Potential improvements for launches at Autoliv Sweden AB, focusing on the purchasing process

Abstract: During the summer 2012 a bachelor’s thesis was performed at Autoliv Sweden AB inVårgårda regarding potential improvements on launches, with focus on the purchasingprocess. The activities that were needed to be able to reach the main goal, proposals ofpotential improvements, were divided into three interim goals. The interim goals can beseen as activities along the way containing necessary information that was needed to beable to come up with potential improvements. The approach for the thesis was to first do a literature review on value stream mapping, how development projects at Autoliv Sweden AB are performed and on launches in theautomotive industry based on scientific articles. After the literature review a case study wasmade, using value stream mapping as a tool, on one development project at AutolivSweden AB for investigation of the launch. The result of the case study was presented intwo maps over the administrative stream for the components in the development project;one according to project time plan and one according to how the activities in the launchactual were performed. Based on the literature and the maps from the case study, three potential improvements, that would be relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, were found; (1) Involve thesupplier more and at an earlier stage in the development project, (2) involve the Logisticsdepartment more and (3) implement control level definition on the development projectsas well, not just the parts. The conclusion for this thesis was that if Autoliv Sweden AB decides to implement allproposed improvements both money and time will be saved.