This paper explores a model for self-assessment of purchasing maturity in large companies. The author adapts contemporary purchasing theory and further enhances existing tools and procedures to create a survey based instrument for maturity measurementThe paper also explores potential methodological challenges associated with conducting a more extensive study of purchasing maturity via the proposed model. A preliminary study is made and the learnings discussed.The preliminary findings of the survey indicate that the purchasing maturity varies with industry. The purchasing function average score was found to be 3,4 out of 6 with samples spread across the whole spectra ? agreeing with previous theories stating that the purchasing maturity is highly varied between different industries..

In light of the coming workforce shortage in Sweden the competition for human capital will be intensified on the market where employers compete in order to attract skilled labor. The competition will be most noticeable in the knowledge-intense industries, where the employees are seen as the companies? most valuable asset. The purpose of this paper is to examine how small knowledge-intensive companies can improve their position in the labor market by using the HR-model People Capability Maturity model in order to affect their companies' Employer Brand. We take the basis of the theoretical framework in which we examine and identify the key dimensions of the Employer Brand concept and present the People Capability Maturity model more closely.

Purpose - To analyze the relationship between supply chain management maturity, supply chain performance and financial performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME:s).Design/methodology/approach - The data comprises 15 SME:s that participated in a local logistic study in Gävleborgs län. The levels of supply chain mature within these firms were based upon an interview study and the financial performance of the firms was then examined using financial reports-based data.Findings -The results of this study indicate that there is a strong relationship between SCM maturity and SC performance in SMEs, some relationships between SCM maturity and financial performance, as well as some relationships between SC performance and financial performance. This means that if firms use maturity indicators in the SCOR areas to improve their processes, they will most likely achieve a positive effect on supply chain performance and probably also on financial performance. The result implies that the supply chain maturities in these firms are higher than expected with no one at the adHoc level.While this study is based on a rather small number of participating firms, it would be valuable to further test the significance of the indicated correlations between SCM maturity and performance in a large-scale survey.Research limitations/Implications - The research is an attempt to understand supply chain maturity and it´s implication on financial performance. Developing supply chain maturity is an opportunity for a company to gain superior performance.

The purpose with this report is to highlight the value which Enterprise Architecture (EA) can bring,including the effects that can emerge, for a business. In the report we also study how Enterprise Architecturemay serve as basis for generating even more business value. The study is based on a theoretical frameworkwhich covers the following perspectives; architecture design, strategy development, management of changeand evaluation of IT-investments. Gathering and analysis of empirical data has been performed using acustom-developed model which is based on a model from Sogeti called Dynamic Architecture (van DenBerg and van Steenbergen, 2006) and Innovation Value Institute?s maturity curve (Innovation ValueInstitute, 2008) for Enterprise Architecture management.Explaining the value of Enterprise Architecture is invariably an important topic since many organizationsexpect to be able to generate quick value of the investments made in Enterprise Architecture.

Background: Today businesses are largely structured in projects and temporary organizations. In many companies, the ability to pursue projects is decisive for the business efficiency and competitiveness. The risk literature do not discuss identification and handling ofproject risk in building- and construction companies to a large extent, which has led us to investigate how project risk can be treated and handled in Swedish building- and construction companies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to cover and describe business risk in Swedish building- and construction projects with focus on different risks and risk tools, and also to modify a model for evaluating the business risk maturity. Realization: This thesis has both traces of a case study and a cross-section study and examines eight different companies that are active in the building- and construction business.

The high feeding value of red clover makes it into an important species in Swedish agriculture. There are three different maturity types grown in Sweden, early, medium late and late. The time for heading, regrowth and winter hardiness is affected by the maturity type, but there can also be other factors that are affected by the maturity type, for instance fiber content. In a greenhouse experiment three red clover varieties of different maturity types were compared; early Titus, middle late SW Nancy and late SW Torun. The features compared were fiber content and differences in development rates.

Evaluating and choosing suppliers based on price alone, has traditionally been the dominant strategy for supplier selection within the purchasing function. With the origin of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)-concept in the early 1990s, a new philosophy dawned that promoted the importance of knowing the effects of supplier performance on the buying firm?s internal costs. Since then, scholars have been arguing the case of TCO as a viable model for making purchasing decisions and conducting supplier evaluation. Still, after two decades little is known about its penetration and impact on the practices of buying corporations, leaving the questions of which costs are included in the purchasing organisations? decisions unanswered, and even more importantly why certain costs are considered and others not.

Denna uppsats inleds med en introducerande undersökning där vi finner att mjukvaror för förvaltning av Business Rules inte är använt av många svenska organisationer. Förundersökningen drev oss att undersöka hur Business Rules förvaltas inom svenska organisationer. Först sammanställdes en översikt över de fakta som finns tillhands inom ämnet för Business Rules samt lämpliga sätt att hantera Business Rules. Genom de förberedande studierna identifierades några brister som kan finnas i svenska organisationer som inte använder Business Rules och dessa ledde till en första och övergripande forskningsfråga. Frågan formulerades som följer: Hur förvaltas BR i IS och IT i svenska organisationers dagliga verksamhet? Den har sedan delats upp i sju stycken delfrågor som framställts utifrån problemområdet.

Our purpose was to shed light on how parents act in respect of providing alcohol to young people when they ask for a taste of home, or wish to bring alcohol to such a party. We used qualitative interviews and the results show that some of the respondents think that it may be acceptable to provide alcohol, while some do not. The results also show that the respondents think that parents are important as a model for the young. They could not purchase alcohol for the purpose of giving it to the young but only if alcohol is available at home. The reason for this behavior is the parents' assessment that the young person demonstrates a level of maturity for his age that they are presumed to be able to handle a small amount of alcohol.

This report deals with life-history variation for Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.), with special emphasis on age and size at maturity in females, in perch populations that have changed in size distribution. The collection of fish samples was made with multimesh gill nets year 2011. The perch?s length, height, weight, status of gonads has been analyzed, and by observing the opercular bone the age has been determined. In two lakes close to Umeå in northern Sweden, Fisksjön and Ängersjön, the live-history traits of perch have been studied.

The thesis deals with three document retrieval models based on logic: the Boolean model,the fuzzy model and the Van Rijsbergen model.In Chapter 1, the author presents the purpose of the thesis. This is to give the logical foundationof the models, to describe them and to examine them critically. In Chapter 2, some importantnotions in document retrieval are presented. Chapter 3 is devoted to the Boolean model, Chapter4 to the fuzzy model and Chapter 5 to the Van Rijsbergen model.These three chapters are organized in the same way. First, the logical foundation of the modelis given.

Ipendo Systems in Linköping, Sweden, is a small IT consulting firm developing among other things custom portal applications based on Microsoft Sharepoint 2010. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether the test tools TestComplete and LoadComplete provide sufficient compatibility for functional and non-functional testing of Ipendo Systems? Sharepoint based applications, as well as design testing related activities to be incorporated into their existing software development framework. A test process maturity framework was chosen and applied for the design of the testing activities, while the test tool investigation resulted in guidelines on how to apply the tools effectively and circumvent any issues discovered..

The purpose with this masters thesis was to model the scanner in a system for laser bathymetry. The model was then used to develop a controller for the scanner so a good search pattern was achieved. Two different types of models have been tested, a physical model and a Black Box model of Box Jenkins type. The physical model has been derived from Lagranges equations. Identification experiments have been used to compute the Black Box model and to find the unknown parameters in the physical model.

This thesis describes how large Swedish companies finance their debt and identifies some factors that affect their decisions. The study is based on 10 well-known companies of which 9 are listed on Nasdaq OMX Nordic. The results show that the companies display several similarities concerning their debt structure and the factors which their choices are based upon. All companies in this study primarily use corporate bonds for their long-term borrowing, commercial papers for the short-term borrowing, and bank-facilities as back-up. There is a tendency that smaller companies in larger extent use bank-loans for long-term borrowing due to larger emissions costs when using market financing.

In efforts to strengthen local economies, business development programs are often a way in which governmental organizations and state affiliates try to facilitate innovation and successful entrepreneurship. There is a mutual interest from both the public and private sector that these funds are put to good use. Extensive research has been conducted with the focus of the general effect of public support programs. However, not much research has been done on what external factors affect the situation for receiving businesses. This study attempts to examine whether one specific such factor, the level of maturity on the markets that the recipients operate in, has a discernible effect on the needs for different types of entrepreneurial support.