Aligning Inventory With Strategic Priorities Across Factory Boundaries - More Than Moving Plates
(2025) MTTM05 20251Production Management
Engineering Logistics
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Title: Aligning Inventory with Strategic Priorities Across Factory Boundaries
– More than moving plates
Authors: Lisa Johansson and Johanna Weber
Supervisors: Jan Olhager, Professor at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering(LTH) at Lund University
Alexandra Kristensson, Head of S&OP, GPHE at Alfa Laval AB
Examiner: Louise Bildsten, Senior Lecturer at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of
Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Problem Description: The case company’s supply chain is characterized by conflicting priorities between the two factory types. These differing priorities are perceived to complicate coordination between the factories and have created uncertainty in inventory management. The case company seeks... (More) - Title: Aligning Inventory with Strategic Priorities Across Factory Boundaries
– More than moving plates
Authors: Lisa Johansson and Johanna Weber
Supervisors: Jan Olhager, Professor at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering(LTH) at Lund University
Alexandra Kristensson, Head of S&OP, GPHE at Alfa Laval AB
Examiner: Louise Bildsten, Senior Lecturer at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of
Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Problem Description: The case company’s supply chain is characterized by conflicting priorities between the two factory types. These differing priorities are perceived to complicate coordination between the factories and have created uncertainty in inventory management. The case company seeks perspectives on how inventory management can be adapted to better reflect different strategic focuses and align more closely with the overall business strategy. Therefore, the thesis study aims to design and evaluate alternative inventory management setups for the internal replenishment, tailored to the different prioritizations within the supply chain triangle
Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how inventory should be managed in an internal replenishment setup between two factory types with different objectives, to align the inventory management with key strategic focus areas.
Research Questions:
RQ1: How is inventory of heat exchanger plates managed in the replenishment processes between CF and AF today?
RQ2: How can inventory management of heat exchanger plates in the replenishment processes between CF and AF be improved according to the literature?
RQ3: How can the inventory management of heat exchanger plates in the replenishment processes between CF and AF be improved based on different levels of focus placed on the three dimensions within the Supply Chain Triangle?
Methodology: The thesis applies an embedded case study design with two units of analysis. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and archival data
Conclusion: The study resulted in several suggested considerations and improvements for the case company’s inventory management of plates. Three scenarios corresponding to different levels of focus placed on the dimensions within the Supply Chain Triangle were developed and evaluated based on risks and trade-offs.
Contribution: This thesis has been a complete elaboration between the two authors. Each author has been involved in every part of the process and contributed equally.
Keywords: Inventory Management, Strategic Fit, Supply Chain Triangle, Inventory Positioning, Coordination (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9195589
- author
- Weber, Johanna LU and Johansson, Lisa LU
- supervisor
-
- Jan Olhager LU
- organization
- course
- MTTM05 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Inventory Management, Strategic Fit, Supply Chain Triangle, Inventory Positioning, Coordination
- other publication id
- 6040
- language
- English
- id
- 9195589
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-17 17:08:38
- date last changed
- 2025-06-17 17:08:38
@misc{9195589,
abstract = {{Title: Aligning Inventory with Strategic Priorities Across Factory Boundaries
– More than moving plates
Authors: Lisa Johansson and Johanna Weber
Supervisors: Jan Olhager, Professor at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of Engineering(LTH) at Lund University
Alexandra Kristensson, Head of S&OP, GPHE at Alfa Laval AB
Examiner: Louise Bildsten, Senior Lecturer at Engineering Logistics, Faculty of
Engineering (LTH) at Lund University
Problem Description: The case company’s supply chain is characterized by conflicting priorities between the two factory types. These differing priorities are perceived to complicate coordination between the factories and have created uncertainty in inventory management. The case company seeks perspectives on how inventory management can be adapted to better reflect different strategic focuses and align more closely with the overall business strategy. Therefore, the thesis study aims to design and evaluate alternative inventory management setups for the internal replenishment, tailored to the different prioritizations within the supply chain triangle
Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how inventory should be managed in an internal replenishment setup between two factory types with different objectives, to align the inventory management with key strategic focus areas.
Research Questions:
RQ1: How is inventory of heat exchanger plates managed in the replenishment processes between CF and AF today?
RQ2: How can inventory management of heat exchanger plates in the replenishment processes between CF and AF be improved according to the literature?
RQ3: How can the inventory management of heat exchanger plates in the replenishment processes between CF and AF be improved based on different levels of focus placed on the three dimensions within the Supply Chain Triangle?
Methodology: The thesis applies an embedded case study design with two units of analysis. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and archival data
Conclusion: The study resulted in several suggested considerations and improvements for the case company’s inventory management of plates. Three scenarios corresponding to different levels of focus placed on the dimensions within the Supply Chain Triangle were developed and evaluated based on risks and trade-offs.
Contribution: This thesis has been a complete elaboration between the two authors. Each author has been involved in every part of the process and contributed equally.
Keywords: Inventory Management, Strategic Fit, Supply Chain Triangle, Inventory Positioning, Coordination}},
author = {{Weber, Johanna and Johansson, Lisa}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Aligning Inventory With Strategic Priorities Across Factory Boundaries - More Than Moving Plates}},
year = {{2025}},
}