Researchers and practitioners have recognized the need for ?transforming? every policy of the company into a competitive advantage tool. Thus, both the pricing approach and the supply chain practices of the firm have emerged as an important determinant of success. In this study, however, we are not only interested in these two aspects, but also in a third one-namely cultural conflicts as an obstacle and challenge. The interaction of the tree factors is extensively presented against the backdrop of Skanska and four of their closest Polish suppliers.

The purpose of this work was to provide a better understanding of urea?s decomposition and byproduct formation in an SCR system on heavy trucks. In my experimental setup with TGA-DSC-FTIR (a combination of two thermal analysis methods and a method for gas phase detection), an FTIR method for urea in the gas phase was developed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of urea and its decomposition products. Chemicals such as urea, biuret, cyanuric acid and melamine of p.a. quality were used in this method development. Beforehand, there was no FTIR method available to detect these substances; hence, the aim of this work was to develop an FTIR method to understand the degradation chain of urea. The combination of TGA and DSC was used for analysis of different samples, where urea, biuret, cyanuric acid and melamine in varying amounts have been weighted in for various experiments in order to study the temperature at which a phase transition or reaction occurs, i.e.

I dagens samhälle är det viktigt för företag att ha en effektiv försörjningskedja. En kedja blir ineffektiv när den innehåller mycket osäkerhet som t.ex. brister i informationsflöden, vid lagerhantering, skapandet av prognoser eller produktion. IT stöd finns, vilka ger möjlighet att minska dessa osäkerhetsfaktorer. Automatik i form av mjukvaruagenter är ett sätt att bidra till minskad osäkerhet.

In this master?s thesis the problem of simulating conditional Bernoulli distributed stochastic variables, given the sum, is considered. Three simulation methods are considered, namely the acceptance/rejection technique, Bondesson?s method and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method.To compare the three methods the bias and the standard deviations of the simulated variables are evaluated. The results of the simulation study shows that the Markov chain Monte Carlo method is not the best method for this type of simulation.

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the situation for independent hotels. With a thorough case study of ?The Grand Hotel in Lund? ,our intentions is to gain knowledge about the demands a hotel must keep up with in order to be a successful independent hotel, in a market dominated by chain-constellations. Methodology: An abductive method is used as the study form the basis for hypothesis. The first part of the thesis, which describes the line of business, is based primary on secondary data.

The purpose of the essay has been to clarify why and how small companies, whose major resource is knowledge, establish strategic alliances and which opportunities it brings. We have increased our understanding for the concept of strategic alliances through empirical search and through well-known scientist work. The method, which has been used in the essay, is principally qualitative interviews and gathering secondary data from articles from well-known authors. Our study has given that we have found that entering strategic alliances can make growth and by that way create competitive advantages for the company in question. We also found that there are risks with strategic alliances and the company can protect themselves by legal actions.

Logistikens vikt för företag blir allt större. En mängd faktorer i företagens omvärld tvingar företag att följa med i utvecklingen för att behålla sin konkurrenskraft. Den ständiga förändringen som sker inom logistikområdet präglas av en mängd tidstypiska trender. Företag med en betydande logistik tvingas därför ta ställning till dessa trender, som på olika sätt sätter avtryck i organisationer då de väljer att implementera tillhörande arbetssätt och metoder från trenderna.Studien undersöker hur företag påverkas av logistiska trender. Detta sker genom att beskriva hur de ser på utvecklingen inom logistik och de trender som utvecklas inom området, samt att se till hur trenderna har satt spår i företagens verksamheter.

The supermarkets are taking more and more market shares for potted plants the last years, and a greater part is bought without prior planning. Signals from several European countries, for example Denmark and UK, indicate that potted plants with added value have become more and more popular and the added value is based on present trends. The meaning of added value in this thesis is fancy pots, packaging, pins or arrangements. Potted plants with added value sold in supermarkets offer the consumer the advantage of getting a ?ready product? quick and easy.

When the Swedish Forestry Act was changed in 1994, brushing of young stands became non mandatory. Since then the annual need for brushing in the country has increased by about 100 000 hectares per year. In later years the price for biomass energy has increased to the same level as pulp wood. The high price on biomass energy and the large areas of stands in the need of brushing has created a new market with its own technical, economical and environmental conditions. There is a development of various techniques to manage the forestry stands with late brushing.

The classical age cities of Palenque and Tikal where ones great Mayan bastions with extraordinary architecture.  This architecture still fascinates modern archaeologies and historians alike. Still much of the architecture in the Mayan cities had the same style and function, but could diverse from town to town. This is the case of Palenque and Tikal. They share much of their buildings like temples, palaces and ball courts.

The four grocery chains Axfood, Bergendahls, Coop and ICA, all providing private labels, dominate the Swedish grocery market. Through private labels, it may be possible to convey an image about the grocery chain's overall brand. Furthermore, it is important that the grocery chain's employees have a fairly consistent understanding regarding the company's image to achieve success.The main purpose of this study is to examine how the intended image the Swedish grocery chains head offices will communicate through private labels is perceived among the store employees. The study intends to provide an expanded view among the grocery chains' work on internal communications regarding the image of private labels. The research method is qualitative.

In order to measure the quality of the logs, one can with help of Fast Fourier Transform technique get the signals resonance peaks. With help of these peaks you can see whether the quality of a tree is good or bad. This report contains the work of a where a program has been developed to be able to process a vibration created by an automatic hammer hitting on a log of wood. From the processed signal the program should be able to show both the raw wavesignal and the processed measured data from the resonance peaks. Beyond the raw wavesignal and resonance peaks the program should also be able to control the automatic hammer.

Detta examensarbete gjorde jag för att försöka ta reda på vad ett riff kan vara, och vilken roll riffet har inom hårdrocksmusiken..

It is important for today?s farmers to minimize the costs for crop establishment, because of decreased prices and support from the EU. Farmers, who plow in autumn on heavy clay soil, often do some kind of tillage in autumn to get better soil structure before spring seeding. This is especially important when growing small seed crop, e.g. sugar beet and oil plants.

Urban farming can be viewed in several contexts. The first part of this work brings up the beneficial effects of farming on our physical and mental health, knowledge as well as on social life in cities. The introduction of gardening in schools can contribute to an increased awareness on both agricultural practices and importance as well as ecological processes. It can also be used in teaching of other subjects. Farming can also contribute to improving the household economy, and the economy on a municipal or national level.