston käyttöönotolla voitaisiin järkeistää sisäistä laskunkiertoa ja arkistointia.

Drivers and Barriers of Collaboration in the Value Chain of Paperboard-Packed Consumer Goods

Value chain collaboration has been a prevailing topic for research, and there is a constantly growing interest in developing collaborative models for improved efficiency in logistics. One area of collaboration is demand information management, which enables improved visibility and decrease of inventories in the value chain. Outsourcing of non-core competencies has changed the nature of collaboration from intra-enterprise to cross-enterprise activity, and this together with increasing competition in the globalizing markets have created a need for methods and tools for collaborative work. The retailer part in the value chain of consumer packaged goods (CPG) has been studied relatively widely, proven models have been defined, and there exist several best practice collaboration cases. The information and communications technology has developed rapidly, offering efficient solutions and applications to exchange information between value chain partners. However, the majority of CPG industry still works with traditional business models and practices. This concerns especially companies operating in the upstream of the CPG value chain. Demand information for consumer packaged goods originates at retailers' counters, based on consumers' buying decisions. As this information does not get transferred along the value chain towards the upstream parties, each player needs to optimize their part, causing safety margins for inventories and speculation in purchasing decisions. The safety margins increase with each player, resulting in a phenomenon known as the bullwhip effect. The further the company is from the original demand information source, the more distorted the information is. This thesis concentrates on the upstream parts of the value chain of consumer packaged goods, and more precisely the packaging value chain. Packaging is becoming a part of the product with informative and interactive features, and therefore is not just a cost item needed to protect the product. The upstream part of the CPG value chain is distinctive, as the product changes after each involved party, and therefore the original demand information from the retailers cannot be utilized as such – even if it were transferred seamlessly. The objective of this thesis is to examine the main drivers for collaboration, and barriers causing the moderate adaptation level of collaborative models. Another objective is to define a collaborative demand information management model and test it in a pilot business situation in order to see if the barriers can be eliminated. The empirical part of this thesis contains three parts, all related to the research objective, but involving different target groups, viewpoints and research approaches. The study shows evidence that the main barriers for collaboration are very similar to the barriers in the lower part of the same value chain; lack of trust, lack of business case and lack of senior management commitment. Eliminating one of them – the lack of business case – is not enough to eliminate the two other barriers, as the operational model in this thesis shows. The uncertainty of the future, fear of losing an independent position in purchasing decision making and lack of commitment remain strong enough barriers to prevent the implementation of the proposed collaborative business model. The study proposes a new way of defining the value chain processes: it divides the contracting and planning process into two processes, one managing the commercial parts and the other managing the quantity and specification related issues. This model can reduce the resistance to collaboration, as the commercial part of the contracting process would remain the same as in the traditional model. The quantity/specification-related issues would be managed by the parties with the best capabilities and resources, as well as access to the original demand information. The parties in between would be involved in the planning process as well, as their impact for the next party upstream is significant. The study also highlights the future challenges for companies operating in the CPG value chain. The markets are becoming global, with toughening competition. Also, the technology development will most likely continue with a speed exceeding the adaptation capabilities of the industry. Value chains are also becoming increasingly dynamic, which means shorter and more agile business relationships, and at the same time the predictability of consumer demand is getting more difficult due to shorter product life cycles and trends. These changes will certainly have an effect on companies' operational models, but it is very difficult to estimate when and how the proven methods will gain wide enough adaptation to become standards.

Consumer perceived risk, risk reduction strategies and transaction intentions in online marketplaces

Even though online commerce has garnered vast academic interest during the recent years, theoretical grounds for consumer behavior online still remains ambiguous. Despite the globally rapid growth of online commerce, only a fraction of Internet browsers end up purchasing goods online. This is argued to be caused by the intangible and distant nature of the Internet, causing overwhelming perceived risks for consumers and negatively affecting transaction intentions. To combat perceived risks, consumers may actively or passively seek to relieve those risks to tolerable level. These risk reduction strategies refer to both institutional mechanisms as well as consumer risk reduction strategies. The objective of this thesis is to provide further understanding upon the relationships between consumer perceived risk, risk reduction strategies and transaction intentions in online marketplaces. To serve the objectives of the present thesis, a quantitative approach was chosen as the method for conducting empirical research. The data was collected with an online survey through discussion board, using a random sample approach. The proposed research model was examined with a set of hierarchical regression analyses. Results revealed several direct relationships as well as moderating interaction effects. The key finding of this thesis is that institutional risk reduction mechanisms significantly contribute to consumer perceived risks. These mechanisms have the potential to reduce perceived risks, and therefore may stimulate transaction intentions. Additionally, it was observed that risk reduction strategies moderate the relationship between intermediary provided risk relievers, consumer perceived risks and transaction intentions. Retailer related risk reduction strategies were also shown to enforce the effectiveness of payment methods; however feedback and monitoring mechanism was shown to have a diminishing effect of perceived risk only when consumers did not rely on product related risk reduction strategies. The present thesis also illustrates the importance of effective information search, as those consumers are more willing to transact as the perceived risks become less significant. For managerial purposes, the importance of well-functioning institutional mechanisms cannot be emphasized enough.

Key factors affecting purchase intention in Russian online context

Russian e-commerce has drawn a lot of attention in academic publications as well as in public media lately. The market is growing with a speed of rocket offering companies enormous business opportunities. However, combination of Russian culture, consumer online purchasing and decision-making process forms a subject yet completely unknown. From international online business perspective it is vital for companies to know how a culture affects consumer’s purchase decision and what are the key elements that need to be modified in order to successfully expand online operations to Russian market. Here, the main purpose is to define the key factors affecting Russian consumer’s online purchase intention. In order to answer the main research question, firstly the role of culture in purchase intention context is researched. Secondly, focus is drawn to the factors that affect online purchase intention. Lastly, it is researched how Russian culture is affecting e-commerce attributes modification. The objective is not only to expand the theoretical understanding of the subject but also to provide companies with a clear vision on how the online operations should be conducted in Russian online market. Ranganathan’s and Jha’s conceptual framework was chosen as a ground theory in this study. Here, three main categories Computer Self-Efficacy and Past Online Experience, Website Quality and Costumer Concerns form basis for the study. Various articles and academic literature supplemented this theoretical approach. Qualitative research method was adapted and the study was conducted through five expert interviews. As a conclusion it can be stated that culture forms a ground for entire purchase decision-making process in online context. Results from the interviews were grouped according to main three theoretic categories and placed with Ranganathan’s and Jha’s original framework. This formed a new theoretical framework that defines diverse factors affecting specifically Russian consumer’s online purchase intention. This study suggests that following factors need to be taking into serious consideration in Russian online context: photography style, detailed product and company information, colors, language, product variety, reviews, recommendations, strong social media presence, fast check out and minimalistic order information, counterfeit fear, cash on delivery payment, training and guidance, extensive customer service, consumers’ insecurity, inexperience, high interest for technology and their individualistic personality.

Strategy formation for indirect spend

The aim of this thesis was to examine the strategy formation in indirect procurement. Current literature in purchasing strategy has mainly focused on direct procurement whereas the strategy formation in indirect procurement has gained much less attention. Nevertheless, the weak economic times have been pushing companies to find savings from other places as well. The theoretical part of the thesis focused on three main subjects; indirect procurement, purchasing strategy and category management. This thesis was a case study, which initiative arose from the company’s need to develop their indirect procurement. The objectives of the empirical part were to identify current state of the indirect procurement and solve biggest issues. The analysis was based on multiple managerial interviews and a spend analysis from ten different countries. Based on these analyses and the theoretical findings a framework and recommendations for the case company was made.

Puupolttoaineen varastonhallinta- ja hankintamalli

Työssä luodaan energiapuun varastonhallintamalli ja hankintamalli energiantuotantolaitoksen näkökulmasta sekä kuvataan kustannustehokkaita ja toimitusvarmoja vaihtoehtoja puupolttoaineen varastoinnille ja haketukselle. Varastonhallintamallissa keskitytään varastotason hallintamenetelmiin toimintaympäristössään. Hankintamalli määrittää oman varaston ja suoran laitostoimituksen suhteen sekä auttaa pohtimaan strategisen hankinnan merkitystä hankinnan toteuttamiseen ja hankintakanavien valintaan. Työ antaa vastauksia koko hankintatoiminnan toteutukseen ja hallitsemiseen. Varastonhallintamallin skenaariotarkastelussa selvisi, että yrityksen oma varasto vaatii 18 – 37 % varmuusvaraston suhteessa käyttövarastoon. Hankintamallin mukaan oman varaston kannattavimman puupolttoainejakeen hankintaetäisyys voisi olla keskimäärin korkeintaan 96 km. Tarpeen, saatavuuden, jakeiden kustannustasojen ja toimintaympäristön mahdollisuuksien ollessa selvillä, on mahdollista tehdä päätöksiä hankintakanavista ja varmuusvarastoista kustannustehokkuuden perusteella. Yrityksen polttoainemäärien ohjauksen toteutukseen vaaditaan kehittämistoimia. Oman toimintaympäristön vakiointi ja toimintamallien dokumentointi on tärkeää tiedonjaon, toimitussopimusten mitoittamisen ja toiminnan kehittämisen kannalta. Toiminnan pullonkaulojen vähentäminen ja puupolttoaineen ohjaaminen kustannustehokkaimpien haketusketjujen kautta mahdollisimman tehokkaasti synnyttävät kustannussäästöjä toimitusketjussa.