The initial aim of the roll out of smart electricity meters in Sweden was to allow remote readings of the households? monthly electricity consumption for billing purposes. Since then the transition towards a smart grid has become a more prioritized matter. In the roll out of next generation smart meters more attention is therefore given to how the Distribution System Operator (DSO) can benefit from the meter through different smart grid applications. This study uses a qualitative research method to identify three general fields of application and 15 specific concepts corresponding to ways in which the DSO can create added value from the information provided by the smart meter.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to find out how pupils give expression of a water cycle model and if the model causes any misunderstanding. Two problems constitute the starting point for this investigation. The first question is: how do the pupils explain the water cycle with the help of the jar model (can of glass). The other question is: can the children see any similarities between the can of glass and our earth. Qualitative semi structured interviews with seven pupils in the ages of 8-9 have been used to show the pupils? own thoughts and how they express them.

We have by Statistics Sweden (SCB) been given the task of using different dynamic regression models in order to forecast service price index for sea transport. The aim is to see whether these models provide better forecasts than those previously used. This essay aim to identify, estimate and evaluate the selected prediction models. Through our data material we were given access to 28 sightings of sea transport index during the period of 2004 q1 to 2010 q4. We have chosen to evaluate three different transfer function models, one ARIMA model and one naive forecasting model. The input variables we decided to test in our transfer function models were the price of petroleum products, the port activity in Swedish ports and the lending rate of Swedish Central bank. The results of our study suggest that transfer function models generally provide better models than the ARIMA model and the naive forecast model.

Background: The strategic importance of purchasing departments is increasing, yet supply risks are rather uncharted. The procurement of coffee involves supply risks and the purchaser needs to be able to handle these to enable the roasting-house to produce coffee as specified. Purpose: To chart risks in connection with the procurement of coffee as well as the possibilities of handling these. The thesis also examines if general risk management theories are applicable on the supply risk present within Swedish roasting-houses and can become an integral partof the purchasing process. Method: A qualitative case study of the purchasing process of Swedish roasting- houses.

The purpose of this thesis has been to build a parameterized model of a prototype motor in the program Solidworks, to use in future optimization of aspects of effectiveness and weight. The result were two models. The first model were one minor part of the whole design in 2D, to be able to optimize and study the minor part with a faster loss simulation. The second model was the whole design in 3D. The whole model were done with the three programs Solidworks, Comsol and Matlab.

In this report the two authors, and project contributors alike, describe their work withdeveloping a solar cooker intended for usage in the developing countries of the world.Specifically, the work aims at developing a new, solar heat driven cooking device, possiblybased upon the current product. This should, in comparison to the current product, be lighter,easier to transport and to produce. Also, the new product?s production mustn?t be more costlythan today and the included materials and components must be obtainable from within theBolivian national borders where the product is currently produced. During the project, certainadvantages with a more efficient, and, above all, a more moderately priced product, werediscovered.

I många utvecklingsländer finns en begränsad tillgång på utvecklade AKK-system (Alant, 1999) och ofta även en okunskap kring möjligheterna att arbeta med kommunikationsproblem (Marshall, 1997). I föreliggande studie genomförs intervention i alternativ och kompletterande kommunikation (AKK) för två deltagare med cerebral pares på ett dagcenter i Kilimanjaroregionen, Tanzania. Syftet i föreliggande interventionsstudie är att genom intervention studera och utveckla de i mätsituationerna responsiva talakterna att påkalla uppmärksamhet för att inleda interaktion, acceptera och avfärda samt upprätthålla och avsluta interaktion. Detta sker med hjälp av begreppen ja och nej för att acceptera och avfärda, liksom mer och mindre för att upprätthålla och avsluta interaktion. Studien följer en single subjekt design och insatsen utgörs av två interventionsperioder, bestående av direkt intervention med deltagarna samt utbildning och fortlöpande handledning av personal.

This report summarizes a Bachelor Degree Project in Integrated Product Development,carried out during the spring semester in 2007 by three students at the Product Design Engineering programme at the University of Skövde. The project was performed as an assignment for KinBag ab, a sister subsidiary to Kinnegrip ab in Lidköping, who develop,manufacture and market the golf bag KinBag, a bag with an integrated wheel carriage system. The purpose of the project was to redesign the golf bag to attract a target group consisting of golfers aged between 20 and 40.The layout of the project was as follows: The project began with a feasibility study where different problems were identified with the basis of a market research which eventually was summarized in a dynamic specification of requirements. The feasibility study was followed by a generation of ideas which contained everything from sketches to simple mock-ups with an intensive amount of thoughtful brainwork and information gathering in between. This ledto the development of a number of design concepts, both on an overall level and on different parts of the golf bag.

Background: In 1998 it was stated that Swedish municipalities would report the pension liabilities according to the mixed model where the pension liabilities before 1998 was moved from the balance sheet. The mixed model has been criticized by economists for not showing the total pension liabilities. To remove some of the liabilities in the municipalities balance sheets means that the solvency improves. Some municipalities have decided to go against the municipal accounting law and recognize all of the pension liability as a liability according to the full funding model. When two accounting models are being used the comparison of the municipalities' financial statements is much harder.Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to study the reason why some municipalities apply full funding model rather than the mixed model.

Vi har valt att undersöka den pågående generationsväxling som sker på arbetsmarknaden, den äldre generationen börjar nu gå i pension och den yngre generationen börjar i allt högre grad röra sig in på arbetsplatserna. Ämnet har länge legat till grund för forskning och det har förutspåtts att de stora pensionsavgångarna skall leda till stor arbetskraftsbrist. Detta är inget som vi ser på dagens arbetsmarknad utan det är istället arbetslösheten bland unga som är det mest framträdande. Forskning om det förmodade generationsskiftet har länge vart aktuellt, men verkar nu börja närma sig i och med att pensionsavgångarna beräknas tillta. Samtidigt som de yngre årskullarna börjar minska i antal.

This master thesis attempts to answerthe question if a startup with amaterial innovation needs a specialbusiness development model. Mainstreambusiness development literature is notwell adapted to the rigor of testing anew material and bringing it tomarket. This was studied using threedifferent methods. First of thetheories that are considered canonicalfor high tech business development wasexamined. The next step was to go into the role of a business developer inone of the hottest high tech materialinnovation startups this decade,Disruptive Materials.

In this qualitative study the authors explores, by studying several quality-development models what quality in leadership is. The models are: Total Quality Management; SIQ?s model for customer-oriented organizational development; the EFQM excellence model; the ISO 9000:2000 standard; and Six Sigma. These models will be compared from Deming?s list for upper management; the Situational Leadership Theory; and the Contingency Theory.

I denna uppsats har vi beskrivit och analyserat befintlig traditionell ekonomistyrning hos små och medelstora svenska business-to-business tjänsteföretag och diskuterat förutsättningar för utformning och implementering av en modern verksamhetsstyrning. Undersökningen genomförts som en fallstudie av sex företag och presenteras med hjälp av en enklare modell, som återger företagets syn på strategier och ledningsfilosofi, organisationsstruktur samt ekonomistyrning.Vi har kommit till slutsats att storleken och tjänsteinriktningen är avgörande faktorer inom gruppen vid val av ekonomistyrningsmodell. Det förefaller så att företagen använder sig av den traditionella ekonomistyrningen, vilket ger ett stort utrymme för implementering av nya utvecklingslinjer. Avslutningsvis föreslår vi de moderniseringar, som skulle kunna leda till modern verksamhetsstyrning..

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how gender and sexuality are made in the videogames Prince of Persia and Fable II, and more specifically to look at possibilities and limitations for the construction of gender and sexuality in these games. I understand videogames as an interactive media form that differs from other types of media like film and literature. It is a media form that depends on a player to be played. At the same time it is constituted by rules of how it can be played. I have analyzed my material by a method called close-playing.

The purpose of our essay is to examine if variation exists in the way that auditors try their independence, this so called analysis-model. We will suggest some factors that influence the way auditors practise the analysis-model. The institutional theory predicts no differencies since the normative pressure could be expected to be severe. But we found that among other things people?s qualifications, personalities and audit firm?s size and age influence the way auditors try their independence.