Kuljetustensuunnittelu- ja reitinoptimointiohjelmiston kaupallistamiseen vaikuttavat keskeiset ominaisuudet

Ajoneuvojen reititystä on tutkittu 1950-luvulta asti, alunperin etsiessä polttoainekuljetuksille optimaalisinta reittiä varastolta useille palveluasemille. Siitä lähtien ajoneuvon reititystehtäviä on tutkittu akateemisesti ja niistä on muodostettu kymmeniä erilaisia variaatioita. Tehtävien ratkaisumenetelmät jaetaan tyypillisesti tarkkoihin menetelmiin sekä heuristiikkoihin ja metaheuristiikkoihin. Konetehon ja heuristiikoissa käytettävien algoritmien kehittymisen myötä reitinoptimointia on alettu tarjota kaupallisesti. CO-SKY-projektin tavoitteena on kaupallistaa web-pohjainen tai toiminnanohjausjärjestelmään integroitava ajoneuvon reititys. Diplomityössä tutkitaan kuljetustensuunnittelu- ja reitinoptimointiohjelmistojen kaupallistamiseen vaikuttavia keskeisiä ominaisuuksia. Ominaisuuksia on tarkasteltu: 1) erityisesti pk-kuljetusyritysten tarpeiden ja vaatimusten pohjalta, ja 2) markkinoilla olevien ohjelmistojen tarjontaa arvioiden. Näiden pohjalta on myös pyritty arvioimaan kysynnän ja tarjonnan kohtaamista. Pilottiasiakkaita haastattelemalla ohjelmistolle on kyetty asettamaan vaatimuksia, mutta samalla on kuultu käyttäjien mielipiteitä optimoinnista. Lukuisia logistiikkaohjelmistojen tarjoajia on haastateltu logistiikkamessuilla sekä Suomessa että Saksassa. Haastattelujen perusteella on saatu käsitys kyseisistä ohjelmista sekä optimoinnin tarjonnasta että kysynnästä. Akateeminen tutkimus aiheesta on laajaa, koskien niin teknistä toteutusta kuin myös (kysely-)tutkimuksia tarjolla olevien ohjelmistojen ominaisuuksista ja laadusta. Kuljetusyritysten tarpeissa on vaihtelua yritys- ja alakohtaisesti. Perusongelmat ovat samoja, joita reitinoptimoinnin akateemisessa tutkimuksessa käsitellään ja joita kaupalliset ohjelmistot pystyvät ratkaisemaan. Vaikka reitinoptimoinnilla saatavat hyödyt ovat mitattavissa, suunnittelu etenkin pk-yrityksissä tehdään pääosin yhä käsin. Messuhaastattelujen ja loppukäyttäjien mielipiteiden perusteella voidaan todeta kaupallisten ratkaisujen olevan suunniteltu isommille kuljetusyrityksille: tyypillisen it-projektin hinta, käyttöönottoaika ja asennus sekä ratkaisun takaisinmaksuaika vaikuttavat pk-yritysten hankintapäätökseen. Kaupallistamiseen liittyen haasteet liittyvät erityisesti segmentointiin ja markkinointiin asiakasarvon todentamisen ja sen välittämisen kautta.

Repository Junction Broker

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Open Access Button Workshop

Workshop at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

APIs and Datasets everywhere

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Factors Affecting Consumer Investment Intentions. Empirical Evidence from Finland

The thesis aims to build a theoretical model to explain consumer investment intentions in stocks and investment funds. The model examines the relationships between subjective investment knowledge, expected sacrifice, expected investment value, compatibility, perceived behavioral control and investment intentions. The data was collected via web-based survey and consisted of 45- to 65-year-old Finnish consumers (n=154). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM) and t-tests were applied in analyzing the data. The results suggest that among average household consumers expected investment value consists of three dimensions, namely, economic, functional, and emotional, whereas expected sacrifice consists of effort, financial risk, source risk, and psychological risk. Two structural models were assessed, one for stock investments and one for investment funds. Whereas the models presented somewhat different outcomes, in both models compatibility had an essential role in explaining consumer investment intentions. Compatibility was affected by expected investment value and expected sacrifice. Subjective investment knowledge impacted consumers’ evaluations of the value and sacrifices. The effect of perceived behavioral control on investment intentions was rather small, however significant. Moreover, the results suggest that there are significant differences between consumers with no investment experience and consumers with investment experience in subjective investment knowledge, the dimensions of expected sacrifices and expected investment value, perceived behavioral control, compatibility and investment intentions.

Reaaliaikainen personoitu tuotannonseurantajärjestelmä

Kandidaatintyön loppuraportti on tehty asiakasyritykselle, jolla on räätälöity ”itse tehty” tuotannonohjausjärjestelmä. Tämä nykyinen tuotannonohjausjärjestelmä soveltuu hyvin massatuotantona tapahtuville eri tuotteiden työvaiheiden siirtymisille. Se ei kuitenkaan mahdollista helppokäyttöistä tuotantovaiheiden ja työvaiheiden reaaliaikaista seurantaa. Kandidaatintyön tarkoituksena on lisätä seurantaa fyysisille tuotantolaitteille, jotka eivät ole yhteydessä tuotannonohjausjärjestelmän kanssa. Projektin kehityskohteena on tehdä oma, irrallinen, helppokäyttöinen, personoitava, www -pohjainen käyttöliittymä, jonka seurantapisteitä voidaan hallinnoida varsin itsenäisesti, ilman ulkoisia kumppaneita.

eWOM communication in social media: A study of its antecedents in higher education context

The aim of this master’s thesis was to examine antecedents of eWOM communication in social media in the higher education context. In order to achieve this goal, eWOM communications of the students’ of international master’s programmes at Lappeenranta University of Technology were studied. The main research question was formulated as follows: What kind of effect do service-, brand-related antecedents, contextual antecedents and moderating factors have on LUT’s international master’s degree students’ eWOM communication in social media regarding their studies? The theory part of the master’s thesis was focused on the discussion of service- and brand related eWOM antecedents, contextual antecedents, as well as moderating relationships between them. The empirical part of the master’s thesis was based on quantitative research method. A web-based survey was carried out among current students of international master’s degree programmes at LUT. Out of 712 e-mail invitations sent, 159 responses were received in total. Thus, response rate was 22%. The results of the study showed that satisfaction, commitment, virtual brand community commitment, need for an advice, positive altruistic concerns, negative altruistic concerns, and attitude towards eWOM communications have an effect on eWOM in higher education context. Several moderating effects on eWOM were determined in the present study as well. On the other hand, it was found that dissatisfaction, loyalty, brand identification, desire to help the organization, need for positive self-enhancement, and social risk perception do not have an effect on eWOM in higher education context.

Households’ willingness to engage in demand response in the Finnish retail electricity market: an empirical study

If electricity users adjusted their consumption patterns according to time-variable electricity prices or other signals about the state of the power system, generation and network assets could be used more efficiently, and matching intermittent renewable power generation with electricity demand would be facilitated. This kind of adjustment of electricity consumption, or demand response, may be based on consumers’ decisions to shift or reduce electricity use in response to time-variable electricity prices or on the remote control of consumers’ electric appliances. However, while demand response is suggested as a solution to many issues in power systems, actual experiences from demand response programs with residential customers are mainly limited to short pilots with a small number of voluntary participants, and information about what kinds of changes consumers are willing and able to make and what motivates these changes is scarce. This doctoral dissertation contributes to the knowledge about what kinds of factors impact on residential consumers’ willingness and ability to take part in demand response. Saving opportunities calculated with actual price data from the Finnish retail electricity market are compared with the occurred supplier switching to generate a first estimate about how large savings could trigger action also in the case of demand response. Residential consumers’ motives to participate in demand response are also studied by a web-based survey with 2103 responses. Further, experiences of households with electricity consumption monitoring systems are discussed to increase knowledge about consumers’ interest in getting more information on their electricity use and adjusting their behavior based on it. Impacts of information on willingness to participate in demand response programs are also approached by a survey for experts of their willingness to engage in demand response activities. Residential customers seem ready to allow remote control of electric appliances that does not require changes in their everyday routines. Based on residents’ own activity, the electricity consuming activities that are considered shiftable are very limited. In both cases, the savings in electricity costs required to allow remote control or to engage in demand response activities are relatively high. Nonmonetary incentives appeal to fewer households.

Yritysten kuljetusvirrat ja varastointi Pohjois-Euroopassa

Tämän työn tavoitteena on luoda kuva yritysten kuljetusvirroista ja varastointiratkaisuista Pohjois-Euroopassa. Päätutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin verkkopohjaista kyselyä, jolla pyrittiin keräämään tietoa Suomen, Ruotsin ja Viron suurimpien yritysten logistisista ratkaisuista. Kyselytutkimus toteutettiin yhteistyössä Tallinnan teknillisen yliopiston sekä Jönköpingin yliopiston kanssa. Toimivat kuljetusjärjestelmät ovat nykyään elintärkeitä, sillä ne luovat edellytykset talouden kasvulle ja hyvinvoinnin lisääntymiselle. Myös akateemisessa tutkimuksessa on havaittu, että yritysten todellisista toiminnoista ja luvuista tulisi saada lisää tietoa. Tässä työssä kerättiin ja analysoitiin tietoa yritysten kuljetusyksiköistä, kuljetusmuodoista, kuljetuskustannuksista, kuljetusvirroista eri maiden välillä, varastointiratkaisuista sekä kabotaasikuljetusten ja rikkidirektiivin vaikutuksista. Kirjallisuus- ja kyselytutkimuksen perusteella puoliperävaunu ja kumipyöräkuljetukset ovat Pohjois-Euroopan suosituimmat kuljetuskeinot. Kyselytulosten mukaan varsinkaan suomalaiset yritykset eivät juuri käytä rautatiekuljetuksia, eikä rautatieyhteyttä pidetty tärkeänä varastojen sijainnista päätettäessä. Kuljetusvirrat Kiinan ja Euroopan välillä suuntautuvat Kiinasta Eurooppaan päin. Kiinasta tuleva kuljetusvirta tulee todennäköisesti pysymään vahvana myös tulevaisuudessa. Venäjän ja Euroopan väliset kuljetusvirrat suuntautuvat kyselytulosten perusteella Euroopasta Venäjälle päin. Pohjois-Euroopassa yrityksillä on käytössä pieniä ja keskikokoisia varastoja sekä suurempia jakelukeskuksia. Tulevaisuudessa varastot vaikuttaisivat keskittyvän hieman suuremmiksi yksiköiksi. Kyselytutkimuksen mukaan kabotaasikuljetukset ovat laskeneet ainakin joidenkin yritysten maantiekuljetusten kustannuksia. Rikkidirektiivin puolestaan odotetaan nostavan merikuljetusten hintoja sekä yritysten kuljetuskustannuksia huomattavasti.

Tulosohjauksen kehittämiskohteet Rikosseuraamuslaitoksella

Diplomityön tavoitteena on Rikosseuraamuslaitoksen tulosohjauksen kuvaaminen, mää-rittely, arviointi ja kehitysehdotusten tekeminen. Lisäksi määritellään normi- ja informaa-tio-ohjaus sekä tarkastellaan kuinka ne näkyvät tulosohjauksessa. Informaatio-ohjauksesta tuodaan esille keskeisimpiä kehityskohteita. Toiminnan tehostamistarpeet johtuvat yleisestä taloustilanteesta ja sitä seuraavasta määrärahojen pienenemisestä. Aluksi pidettiin puolistrukturoidut haastattelut, joiden perusteella kuvattiin laitoksen pro-sessikartta. Tämän jälkeen tulos- ja normiohjauksesta tehtiin eritasoisia prosessikuvauk-sia. Kuvauksilla rajattiin ja selvennettiin tarkasteltavia prosesseja. Kirjallisuuden, tutki-musten ja selvitysten avulla kartoitettiin tulosohjauksen yleisiä kehityskohteita. Niitä ver-rattiin haastattelutietoihin, arvioitiin tulosohjauksen nykytilaa ja tehtiin kehitysehdotuksia. Tulosohjauksesta löytyi useita kehityskohteita. Strategisen toimenpidesuunnitelman edis-tymiseen tulisi tehdä raportointiaikataulu. Tulostavoitteita voisi valmistella enemmän työntekijälähtöisesti ja yksiköille tulisi laatia omat strategiat. Asiakaspalautekyselyä tulisi kehittää, toteuttaa se verkkopohjaisena ja ottaa käyttöön kaikissa yksiköissä. Mittarit tuli-si liittää ydinprosesseihin ja jakaa ne laitos-alue-yksikkö -tasoille. Säännölliset raportit tulisi automatisoida ja antaa niiden tulostusoikeudet käyttäjille. Lisäksi kehittämishankkeita ja projekteja voisi hieman vähentää mutta viedä ne tehokkaammin läpi. Normi- ja informaatio-ohjaus ovat kiinteä osa tulosohjausta. Normiohjaus perustuu pääasiassa säädöksiin ja informaatio-ohjaus tiedolla ohjaamiseen. Informaatio-ohjauksessa tulisi kiinnittää huomiota aluekeskuksen tiedottamiseen, ettei yksiköitä ohjata keskushallinnosta aluekeskuksen ohi. Keskushallinnon tulisi myös päivittää ohjeistukset nopeammin erityisesti lakimuutosten yhteydessä. Myös vastuuta voisi jakaa enemmän alueille. Käyttöön voisi ottaa uuden tiedotuskanavan, esimerkiksi sähköinen uutislehtinen tai info-näytöt taukotiloissa.

Conflicting Memory in Estonia: How Do Estonian Russian-speakers Understand the Events of 1939-40?

This thesis studies the collective memory of the Russian-speaking minority living in Estonia. The minority is exposed to two national narratives regarding the incorporation of Estonia into the Soviet Union in 1940. According to the Estonian narrative, Estonia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union while the Soviet-Russian narrative sees the actions to have been legal and voluntary. This thesis firstly examines thoughts the existence of these two opposing narratives evoke among the Russian-speaking minority and secondly it explores whether the views of the minority compare with the two official yet divergent narratives. The study focuses on the second and third generation minority members. The topic belongs to the field of memory studies. The objective is to understand the views the Russian minority have towards the controversial events of the years 1939-40. To accomplish the objectives set, a web-based survey using open-ended and multiple-choice questions was conducted. The open-ended questions addressed the main research questions while the multiple-choice questions contributed to forming a more comprehensive understanding of the subject in question. In order to interpret the data, qualitative content analysis has been applied. Based on the findings, the Russian-speaking minority respondents’ understanding of the events of 1939-40 could be described as fragmented, inconsistent and including viewpoints that resulted from the merger of different storylines. There is no single cohesive or coherent narrative of the past amongst the minority. In addition to that, their views do not generally comply with the narrative of the Russian Federation as often referred to in literature, even though the minority respondents do not want to see the Soviet involvement as critically as the Estonian narrative does. Many respondents conceive the events of 1939-40 as ambiguous revealing the ability to be tolerant and receptive in their views regarding the past.

Ethical leadership as a way to promote work-related well-being

The purpose of this study was to clarify the connections of ethical leadership with the work-related well-being of employees. Additionally, the role of occupational health care in ethical leadership that promotes work-related well- being was analyzed. The objective of the study was to produce knowledge to support the development of ethical leadership and work-related well-being as well as to find ways for occupational health care to support organizations in these actions. The target groups of this study consisted of the managers (N=43) and employees (N=336) working in one organization in the Finnish energy industry. The population was studied in November 2014 using census. The data was gathered with two different web-based surveys containing structured and open questions. The survey for managers consisted of background questions and statements concerning ethical leadership, work-related well-being and occupational health care. The employee questionnaire consisted of questions about background and statements about work-related well-being and ethical leadership. The structured questions were analyzed with SPSS Statistical Program and the open questions using inductive content analysis. At least 80 % of the managers saw their actions as ethical in all but one part of ethical leadership. The work-related well-being of the employees was found best in the area of ability to work (91 % agreed) and lowest in the area of experience of ethical leadership (67 % agreed). The results showed a strong positive connection between ethical leadership and all the components of work- related well-being. The managers and employees were generally quite happy with the services of occupational health care but managers saw some problems with the collaboration with occupational health care. Several ways to improve work-related well-being and collaboration with occupational health care were found. One of the most important things was thought to be offering ways to maintain ability to work and making these actions visible. Investing in ethical leadership and work-related well-being is extremely important for the success of an organization and the societal benefits cannot be forgotten either. The role of occupational health care in promoting the health and well-being of employees is substantial. Occupational health care should offer managers more tools to recognize difficult situations and acting in them as well as encourage managers to seek help from occupational health care without hesitation in problematic situations of leadership.

A human-centric service approach for architecting and reengineering global system

Production of a new system in any range is expanding dramatically and new ideas are there upon introduced, the logic stands behind the matter is the growth of application of the internet and granting web-based systems. Before producing a system and distribute to the customer, various aspects should be studied which multiple the profit of the system. The process of productizing a new system from being unprocessed idea until delivers to the final user has been unambiguous. In this thesis, the systematize service in a way that benefits both the customer and provider, along with an effort to establish trust and diminish customer’s risk and increase service productivity are in detail presented. Characteristics of Servitization and Productization as two faces of one coin have been interpreted. Apart from the abovementioned issues state of art, service-oriented architecture (SOA) and New Service Development (NSD) has been included in this report for solving the problem of gradually decline in value of companies.

Software for Transport Accessibility Analysis: The Case of Moscow

In this thesis the process of building a software for transport accessibility analysis is described. The goal was to create a software which is easy to distribute and simple to use for the user without particular background in the field of the geographical data analysis. It was shown that existing tools do not suit for this particular task due to complex interface or significant rendering time. The goal was accomplished by applying modern approaches in the process of building web applications such as maps based on vector tiles, FLUX architecture design pattern and module bundling. It was discovered that vector tiles have considerable advantages over image-based tiles such as faster rendering and real-time styling.

Ethical leadership as a way to promote work-related well-being

The purpose of this study was to clarify the connections of ethical leadership with the work-related well-being of employees. Additionally, the role of occupational health care in ethical leadership that promotes work-related well- being was analyzed. The objective of the study was to produce knowledge to support the development of ethical leadership and work-related well-being as well as to find ways for occupational health care to support organizations in these actions. The target groups of this study consisted of the managers (N=43) and employees (N=336) working in one organization in the Finnish energy industry. The population was studied in November 2014 using census. The data was gathered with two different web-based surveys containing structured and open questions. The survey for managers consisted of background questions and statements concerning ethical leadership, work-related well-being and occupational health care. The employee questionnaire consisted of questions about background and statements about work-related well-being and ethical leadership. The structured questions were analyzed with SPSS Statistical Program and the open questions using inductive content analysis. At least 80 % of the managers saw their actions as ethical in all but one part of ethical leadership. The work-related well-being of the employees was found best in the area of ability to work (91 % agreed) and lowest in the area of experience of ethical leadership (67 % agreed). The results showed a strong positive connection between ethical leadership and all the components of work- related well-being. The managers and employees were generally quite happy with the services of occupational health care but managers saw some problems with the collaboration with occupational health care. Several ways to improve work-related well-being and collaboration with occupational health care were found. One of the most important things was thought to be offering ways to maintain ability to work and making these actions visible. Investing in ethical leadership and work-related well-being is extremely important for the success of an organization and the societal benefits cannot be forgotten either. The role of occupational health care in promoting the health and well-being of employees is substantial. Occupational health care should offer managers more tools to recognize difficult situations and acting in them as well as encourage managers to seek help from occupational health care without hesitation in problematic situations of leadership.