Information Management in Kockums AB´s Supply Chain regarding Development Products - Drivning Forces and Barriers to reach excellence

Abstract: Title: Information Management in Kockums AB’s Supply Chain regarding Development Products – Driving Forces and Barriers to reach excellence<br>
Authors: Fredrik Arborelius and Henrik Stenvinkel<br>
Supervisors: Anders Jansson, Manager Design Support and Tactical Planning, Kockums AB<br>
Dag Näslund, Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Management and Logistics, Lund Institute of Technology<br>
Background: In 2010 Kockums AB received a design order for a new submarine type called A26. Last time a construction order of new submarines was placed was in 1988. The complexity of this industry implies that the need for good information management is a necessity. Major systems that require new developments or major modifications with deep involvement of suppliers correspond to a large part of the total cost of a submarine as well as a long time of the total development time of a submarine. All these things put together require good information management procedures. The right information has to be shared with the supplier, at the right time. Information has to be transferred within Kockums AB efficiently and effectively enabling all departments both to get the information required and to share information other departments need. Information management has an effect on the success of a project regarding new developments in cooperation with suppliers.
Purpose: The purpose of this report is to investigate the possibilities to improve the way of how Kockums AB handles information with its major suppliers.
The overall purpose for this project can be summarized as:
How can the way Kockums AB manage information externally and internally, regarding system or components for demanding new development projects, be improved?
Research Objective: To clarify the overall purpose, a concrete research objective is set up;
RO: Develop a framework for how information management could be improved for system or components of demanding new development project.<br>
Method: The study was conducted as an on-site case study at Kockums AB at the Business Unit Submarine in Malmö. The systems approach was used and qualitative data was gathered through interviews, the systems approach was selected to provide a holistic view. Four pre-selected cases build the foundation upon which the interviews were conducted to retrieve data about the way information is handled at Kockums AB.<br>
Results: The main driving forces and barriers to improve the information management are connected to mainly four areas namely culture, strategy, processes and information handling. They are summarized in a conceptual framework as the driving forces towards excellent information management. This model is meant to act as a guideline when discussing improvements for information management. To support this framework a matrix of cooperation depth versus information depth are established.<br>
Conclusion: The authors suggest that the information management should be improved. To address this matter they believe that it is important to work out processes and strategies that the employees can identify themselves with as well as giving guidelines of related issues. Even though these changes would be implemented it is important to have the employees’ mindset in consideration for them to embrace a change. The authors believe this can cause some distress but as the employees has shown great enthusiasm and will to build the best submarines in the world the authors are hopeful that such a change can be realized.