The BSC is a widely used management tool that is turning the vision and strategy into operational goals. However, after analyzing the criticism received by the BSC, it seems as if its internal focus, rigidity, static-ism and mechanical mindset limits the company?s ability to create a strategy that takes important external factors into account. As we see it, the BSC?s limitations can create a risk for strategic inertia.

Inköp har fått en allt större betydelse eftersom att inköp både har strategisk betydelse och mycket pengar (50-75 procent av omsättningen) går åt till inköp av material eller komponenter i tillverkande företag. Den strategiska betydelsen kommer från att de inköpta delarna kommer att vara en del av slutprodukten och om inte dessa delar uppnår köparföretagets standard kommer inte heller slutprodukten kunna prestera efter denna standard alltså kan leverantörer även ses som en källa till konkurrenskraft. Det finns även stor potential till besparingar på denna post eftersom att stor del av omsättningen går åt på inköp. Hur ett företag ska göra sina inköp råder det delade meningar om, Porter (1980) menar att företag bör använda sig av flera leverantörer för att ständigt utsätta dessa leverantörer för konkurrens och företaget kan på så sätt vara säker på att det är ett konkurrenskraftigt erbjudande de får. Deming (1986) däremot menar att företag borde kolla på den totala kostnaden för ett inköp och därmed minimera antalet leverantörer för att få ner kostnaderna kring själva inköpet.

Den här uppsatsen behandlar ett problem som identifierats bland små till medelstora svenska modeföretag: det stora beroendet av outsourcade produktionsagenter och fullprisproducenter. Syftet med uppsatsen är att identifiera de förutsättningar och hinder dessa modeföretag kan stöta på när de försöker integrera dessa utlagda kompetenser till en intern lösning. Genom detta hoppas författarna kunna tillföra nya perspektiv för befattningshavare som är intresserade av att omstrukturera sin nuvarande inköpsmodell.De metoder som använts för att samla in det teoretiska och empiriska underlaget var skrivbordsstudier, såväl som strukturerade och ostrukturerade djupintervjuer med grundaren av ett svenskt jeansföretag, samt en anställd på en stor svensk modekedjas inköpsavdelning.Resultaten understryker den strategiska betydelsen för växande modeföretag att äga sin inköpsfunktion. Genom att äga kompetenserna för mönsterkonstruktion och inköp kan företag minska sitt beroende av externa organisationer och öka flexibiliteten i sin produktutvecklingsprocess. De hinder som identifierats utgörs bland annat av en ökad affärsrisk under övergången till en intern inköpsavdelning till följd av avsiktliga störningar i värdekedjan av producenterna, samt de extra kostnaderna för det ökade administrativa arbetet.This essay focuses on a problem identified among small to mid sized Swedish fashion companies: the large dependence on out sourced production agencies and full price producers.

Vi lever i en värld som blir allt mer global, vilket skapar möjligheter för företag att sourca produkter från de platserna i världen med bäst kompetens och/eller lägst pris. Indien är ett av de mest attraktiva länderna för företag att sourca ifrån, vilket dels beror på landets rika invånarantal, starka tillväxt och höga kompetens. Dock innebär global sourcing inte enbart fördelar utan företagen utsätts även för flertal risker och utmaningar som de måste hantera för att lyckas, inte minst på en tillväxtmarknad som Indien.Syftet med uppsatsen är att få en ökad kunskap och förståelse för de utmaningar och risker som företag inom fordonsindustrin ställs inför, vid global sourcing på tillväxtmarknader. Studien fokuserar på Volvo Bussar och AQ Group för att undersöka hur de upplever, samt hanterar risker och utmaningar på tillväxtmarknaden Indien.För att besvara syftet med studien har det vetenskapliga förhållningssättet i uppsatsen varit hermeneutiskt med en deduktiv ansats och kvalitativ undersökningsmetod. Strukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med företagsledare inom två globala företag, dessutom har en intervju genomförts med en branschorganisation inom fordonsindustrin.

Abstract. Title: Supply Chain Optimization ? for Sourced Production. Authors: Patricia Möller and Andreas Paulsson. Tutors: Jan Eskil Hollen ? Business Developer, Lilleborg as, Orkla, Everth Larsson ? Department of Industrial Management and Logistics, Division of Engineering Logistics, Lund University, Carl-Henric Nilsson ? Department of Economics and Business Administration, School of economics and management, Lund University.

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.

Background: A majority of strategic alliances do not create value for the participants. One of the main reasons for the high failure rate is an inadequate process for partner selection. If the correct partner is not selected, it can have serious effects on the management of the partnership. This is a serious problem since failed alliances usually are very expensive for the involved companies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate which theoretical factors are important when selecting a partner for a strategic alliance.

The technological progress of the world has had a massive effect on how we communicate with one and other, it also has had an big impact on how companies communicate with their customers and consumers. Today you cannot only communicate a ?promise to your costumers and consumers you also have to ?deliver? what it is you promise. Strategic communication is today not only to market your product but to ensure that your strategic communication is shown even in you innovation, design and product development.  This thesis is conducted in collaboration with No Picnic AB.The purpose of this study was to get an insight in how Swedish companies use their strategic communication. We aim on bringing a new point of view of strategic communication with innovation, design and product development also as a communication channel.

The Afghan war post 9/11 has become the source of multiple case studies. Recent studies suggest that variations in domestic support for deployment of troops in Afghanistan can be explained by means of the strategic narratives provided by the policymakers of the contributing state; a strong consistent narrative increases public support. Scholars recognize a Swedish catch-all narrative, which suggests weakens the narrative, thus raising the uncertainty among the public. This thesis investigates the projection of Swedish strategic narrative through elite Swedish newspapers. The content analysis reveals an inconsistency between the policymaker?s formation of the strategic narrative and the narrative projected by individual newspapers.

Outsourcing in IS/IT offers organizations the possibility to use external resources, maximize flexibility and focus on core business, this prompts many organizations today to be less keen on developing IS/IT-services in-house. Sourcing IS/IT is however a complex activity in itself thus requiring competencies in many areas of expertise and lots of organizations has experienced the challenge of managing the necessary competencies to ensure successful Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO). A literature review in the field of outsourcing revealed the lack of a comprehensive competency management framework with the ability to guide competency resource planning in ITO projects. In order to highlight the problem area, an extensive and thorough literature review and an empirical case study which investigated the skills and assets in ITO projects at ten major Swedish organizations was conducted. The study found that it is possible for organizations through structured analysis of their intellectual capital, using the competency framework developed within the study, to plan sourcing processes and prepare the necessary changes to ensure the ITO projects can be implemented with the desired effect..

Term: Spring term 2007Study objects: Reitan Servicehandel AB, Vi-butikerna, ICA Sverige ABPurpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse how procurement is used as a strategy to achieve better competitive strength, within the retail food industry.Theoretical: The theoretical chapter illustrates different procurement organisations, multiple and single sourcing, brand equity, consumer behaviour and involvement, Efficient Consumer Response including supply chain and category management and finally Demand Chain Management.Method: For the case studies, three food retail companies have been interviewed: Reitan Servicehandel AB, Vi-butikerna and ICA AB. To illustrate how consumer behaviour influences retail food market, several secondary consumer research studies have been analysed.Conclusions: The results indicate that the procurement organisation can achieve a better competitive strength by a centralised organisation, which make it possible to improve conditions of terms when ordering higher purchase volumes. The sourcing strategies can improve a company?s power within the supply chain. All companies within the study had a very good knowledge about consumer behaviour.

Welfare is every person's right. To create conditions for a good welfare it requires coordinated strategic interventions at national and local level. Efforts must be politically supported to be able to strengthen public health. Local welfare management is a measure used to control and monitor public health. The purpose of this study was to investigate local actors perceptions of collaboration in strategic public health efforts with local welfare management in a municipality in central Sweden.

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze how resource-based strategic choices can create can create sustainable competetive advantages. The study examines whether Daniel Wellington has competitive advantages and how those in that case have been achieved. The results of our study can hopefully help case company to get a deeper insight into the relationship between strategic resources and sustained competitive advantage..

The purpose of this essay is to examine Swedish HR-managers who have either received, or been nominated for, the award ?HR-manager of the Year?. We investigate the managers? personalities, how they think about their own role and HR?s function in the organization, all in an environment that can be characterized by some skepticism towards HR. We find the HR-managers to be ?winners?; strong individuals that are confident, communicative, and driven.

This study puts emphasis on an international discourse describing how cities frequently compete against each other, and also describing factors that cities should enhance to make themselves more competitive. The discourse in this study has therefore been used to seek understanding how three different municipalities Borlänge, Karlstad and Malmö strive for growth by applying central factors from the discourse on the municipalities strategic documents. What the study shows is that the central factors from the discourse strongly imprints the strategic documents, but the presence of the factors varies between the municipalities and also to what meaning that lies behind the strategic goals..