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.

We have conducted a quantitative study investigating whether an Ingredient Branding collaboration between private label and national brands could be executed with success in the Swedish market. The objective was to measure the consumers? response to two products from different product categories, representing hedonic and utilitarian products. We have been able to establish that by adding a branded ingredient to a private label product, one obtains a more positive product attitude as well as a higher perceived product quality and taste. The study also shows that attitudes towards the ingredient brands were improved by the collaboration whereas the brand attitude towards the private label did not change significantly.

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of probation officers and their work. The following questions have been asked to come to a conclusion: How do probation officers view their work and the purpose of it? What are the effects of probation officers work? The approach of the study is of a qualitative nature and has been conducted by interviewing three officers of the correctional service system, three probation officers and two ex-criminals that have been on probation. The selection is based on a snowball type selection. To analyse the results of the study we have applied previous research and phenomenological theory to examine the experience of correctional service officers, probation officers and ex criminals.

Inledning: Definitionen av begreppet service är olika för de flesta människor på grund av de olika erfarenheter och förväntningar de bär med sig. Trots att det är svårt att fastställa betydelsen av ordet så är en god service avgörande för eventföretagens framgång.Bakgrund: Vid värdering av service finns det mycket att ta hänsyn till. För att ett eventföretag ska kunna ge sina kunder en god service är det viktigt att de först vet hur de ska arbeta med den interna servicen. Detta för att servicemöten ska kunna hanteras på ett professionellt sätt av personalen.Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att ta reda på hur eventföretag arbetar med sin interna service och vad de anser att begreppet service står för.Metod och material: Uppsatsen är baserad på tryckt litteratur samt vetenskapliga artiklar som berör ämnet service inom eventbranschen. Som grund till studien har även fem semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts för att ta reda på vad eventföretag anser om ämnet och hur de arbetar med det.Resultat: I resultatet framkommer respondenternas svar på vad företagen de arbetar på har för syn på service, hur de arbetar med det internt samt vad de har för strategier och målsättningar kring det.Slutsats: Företagen inom eventbranschen har liknande värderingar av begreppet service.

The purpose of this study is to further develop the understanding of Nextopia, the belief that the next product will always be better, and the effects it has on Word of mouth, both oral (WOM) and electronic (eWOM), and investigate possible causes of this effect. This has been made through an experimental study of responses to two mineral water ads, with a manipulated time frame. First, this thesis supports the fact that there is a general Nextopia-effect on customers being exposed to a future product, which makes them evaluating the product higher in terms of feelings, attitude and intention. Further this study shows that there is also a Nextopia-effect on WOM and eWOM, by customers being more likely to recommend a future product rather than a current one. This propensity to recommend the product also has a relationship with responsibility, which correlates much stronger with WOM than eWOM.

This thesis looks at two sides of the same coin: how to support the production and future development at a specialist medical technology department at Danderyd Hospital. The two sides are; a pilot study of a product management system (PDM) and an interview based study on the characteristics of the silent knowledge of the technicians. The department (National respiratory centre, NRC) is facing retirement of several key employees.The technical study shows that the success of an implementation is largely dependent on the users? prior knowledge and use of a 3D Computer aided design system (CAD).The system itself is shown to fulfill the Lifecycle requirement of tracking the products (mostly tracheostomy tubes) but without a CAD centered workflow, some substantial education and preferably some new recruits, an implementation of the PDM system will fail. The author recommends development of the current ?low-tech? system of MS Excel and Access rather than redistribute the dependency from technician towards a complex, commercial software and its vendor.The analysis of the technicians? silent knowledge with the newly developed method, epithet for silent knowledge (ETK), shows that the longer employment time:the more differentiated technicians become in describing their work,practical knowledge are regarded higher andthe social and collective problem solving factors of the work becomes more important.Typically, it is shown that a new employee should preferably enjoy problem solving, being pragmatic and social as well as having some prior education or work experience in a CAD and/or a PDM system..

The mission from IKEA of Sweden was to make a further development of their existing trolley in the FRAKTA -serial. IKEA wants that the new product would make the opportunities better for people who don't have cars to carry their goods home easily on the bus, train or walk after their purchase.The report includes a suggestion for a new product that will fit into the existing FRAKTA -serial. The new development product will continue the same standard as the other products in the serial and it will also make it possible for customers to carry their goods home by public transportations..

The high level of competition and the rapidly growing technology development has created new challenges for today's businesses where they are forced to deliver more customized products at a lower price and a shorter time period. This places high demands on the companies' ability to design and develop better products in a more efficient way. In addition to developing products, the design process focuses on securing long-term success for the company by developing nourishing skills. However, to achieve an effective design process the companies must improve their ability to plan as well as use their knowledge base in a more efficient manner. Toyota's product development system is a critical component for companies to address challenges that they?re facing and offers a great potential to create significant competitive advantages.

Inadequate data quality has a negative effect for organizations, however utilization of modern technology and data analysis may shape new values for organizations. Our research has found that the quality of information in field reports for error reporting varies significantly. In many cases, the information in the field reports are deficient in such way that the field report need additional information from the sender, thus risking prolonging lead times in the error reporting process. More efficient use of information has become possible with today?s technology.

During the last years the need for real-time database services has increased due to the growing number of data-intensive applications needing to enforce real-time constraints. The COMponent-based Embedded real-Time database (COMET) is a real-time database developed to meet these demands. COMET is developed using the AspeCtual COmponent-based Real-time system Development (ACCORD) design method, and consists of a number of components and aspects, which can be composed into a number of different configurations depending on system demands, e.g., Quality of Service (QoS) management can be used in unpredictable environments. In embedded systems with requirementson high up-time it may not be possible to temporarily shut down the system for reconfiguration. Instead it is desirable to enable dynamic reconfiguration of the system, exchanging components during run-time.

Demands on businesses are constantly increasing and the competition in the market-place is becoming ever tougher. To gain the long-term confidence of customers, not only the best businesses, but also the best supply chains are required.Volvo Cars is experiencing a changing competitive situation and their retailers are having trouble stocking the right spare parts. Shorter product life cycles and the growth of Volvo?s product program result in an increase in the number of spare parts to be stocked. In order to adapt to market trends and meet customer demands, Volvo has developed the LDC model, establishing a number of regional warehouses in strategic locations in Sweden, de-signed to supply spare parts to the regions? retailers through so-called Vendor-Managed In-ventory (VMI).The purpose of the study is to examine Volvo personbilar Sverige?s (VPS) motivation for a modified customer-service strategy through LDC.

GCM is a product information management system which handles data for consumer packaged goods. GCM was developed during the middle of the nineties and was acquired by Prevas AB in 2004. The GCM application relies on the services provided by the organization GS1, which supplies global specifications and validations for trade items across several sectors. GCM is updated regularly due to the frequent changes in specifications from GS1. However, the overall graphical user interface design has not been redesigned during these years.This dissertation studies possible improvements for the webpage that handles product data in GCM.

In cooperate with Asko Cylinda we have developed a new heat system too short the process time and reduce the energy consume in a dishwasher and still have it too be a class AAA. The environment and quality is important for the company too still be the number one on the market, If they want too keep that position the product developed of new innovations will be very important. The systems we have developed are more effective and reduce energy up too 25 %. The process time is reduced too less than two hours, from the today two and half-hour. The solutions are too heat up the rinse water and the dishwater at the same time, with a new heating system and it make are solutions unique and effective. Its good for the dish and the environment.

Web services are now a day often mentioned when speaking of systems communicating with each other online. This master thesis describes how we, with a grounded theory, developed a web service from scratch and then used it to describe how to develop a method for this case scenario. The purpose of the web service is to simplify the information exchange between Infra Gaming, which is the company who assigned this project to us, and their customers. This master thesis is not a guide to how you develop a web service. It is a master thesis that describes how we, in three steps, solved the assignment from Infra Gaming and our problem, with a web service..

How projects are managed can have a big impact on the project`s result. There are different types of frameworks on the market whose purpose is to help project leaders to pursue a successful project. Those frameworks focus on larger product development projects and both the literature and companies have addressed that the frameworks are too comprehensive for smaller product development projects. They have therefore asked for a framework that is more suitable for those smaller projects. To complete a project on time and to the planned cost is important in both larger and smaller product development projects.