This master thesis presents a Model for Evaluating and Managing Interruption Risks in connection with Business Continuity Planning (BCP), developed for Swedwood International. The model consists of a template with instructions. The model should be easily understood and useful for establishing a plan for BCP. This is achieved by including the contents and procedure of BCP and the main supplychain risks in the model. The purpose of a BCP plan is to describe how an enterprise will return to business as usual after an interruption, e.g.

In this paper we have examined why seniors do not use e-business to the same extent as other age groups. Seniors belong to the age group that, according to statistics from Statistics Sweden (SCB) in 2011, utilizes e-business the least in relation to the number who use the internet. To understand how seniors reason and perceive the possibility to shop on the internet, we have conducted four interviews with people from 65 years and older. We have let the respondents answer questions regarding utility aspects, e-business interfaces, general shopping habits, risks, and whether or not they usually shop online. We also found out how seniors reason when they sell products and services.

The aim of this thesis is to develop a new Business model for district heating and cooling firms which can contribute to a stabilization of the Swedish national energy system. The Business model is developed for a district heating and cooling firm and is exemplified with Fortum Heat. The theoretical investigation around the topic creates a rigid base for following qualitative empirical studies. Osterwalder?s canvas for Business model generation is used together with a Casual Loop Diagram to identify a number of business opportunities which stabilizes the national energy system.

Foreign invested SMEs have recently become increasingly interested in China. The enterprises are in this report categorized as second wave companies since they follow the footsteps of previous pioneers, of which mostly were larger companies. The ambitions of the SMEs are either to sell products on the ever expanding Chinese market or to utilize the potential of low cost production for global markets. The existing literature is fragmented and solely based on the experience of larger companies. We believe that SMEs are facing new and different challenges, and thus a new generic theoretical frame work is desirable.

This essay answers the question: How can a manufacturing business fulfill the information demand in the processes; purchasing, production, warehousing, order and delivery?The question has been answered through different kind of studies, such as literature, documents, Internet search, interviews and observations. The essay is written from a hermeneutic point of view and by using qualitative research. The result has been validated by two different manufacturing businesses.A simple information logistic model is the result of a comparison made between theory and empery. The aim of the model is to describe how a manufacturing business can fulfill the information demand by using different methods.

Due to increasing international competition and new technology IT-consultants has been forced to oversee their Business models lately. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the process and consequences of a shift in Business model for a consultant by using a methodology based on action research. The empirical foundation consists of a field study with observations, notes, interviews and business related documents. The case describes a consultant?s process of shifting Business model from profits based on man-hours to selling a standardized system.

Background: Increasing globalization makes companies more influenced than before by actors and factors in their environment. For some this has lead to a more dynamic and complicated business context. Therefore it is of strategic importance to understand what is currently going on as well as to have a general idea of what the future brings. Purpose: To contribute to a deeper understanding of how a corporate management can perceive its business environment and how it affects he gathering of business information from a strategic perspective. Realisation: In-depth interviews were conducted with all four members of the management in the studied company, Volvo Competence Center in Skovde, Sweden.

Foreign invested SMEs have recently become increasingly interested in China. The enterprises are in this report categorized as second wave companies since they follow the footsteps of previous pioneers, of which mostly were larger companies. The ambitions of the SMEs are either to sell products on the ever expanding Chinese market or to utilize the potential of low cost production for global markets. The existing literature is fragmented and solely based on the experience of larger companies. We believe that SMEs are facing new and different challenges, and thus a new generic theoretical frame work is desirable.

Mobile telecom and the Internet are converging, which opens new possibilities for market actors to create business through the mobile handset. At the same time market experts are predicting that mobile operator?s existing dominance in the telecom market will in the future decline as new technology such as VoIP and services will erode the operator?s traditional revenue model. This implies that mobile operators will need to rethink their dominant business logic to create new value for their customers. Mobile operators are aiming to expand their existing revenue model through advertising in the mobile handset and are searching to create new Business models that evolve advertising sales.

The role of small businesses is fundamentally important for the economic development in countries. Within this context, business incubation is used as an entrepreneurship development instrument to promote and support new firms in the early stage of their existence. However, research in the field tends to disregard the perspectives of incubatee entrepreneurs. The performed investigation is based on interviews with entrepreneurs from two different business incubators at Swedish universities. This study uses a Situated Learning Theory (SLT) as a theoretical framework, to examine the entrepreneur's experience of the learning environment in a business incubator.

Many researchers emphasize the increasing strategic importance of supply chain management, but there is still a lack of concrete guidance for managers faced with strategic decisions in supply chain. Within decision-making theories, the rational decision-making model is the most commonly used. This because of its suitable foundation, enabling a structure to the complex decision process. The rational decision-making model is today not developed to include the aspects of strategic decision-making made in supply chain. The purpose of this research is to adjust a structured rational decision-making model, making it applicable for strategic decision-making in supply chain.

Context: During the 21st century several alarming reports have been published that deals with the depletion and pollutant of the earth by human interference. The earth is an ending resource and so are the mountains and bedrocks which are continuously mined in order to harvest its minerals. The idea behind Urban Mining is to (re)invent processes enabling further purpose for materials both from old deposits and new products providing secondary raw materials and energy. This thesis aims to investigate the challenges and opportunities of how firms and organizations can and will be able to strike a better balance between product-/service systems, economic growth and environmental stewardship in the context of Urban Mining as an approach. With the innovation of processes, technology, business- planning and creation in focus.Objective: How to future proof a Business model for Urban Mining by the usage of Business model design.Method: This thesis will be conducted using a case study approach, meaning that it will incorporate qualitative, exploratory and descriptive characteristics - aiming towards enabling both applied and fundamental research.Results: The result evaluates the Business model element differences between traditional C&D industry and Urban Mining industry.

Background: Businesses are traditionally valued with the so called Discounted Cash Flow-model. When valuing newly-started businesses, surrounded by high uncertainty, and whose capital mostly consists of unrealized business opportunities, the Discounted Cash Flow-model needs to be complemented if the total value of the business is to be captured. A valuation with the help of real options is capable of valuing these unrealized opportunities, which often exist in newly-started businesses. The unrealized opportunities are to be found in the business plan of the business, why this needs to be valued to capture the total value of a newly-started business. Purpose: To demonstrate what the use of real options can result in when valuing businesses.

Computers together with Internet have been growing enormously, during the last decade and the area of information technology has been growing in the same speed. As long as the surrounding environment evolves, the Business models must within the IT-area, keep the same pace. So, how do business corporations handle this change to attract customers? How do the dominant Business models look like? In many cases, they are apparently much the same. But what differences can we see and what areas can be improved? We have showed that the IT area isn?t just one, it consist of several segments.

Computers together with Internet have been growing enormously, during the last decade and the area of information technology has been growing in the same speed. As long as the surrounding environment evolves, the Business models must within the IT-area, keep the same pace. So, how do business corporations handle this change to attract customers? How do the dominant Business models look like? In many cases, they are apparently much the same. But what differences can we see and what areas can be improved? We have showed that the IT area isn?t just one, it consist of several segments.