Anna Aminoff

Research agenda for e‐business logistics based on professional opinions

This study investigated what should be the major research and development areas regarding the logistics of electronic business. The method of study consisted of five elements: the creation of a preliminary e‐logistics vision; focus interviews of e‐business and logistics experts, identification and categorisation of the key R&D topics, a panel workshop to critically analyse the preliminary findings and prioritise the R&D topics, and formulation of a research agenda to guide future research work in the field of e‐business logistics. The two‐phased process, where the interviews were followed by the workshop, enabled the evaluation and prioritisation of the preliminary findings. The requirements of e‐business on the national logistics infrastructure were found to be one of the focus research areas. According to the study, integrated supply network structure with suitable visibility and usage of real‐time data transfer is another area of great importance. Research and development of new logistics service concepts should also be promoted as well as research on the effects and possibilities of using new product data management and product identification methods.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management in a Circular Economy—Towards Supply Circles

In the last few years, the circular economy has attracted increasing attention as a way to overcome the problems of the current production and consumption model based on continuous growth and increasing resource throughput. A circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design. Although supply chains are the key unit of action in the change towards a circular economy, the academic literature on supply chain management approaches in a circular economy is very much in its infancy. However, two distinct literature streams, namely sustainable supply chain management and product service systems, seem to offer valuable insights into the investigation of supply chain management in a circular economy. The aim of this paper is to analyse the main characteristics and challenges of supply chain management in a circular economy and identify how these two literature streams can contribute to researching it.

Mapping Multidimensional Value(s) for Co-creation Networks in a Circular Economy

The transition towards a circular economy cannot be achieved if individual organizations advance their own interests independently. Companies need to build new collaborative networks for value co-creation. Therefore, identification of what kind of value will be created or destroyed for different partners in the networks is critical. In this paper, we propose a framework for mapping multidimensional value in co-creation networks by combining streams of literature on three topics: (1) Circular Economy, (2) Co-Creation and Collaborative networks, (3) Sustainable value creation. The specific contribution of the framework is that it recognizes that the value created in different parts of networks is linked, and the change of value in one link influences others. Moreover, the approach of the paper adds the dimension of circularity into analyses of value creation.

The Opportunities of Big Data Analytics in Supply Market Intelligence

Firms need comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the opportunities available in the market by creating supply market intelligence (SMI). SMI can facilitate in finding the best partners and combination of capabilities within collaborative networks (CN). However, despite of its evident managerial relevance, SMI is still little researched topic. Simultaneously, big data analytics (BDA) has developed rapidly, becoming vital for businesses across industries. The objective of this paper is recognizing the importance of SMI and opportunities of BDA through qualitative research. The data derives from two focus group discussions of 75 purchasing professionals and six qualitative interviews of BDA experts. This research contributes to our understanding of the opportunities of BDA in creating systematic SMI to reinforce strategic collaboration, and to the understanding of knowledge as a strategic resource for forming strategic CN. Collaborative big data intelligence creates value through, for instance, creating transparency in business processes and discovering market changes.

Musculoskeletal symptoms and exposure to whole-body vibration among open-pit mine workers in the Arctic

OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out at 4 open-pit mines in Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden as part of the MineHealth project. The aim has been to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms between drivers of mining vehicles and non-drivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS The mine workers were asked whether they had suffered from any musculoskeletal symptoms during the previous 12 months in specified body regions, and to grade the severity of these symptoms during the past month. They were also asked about their daily driving of mining vehicles. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by 1323 workers (757 vehicle drivers) and the reported prevalence and severity of symptoms were highest for the lower back, followed by pain in the neck, shoulder and upper back. Drivers in the Nordic mines reported fewer symptoms than non-drivers, while for Russian mine workers the results were the opposite of that. The daily driving of mining vehicles had no significant association with the risk of symptoms. Female drivers indicated a higher prevalence of symptoms as compared to male drivers. CONCLUSIONS The study provided only weak support for the hypothesis that drivers of vehicles reported a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms than non-vehicle drivers. There were marked differences in the prevalence of symptoms among workers in various enterprises, even though the nature of the job tasks was similar. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(4):553-564.

Exploring Disruptive Business Model Innovation for the Circular Economy

Recently the concept of the Circular Economy (CE) has attracted growing interest as a novel economic model aiming to foster sustainable economic growth, boost global competitiveness, and generate new jobs. A system-wide disruptive innovation shaping new ecosystems and changing the whole process of value creation is needed to tackle the current challenges and transformation to the CE. This paper asks how disruptive business model innovations work as a change mechanism for the CE. The paper develops a conceptual framework for shaping the industrial systems towards CE ecosystems and proposes how value circles and co-creation of value with a variety of partners are crucial aspects in enabling CE. The paper highlights that the concept of value circles would be beneficial in clarifying the difference to linear value chain models and the co-existence of several overlapping value circles.

STIMULATING SUPPLIER INNOVATION IN A COMPLEX AND REGULATED BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT — A DYADIC CASE STUDY

Suppliers have been recognised as critical sources for innovation in the literature. However, less consideration has been given to the suppliers’ viewpoint on what motivates them to share their best knowledge with the buying company. Here, we empirically identified ways to increase suppliers’ willingness to contribute to the buyer’s innovation process, in complex and regulated business environments, where the buyer is highly innovation oriented, but simultaneously reliant on external resources in R&D. The paper is based on an in depth embedded case study, with dyadic data collection. The data was collected during 18 semi-structured interviews at the case company, in the nuclear power industry, and its three key suppliers of mechanical engineering and manufacturing. The results show that mutual understanding of each counterparts’ interests and business, systematic project and knowledge management practices, a proper balance between project control and freedom to innovate and buyer’s sufficient technical know-how are decisive for successful supplier innovation. Furthermore, suppliers can be highly committed to collaboration event though they are not fully satisfied with the buyer. Six propositions are presented based on the empirical findings and the enfolding theory.

Circular Economy Business Model Innovation Process – Case Study

The concept of the Circular Economy has recently caught the attention of academia as well and businesses and decision makers offering an attractive solution for an environmentally sustainable economic growth. Companies need to consider how to close material loops, reduce the resources needed and think more about how materials and products are kept in the loop as long as possible. In order to do that, companies need to find new collaboration partners and reconsider the value offered for stakeholders. To solve that, we need new or modified innovation tools and processes to guide businesses in their innovation journey resulting in novel business models in a circular economy. Thus, the aim of this study is to increase our understanding of the circular business model innovation process. Our main focus is to explore what kind of mixed methods create value in circular business model innovation and what kind of challenges there are related to each method and how is it possible to overcome those challenges. The paper highlights the importance of involving different perspectives, stakeholders and using mixed methods during the innovation process.