Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

"Annie, Are You OK? Strategic Alignment of Aftermarket Distribution Network" A Case Study in the Medical Simulation Sector

Raugstad, Karoline LU and Isander, Alma (2026) SMMP40 20261
Department of Service Studies
Abstract
Abstract
Global industrial providers increasingly recognize the aftermarket as a significant source of untapped value, yet many remain challenged in the pursuit of capturing it. This research examines a global medical simulation provider where the absence of strategic segmentation between primary product flows and the distribution of spare parts has produced persistent operational misalignment. Left unaddressed, such misalignment can seriously undermine service performance and aftermarket value realization, ultimately constraining a firm’s capacity to leverage the aftermarket as a source of competitive edge.
This study adopts a Design Science Research (DSR) approach, utilizing the CIMO logic to structure the development of a managerial... (More)
Abstract
Global industrial providers increasingly recognize the aftermarket as a significant source of untapped value, yet many remain challenged in the pursuit of capturing it. This research examines a global medical simulation provider where the absence of strategic segmentation between primary product flows and the distribution of spare parts has produced persistent operational misalignment. Left unaddressed, such misalignment can seriously undermine service performance and aftermarket value realization, ultimately constraining a firm’s capacity to leverage the aftermarket as a source of competitive edge.
This study adopts a Design Science Research (DSR) approach, utilizing the CIMO logic to structure the development of a managerial artifact aimed at strategically aligning the aftermarket distribution network with its operational reality. To address the underlying causes of this misalignment, a Current Reality Tree (CRT) is employed to deconstruct the ill-structured nature of aftermarket friction, surfacing the causal links between fragmented governance, misaligned performance metrics and KPIs, undifferentiated network design, and a fundamental mismatch between supply and demand. The diagnostic phase provides a rigorous empirical foundation for the following design of an intervention, ensuring that the artifact is grounded in the organizational realities of the case company, rather than generalized assumptions. Guided by the CRT findings and structured through the CIMO logic, the resulting artifact introduces a structural separation between aftermarket and primary distribution flows. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Raugstad, Karoline LU and Isander, Alma
supervisor
organization
course
SMMP40 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Design Science Research, Aftermarket Logistics, Spare Parts Distribution, CIMO, CRT Analysis, Segmentation, Supply Chain Design, Segmented Distribution, Spare Part Management
language
English
id
9235054
date added to LUP
2026-06-10 13:58:08
date last changed
2026-06-10 13:58:08
@misc{9235054,
  abstract     = {{Abstract
Global industrial providers increasingly recognize the aftermarket as a significant source of untapped value, yet many remain challenged in the pursuit of capturing it. This research examines a global medical simulation provider where the absence of strategic segmentation between primary product flows and the distribution of spare parts has produced persistent operational misalignment. Left unaddressed, such misalignment can seriously undermine service performance and aftermarket value realization, ultimately constraining a firm’s capacity to leverage the aftermarket as a source of competitive edge.
This study adopts a Design Science Research (DSR) approach, utilizing the CIMO logic to structure the development of a managerial artifact aimed at strategically aligning the aftermarket distribution network with its operational reality. To address the underlying causes of this misalignment, a Current Reality Tree (CRT) is employed to deconstruct the ill-structured nature of aftermarket friction, surfacing the causal links between fragmented governance, misaligned performance metrics and KPIs, undifferentiated network design, and a fundamental mismatch between supply and demand. The diagnostic phase provides a rigorous empirical foundation for the following design of an intervention, ensuring that the artifact is grounded in the organizational realities of the case company, rather than generalized assumptions. Guided by the CRT findings and structured through the CIMO logic, the resulting artifact introduces a structural separation between aftermarket and primary distribution flows.}},
  author       = {{Raugstad, Karoline and Isander, Alma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{"Annie, Are You OK? Strategic Alignment of Aftermarket Distribution Network" A Case Study in the Medical Simulation Sector}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}