Product Quotation Process Optimization
Hautamäki, Jarkko (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024082924544
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024082924544
Tiivistelmä
The main objectives of this thesis were to become familiar with the target company’s current product quotation process and to find the ways for its optimization for the Northern Europe tendering team of the case company.
A literature review, forming the theoretical part of the study, was conducted over the topics of quotation process, lean, and value stream mapping. Based on the literature review, the interview questions were derived for the empirical study.
The empirical study was conducted utilizing qualitative methods and data collection with semi-structured interviews. Three interviewees were selected from the Northern Europe tendering team, being subject matter experts in the topic in question. The interview questionnaire included two sets of questions, the first one addressing the current product quotation process and the second one finding ways for its optimization. The interviews were recorded and transcribed to increase reliability. Although the number of interviewees was limited, the results were quite saturated, as similar responses was recognized among the answers. It was found, for example, that there are differences in the ways of working between countries, room for process optimization based on lean theory, and a need for a modern web shop platform allowing customers’ direct access and ordering of products.
The results of the empirical part of the study were in line with the findings from the theoretical part. The interviewees brought out unnecessary waiting time and information processing as examples that according to lean are waste and should be eliminated. Some of the findings of this study are already recognized by the case company, e.g., a new web shop is currently under development, and thus the findings of this study should be considered as input for verifying the functionality of the new tool from the tendering perspective, too.
A literature review, forming the theoretical part of the study, was conducted over the topics of quotation process, lean, and value stream mapping. Based on the literature review, the interview questions were derived for the empirical study.
The empirical study was conducted utilizing qualitative methods and data collection with semi-structured interviews. Three interviewees were selected from the Northern Europe tendering team, being subject matter experts in the topic in question. The interview questionnaire included two sets of questions, the first one addressing the current product quotation process and the second one finding ways for its optimization. The interviews were recorded and transcribed to increase reliability. Although the number of interviewees was limited, the results were quite saturated, as similar responses was recognized among the answers. It was found, for example, that there are differences in the ways of working between countries, room for process optimization based on lean theory, and a need for a modern web shop platform allowing customers’ direct access and ordering of products.
The results of the empirical part of the study were in line with the findings from the theoretical part. The interviewees brought out unnecessary waiting time and information processing as examples that according to lean are waste and should be eliminated. Some of the findings of this study are already recognized by the case company, e.g., a new web shop is currently under development, and thus the findings of this study should be considered as input for verifying the functionality of the new tool from the tendering perspective, too.