| Summary: | Abstract. The background of this project is that the case company delivers its products to customer all over the world using different supply chains. Currently, the products are packed and shipped in relatively similar packages without considering the specific requirements of the various supply chains, which raises the concern of poor packaging performance. Meaning that the packaging system was not designed to meet the supply chain requirements which ultimately leads to product damage or quality deterioration.
The purpose of this thesis is to define the conditions that the product and the industrial package are exposed to in the various supply chains, as they flow from the Alfa Laval facility in Lund to the customers. The identification of the supply chain conditions will provide essential data that can be used as a foundation to enhance the industrial package’s performance and increase the protection of products during transport.
The methodology used is an abductive research using systems thinking, in which theoretical knowledge was combined with empirical data collected through various methods to answer the research questions and provide suggestions for improvements. The data collection methods were interviews, observations, internal documents examination, data loggers and GPS trackers.
The Conclusions were that the product and the industrial package are exposed to various risks that can be classified as mechanical, chemical & biological or miscellaneous risks. The occurrence of risks and the extent of damage they can cause are influenced by factors related to the product & its package, the communication between the forwarders, the climatic conditions, the human factor and finally factors related to activities of transport, handling & storage.
The shipped cargo was exposed to high humidity shocks throughout the different supply chains. The cargo was not exposed to more damaging conditions in developing countries, as high humidity levels and shocks were also recorded within the production facility in Lund and during handling in EU countries (e.g. at ports).
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