Optimization of Portfolio Management How to prioritize work within different departments and portfolios

In recent years, many prominent manufacturing companies have adopted Agile development methods to respond swiftly to market dynamics and customer demands. This adoption has led to the integration of Agile practices into traditional Stage- Gate processes, resulting in what is termed as a hybrid approach. However, implementing such hybrid models poses challenges, especially in the realm of Portfolio Management. This thesis delves into the Portfolio Management practices within a manufacturing company operating in the automotive industry, specifically focusing on the function Vehicle Technology. The product development within Vehicle Technology develops embedded vehicle system solutions and services based upon both in-house and sourced software and hardware components, such as electronic control units and sensors. Through a case study approach, the research aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with Portfolio Management in a hybrid Agile-Stage-Gate environment. The study investigates how the Case Company prioritizes epics within its portfolios, identifies primary challenges in utilizing prioritization lists, and proposes recommendations to enhance the effective utilization of such lists. Drawing on insights from interviews with key stakeholders, the research identifies three primary challenges: inadequate implementation of Agile methodologies, lack of standardized estimation processes, and inefficient utilization of prioritization lists. Implementing Agile methodologies presents challenges, including ambiguity in adoption and resource-demand imbalances. Additionally, the absence of standardized estimation processes complicates effort and resource planning. Furthermore, inefficiencies arise from the inadequate utilization of the prioritization lists, leading to conflicts and missed opportunities. Addressing these challenges requires clarity, consistency, and optimization in Agile implementation, estimation practices, and prioritization frameworks. In addressing these challenges, the study offers insights into potential solutions and recommendations for optimizing Portfolio Management strategies. These include enhancing clarity and consistency in Agile implementation, developing standardized estimation processes, and refining prioritization frameworks to better align with organizational goals and capabilities. By shedding light on the complexities of Portfolio Management in a hybrid Agile-Stage-Gate environment, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how organizations can navigate the challenges of epic prioritization, resource allocation, and decision-making in business environments

Bokomslag i förändring: Omslagets roll i marknadsföringen av adapterade böcker

Books being adapted for film and TV are one of the most common trends in the entertainment business today. As a result, publishers have to take the adaptation into consideration when re-releasing titles after their premieres to increase sales and find new audiences. In this thesis, four book series that have been successfully adapted into film and TV will be examined with focus on their cover design before and after they are adapted in a new medium. This will be done by implementing Genette’s theories about paratexts, and Hutcheon’s theories about adaptation audiences. The aim is to investigate if there are any trends and similarities in how the cover design changes, and if there are any common strategies used by publishers to reach a broader audience, and what part both the author and the design play in branding and marketing adapted books. The results show that the cover designs after the adaptations are genre neutralised by iconic simplicity to reach a broader audience. Actors on the covers are shown to be a problematic cross-promotional strategy that narrows the audience. The authorial brand-name is an important part of the branding of the books, and the author’s presence is integrated in the adaptation to increase the cross-promotional benefits

Levande vertikala växtväggar - om konsten att tänka utanför väggen

Green walls have increased in popularity over the last couple of years. The many benefits of green walls have attracted the attention. Benefits such as the fact that they help cleaning the air from damaging particles as well as them help to increase the biodiversity. There are many different variants of green walls. The paper talks over living vertical walls and focuses upon living hydroponic walls. Construction, material and maintenance of the living wall are presented. The architectural significance of green walls is examined throughout the essay. The future of the living wall in Sweden is discussed in the paper. A suggestion for a future application is also presented and its advantages and disadvantages are discussed

Feminisering och statusdegradering - en studie av den förändrade skolledarrollen

Abstract Det finns ett strukturellt förtryck och ett systematiskt underordnande av kvinnor i samhället. Den svenska arbetsmarknaden är segregerad; positioner, yrken och sektorer är könsmärkta, och beroende på märkning erhåller de olika hög status. Denna märkning är föränderlig och när segregeringsmönster förändras, förändras positioners könsmärkning. Skolledaryrket har genomgått en lång och trög förändringsprocess av könsmärkning och är nu kvinnodominerat, vilket följts av diskussioner om skolledaryrkets sänkta status. Genom litteraturstudier rekonstruerar vi konstruktioner av manligt och kvinnligt och genom diskursanalys belägger vi att en feminisering av skolledaryrket ägt rum. Genom feministisk teori om genussystemet förklarar vi hur isärhållandet av könen, samt kvinnans underordning mannen, skapar en intim förbindelse mellan fenomenen statusdegradering och feminisering

Det kreativa kunskapsföretaget - En kvalitativ fallstudie om förhållandet mellan kreativa processer och kunskapsöverföring inom en organisation

Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att ta reda på om det finns ett samspel mellan kreativitet och kunskapsöverföring inom organisationer, eftersom det finns olika perspektiv som kan ställas mot varandra. Frågeställningar: Hur påverkar kreativitet förutsättningarna för arbete med kunskapsdelning inom organisationer? Vilka aspekter av kunskapsöverföring mellan anställda kan påverka de kreativa processerna inom en organisation? Teori: Kreativa processer inom organisationer, kunskapsöverföring samt organisationskultur. Metod: Kvalitativ ansats, djupintervjuer, observationer och dokumentstudier. Slutsats: Kunskapsöverföring inom team och grupper i organisationen gör att de utvecklar en gemensam förståelse för processer och arbetssätt vilket kan gynna kreativitet genom att de anställda utvecklar know-why. Denna gemensamma förståelse kan dock hämma de kreativa processerna då mångfalden av perspektiv minskar. Kreativitetsprocesser främjas av främst tre saker; hög grad av interaktion mellan anställda inom en organisation, öppenhet i både den fysiska och sociala miljön samt de anställdas förmåga att ta egna initiativ och motivera sig själva.Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine whether there is a connection between creativity and knowledge transferring within organizations, since there are different perspectives that can inhibit each other. Questions at issue: How does creativity influence the knowledge transferring work within an organization? What aspects of knowledge transferring between employees could affect the creative processes within an organization? Theories: Creative processes within organizations, knowledge transferring, knowledge management and organizational culture Methods: Qualitative onset, in-depth interviews, observations and document studies Conclusions: Knowledge transferring within teams and groups in an organization creates a common understanding of processes and ways of working, which could facilitate creativity among the employees as the develop know-why. This common understanding could on the other side inhibit the creative processes since the diversity of perspectives is reduced. Creative processes are facilitated by mainly three things; high degree of interaction between employees, openness both in the physical and social environment, and the employees ability to take initiative and motivate themselves

Zebrafish differentially process colour across visual space to match natural scenes

Animal eyes have evolved to process behaviourally important visual information, but how retinas deal with statistical asymmetries in visual space remains poorly understood. Using hyperspectral imaging in the field, in-vivo 2-photon imaging of retinal neurons and anatomy, here we show that larval zebrafish use a highly anisotropic retina to asymmetrically survey their natural visual world. First, different neurons dominate different parts of the eye, and are linked to a systematic shift in inner retinal function: Above the animal, there is little colour in nature and retinal circuits are largely achromatic. Conversely, the lower visual field and horizon are colour-rich and are predominately surveyed by chromatic and colour-opponent circuits that are spectrally matched to the dominant chromatic axes in nature. Second, in the horizontal and lower visual field bipolar cell terminals encoding achromatic and colour opponent visual features are systematically arranged into distinct layers of the inner retina. Third, above the frontal horizon, a high-gain ultraviolet-system piggy-backs onto retinal circuits, likely to support prey-capture

Additiv tillverkning av lättviktslösningar för elektrifierade drivlinor

The automotive industry is facing major challenges to switch from internal combustion engine operation to electric operation, where the conventional engine is replaced by an "e-axle", and transmission as well as power electronics are integrated in a compact solution. Continuing to develop the electric powertrain requires complex solutions, which places demands on today’s traditional manufacturing methods. Additive manufacturing (AM), colloquially called 3D printing, is a manufacturing method that has received much attention in recent years due to its advantageous properties that can create geometrically smart and functional lightweight solutions. The purpose of this study is to visualize how it is possible to apply lightweight solutions to electric powertrains via AM. The aim is also to analyze why AM is not used in greater extent in industries today. The study includes some limitations such as; it will only address AM in metal, the study will only take passenger cars in consideration and specific cost analysis will not be addressed. The report is a literature study and the sources used are scientific articles, journals, books and websites. The discussion analyses whether it is appropriate to use AM on various components in the driveline, which results in it not being useful for larger parts that are exposed to large cyclic loads as it results in fatigue. Smaller components with complex geometries and design requirements, on the other hand, can be manufactured very well via AM. The performance is also discussed, which can be designed via truss structures to reduce noise in the driveline. The effect of reducing the weight of an electric car is both positive and negative, positive when it increases range but negative when regenerative braking gives energy back to the battery and benefits from higher weight. Other aspects of why AM is not used to a greater extent are because of the metal powder being very expensive, the production speed is low and AM is best suited for production in smaller series. The conclusion is that it is possible to create lightweight solutions using AM in metal but it is not always advantageous because of the limitations stated above

Public attitudes toward stuttering in Europe: within-country and between-country comparisons

Introduction: Epidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., “The West”), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by “The West” are similar. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure. Material and methods: Using convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England. Results: Attitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes). Conclusion: Factors related to national identity appear to play a significant role in differences in public attitudes in Europe and should be explored in future research

Marine Litter : Technical Recommendations for the Implementation of MSFD Requirements

As a follow up to the Commission Decision on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status (GES) of marine waters (Commission Decision 2010/477/EU), the Marine Directors requested Directorate General Environment in 2010 to establish a technical subgroup under the Working Group on GES in relation to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (WG GES) for further development of Descriptor 10 Marine Litter and Descriptor 11 Noise/Energy. This report compiles the recommendations regarding Descriptor 10, Marine Litter. The implementation of provisons under MSFD Descriptor 10 as described in the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU is in its first step depending on the availability of appropriate monitoring tools.The group has investigated the monitoring approaches for marine litter and provides a set of monitoring tools which can be employed for that purpose.There are gaps in the regional applicability and differences in the maturity of some tools. There is need for further harmonization and collaborative activities in order to allow EU MS the future reporting of environmental trends and thus the verification of measures against marine litter.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource