Sandvik Wire needed a review of the administrative part of the order fulfillment process and especially the work around packing and the inventory of finished goods. Therefore we acquired the assignment to investigate the administrative part of the order fulfillment process in the company with the purpose to identify potential for improvement. This investigation was performed with focus on the terminal and packing functions. The purpose with the investigation was also to identify critical factors for an efficient order fulfillment process and investigate if information quality is such a factor.Data was collected through interviews and observations on Sandvik Wire. With the help of this data the information and material flows was mapped, the work within terminal and packing, and adjacent functions was investigated.

The upstream spawning migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at the confluence area between the power-station outlet and the bypass-channel in river Umeälven (flow 430 m3s-1) was compared in 2004 and 2005, two years with different experimental flow-regimes. In 2004 the water flow in the bypass-channel was altered during the day with increased flows during the nights while the water flow in 2005 mainly was altered between the weekdays and weekends. Salmon showed altered migratory behaviour in this confluence area, assessed with telemetry (n=116) and echo-sounding, with up- or downstream responses depending on flow-changes in both the bypass and the power station outlet. Increased turbine flow through the power-station generally attracted salmon into the tunnel outlet area while increased spill-flows facilitated salmon to enter the bypass. Echo-sounding in the confluence area showed an increased swimming activity up- and downstream due to time in the day and flow-rates through the tunnel outlet. No changes in activity could be detected due to increasing or decreasing flow through the hydro-power facility.

The purpose of this study is to examine which factors played an important role in the food price crisis of 2007-2008. Theories used are Microeconomic theory, explaining changes in supply and demand, and Macroeconomic theory, explaining the impact of changes in exchange rate on prices. A theory regarding speculation is also used to explain the impact of speculative activities effects on price. The method used is multiple regression analysis in order to determine the effects which ethanol production, oil price and dollar exchange rate had on the surge in the price of corn, rice and wheat.The data used is in monthly observations during the period 2005-2008. However, other factors are taken into consideration during the study, such as production quantity, stock size, economic growth, speculative activity and population growth.

This qualitative study involves the implementation of Lean and Kaizen methods in a Swedish service industry. Lean philosophy is based on a method to achieve more with less. In practical terms this means that the use of an organization's resources is improved. The origin of Lean is the Toyota Production System. Now, Kaizen methods give managers and employees a better more efficient system to reach their goals within the organization or company.

In the next few years the pollutants loading at the Slottshagen wastewater treatment plant in Norrköping is going to increase due to the reason that one of the waste water treatment plant in the district will be shut down.A survey of how these different pollutants are divided in the treatment process is therefore necessary for mapping out both the loading and treatment efficiency.This can be achieved by studying mass balances.Mass balances were carried out for the water treatment process for the mechanical/chemical,biological and the chemical stage.The mass balance studies show that the treatment efficiency was very good. However in order for the mass balances to be quite consistent and to ensure complete coverage of results and conclusions i.e. more reliable results, sludge samples should be collected and taken at different times per day and the influent rate should be investigated.In this work mass balance has been set up in order to illustrate and identify the factors that should be considered and taken care of for further estimation using mass balances in the future. Furthermore this survey results in a calculating model for the mass balances at thisplant.This calculating model is used as a tool to facilitate future calculations for mass balances for the water treatment process at Slottshagens wastewater treatment plant.Moreover it provides a basis for carrying out further estimation of the treatment process in the near future.In this project the importance of some operating parameters was also taken in consideration.This calculating model can be modified so that calculations of such operating parameters i.e. sludge loading and sludge age can be easily performed.Such information can be used further to evaluate different operation alternative in order to ensure an optimal use of the treatment process with in the plant..

Recent years there has been discussed how the critical situation in the housing market threatens the Stockholm region's growth. The thesis objective is to examine whether there is a scientific link between the lack of housing supply and growth. The thesis also intends to identify solutions for increased housing construction, for instance by examining the conditions for a greater regional perspective and influence on the region's housing supply. The thesis empirical study is based on semi-structured interviews with representatives from the Government, municipalities and the housing industry.In Sweden, research on the relationship between housing shortages and growth has not been conducted to that extent it can be said to exist scientific evidence regarding the growth threat. However, in Britain and the U.S, empirical studies show that a lack of housing supply has hindered growth through negative impact on countries' gross domestic product.

Previous research has found an increased transmission of stock movements in Europe, partly caused by the establishment of institutions as the EU and the EMU. The purpose of this paper is to find the possible impact from the EU and the EMU concerning the evolution of international transmission of stock market movements, on four Scandinavian markets, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The research is based on primary data, existing theories and earlier studies regarding international transmission of stock market movements. The examined method is a VAR (Vector autoregressive model) including a 10x1 vector of variables. Furthermore the tests considered are correlation, granger-causality, variance decomposition and impulse response.

Many organizations utilize decision support systems in order to handle different tasks and tosupport the decision-making process. Decision support system is a broad term used to referto several different types of systems. These types of systems can handle a wide range ofoperations within the organization. Consequently this will have an impact on differentoperations within the organization. The main aim of this study was to create a betterunderstanding regarding the impact of decision support systems on the various operationswithin the City Council's procurement units which in turn will increase effectiveness.

This is a comparative study of six public libraries in the city of Gothenburg and its neighbourhood. The main purpose of this master thesis is to describe these libraries relating to a reform in the city council of Gothenburg and its neighbourhood. The comparison deals with a period of ten years, 1990-2000. In order to respond to this I formulated two questions: Are there any differences in the activities of these libraries? Has this reform influenced the librarians in their way of working and if so, why? I have studied relevant literature such as annual reports, investigations and analyses in order to be able to formulate the questions.

By identifying effects that a buyout-firm has on management control systems in its portfolio companies, the aim of this thesis is to explain how such effects differs between the companies and finally to explain why the effects differs even though the companies are owned by the same buyout-firm. The study is conducted as a qualitative case study based on interviews with representatives from the studied buyout-firm and three of its portfolio companies.By analyzing the empirical findings with frameworks and theories within management control systems and value creation, we cannot only identify effects that are common for all portfolio companies but we can also observe differences between the portfolio companies.The identified effects that are common for all portfolio companies are: increased internal reporting burden, increased perceived risk of getting laid off among managers and co-workers and replacement of the board immediately after acquisition.The effects that are observed only for two portfolio companies are: increased focus on short-term planning, higher financial targets, replacement of company management upon acquisition and moving of decision authorities to higher organizational levels. Differences are observed although the portfolio companies are owned by the same buyout-firm due to: differences in management and co-workers equity stake in the portfolio companies, differences in business complexity and differences in planned exit-horizon..

AbstractMedia presents hate crimes and nationalism as phenomenon that has increased both internationally and nationally in recent years. Further media largely pair these phenomenon together. The groups mostly exposed to hate and nationalism are people of different ethnic origin and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer) people. In Sweden's general election in 2010 a RHP-party, Sweden Democrats, made it in to Parliament. The purpose of this study was to examine how hate crimes and nationalism, in the form of the Sweden Democrats, has increased in Sweden and if there was any link between them.

The objective of this study is to examine how Lean can make the utilization of inventory more effective and, from a Lean perspective, examine how the value-adding activities related to inventory can increase. To examine this, a case study was perfomed at Svenska Fönster. The conclusions of this study are that Lean can advantageously be applied on inventory to increase the efficiency. .

The division of Electricity at Uppsala University is developing a wave energy converter(WEC) consisting of a linear generator connected to a bouy at the water surfacethrough a wire cable called the connection line.During extreme conditions, the wave power plant will experience forces up to 500kN, which lead to unnecessary wear and will ultimately cause the failure of theconverter. To prevent this there is a need for a damper.The wave energy converter works at a maximum efficiency when the translator?sare centered with respect to the stator. Due to tidal movements the position of thetranslator can deviate. There for a mechanical divice that will compensate for this isneeded.This report describes the further development of an earlier project where a tidalwave compensator for a wave energy converter of Seabased AB was developed.

Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world and about 70-80 % of the population lives in rural areas. The land is strongly affected by land erosion which makes it difficult for the agriculture and food production. Agroforestry is a system where tree plantation is combined with livestock- and crop production. The system provides soil fertilization and binds the soil together. Some of the trees used in agroforestry systems are also used as fodder.

The objective of this study is to examine how Lean can make the utilization of inventory more effective and, from a Lean perspective, examine how the value-adding activities related to inventory can increase. To examine this, a case study was perfomed at Svenska Fönster. The conclusions of this study are that Lean can advantageously be applied on inventory to increase the efficiency. .