Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'End use product value'

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1999.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-56).
by Robert Allen Mosher, Jr.
S.M.

This dissertation addresses gaps in the interaction between End-of-Life (EoL) product acquisition systems and disassembly sequencing. The research focuses on two remanufacturing research problems; 1) modeling uncertain EoL product quality, quantity, and timing in regards to EoL product acquisition and disassembly sequencing and 2) designing EoL product acquisition schemes considering EoL product uncertainty. The main research objectives within these areas are; analyzing, predicting, and controlling EoL product uncertainty, and incorporating EoL product uncertainty into operational and strategic level decisions. This research addresses these objectives by researching a methodology to determine optimal or near-optimal partial disassembly sequences using infeasible sequences while considering EoL product quality uncertainty. Consumer incentives are integrated into the methodology to study the effect of EoL product take-back incentives, but it also allows for the study of EoL product quantity uncertainty. EoL product age distributions are key to integrating the disassembly sequence method with EoL product acquisition management, acting both as an indicator of quality and as a basis for determining return quantity when considering incentives. At a broader level, this research makes it possible to study the impact of EoL product quality, and to an extent quantity, uncertainty resulting from strategic level (acquisition scheme) decisions, on operational (disassembly sequencing) decisions.

This research is motivated by the rising importance of value recovery and sustainability to manufacturers. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Product Stewardship (PS) policies are, globally, changing the way products are treated during their use-life and EoL. Each new policy places a greater responsibility on consumers and manufacturers to address the EoL of a product. Manufacturers, in particular, may have to fulfill these obligations by such means as contracting 3rd parties for EoL recovery or performing recovery in-house. The significance of this research is linked to the growing presence of remanufacturing and recovery in the US and global economy, either via profitable ventures or environmental regulations. Remanufacturing, in particular, was surveyed by the US International Trade Commission in 2011-2012, where it was determined that remanufacturing grew by 15% to $43 billion, supported 180,000 full-time jobs from 2009-2011, and is continuing to grow.

A partial disassembly sequence, multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) is used a solution procedure to address the problem of determining the optimal or near-optimal partial disassembly sequence considering a continuous age distribution of EoL or available consumer products, with and without a consumer take-back incentive. The multi-objective GA, novel to the presented approach, relies on infeasible sequences to converge to optimal or near-optimal disassembly sequences. It is verified with a discrete economic and environmental impact case prior to incorporating EoL product age distributions. Considering the age distribution of acquired EoL products allows for decisions to be made based not only on expected profit, but also on profit variance and profit probability per EoL product, which was not observed in previous literature. As such, the research presented here within provides three contributions to disassembly and EoL product acquisition research: 1) integrating EoL product age distributions into partial disassembly sequencing objective functions, 2) accounting for partial disassembly sequence expected profit, profit variation, and profit probability as compared to disassembly sequencing methods that have, historically, only considered expected profit, and 3) studying the impact of EoL product age distributions and consumer take-back incentives on optimal or near-optimal partial disassembly sequences. Overall, this doctoral research contributes to the body of knowledge in value recovery, reverse logistics, and disassembly research fields, and is intended to be used, in the future, to develop and design efficient EoL product acquisition systems and disassembly operations.

Ph. D.

This research attempted to discover how Additive Manufacturing (AM) can best be used to increase the value of personalised consumer products and how designers can be assisted in finding an effective way to facilitate value addition within personalisable product designs. AM has become an enabler for end-users to become directly involved in product personalisation through the manipulation of three-dimensional (3D) designs of the product using easy-to-use design toolkits. In this way, end-users are able to fabricate their own personalised designs using various types of AM systems. Personalisation activity can contribute to an increment in the value of a product because it delivers a closer fit to user preferences. The research began with a literature review that covered the areas of product personalisation, additive manufacturing, and consumer value in product design. The literature review revealed that the lack of methods and tools to enable designers to exploit AM has become a fundamental challenge in fully realising the advantages of the technology. Consequently, the question remained as to whether industrial designers are able to identify the design characteristics that can potentially add value to a product, particularly when the product is being personalised by end-users using AM-enabled design tools and systems. A new value taxonomy was developed to capture the relevant value attributes of personalised AM products. The value taxonomy comprised two first-level value types: product value and experiential value. It was further expanded into six second-level value components: functional value, personal-expressive value, sensory value, unique value, co-design value, and hedonic value. The research employed a survey to assess end-users value reflection on personalised features; measuring their willingness to pay (WTP) and their intention to purchase a product with personalised features. Thereafter, an experimental study was performed to measure end-users opinions on the value of 3D-printed personalised products based on the two value types: product value and experiential value. Based on the findings, a formal added value identification method was developed to act as a design aid tool to assist designers in preparing a personalisable product design that embodies value-adding personalisation features within the product. The design method was translated into a beta-test version paper-based design workbook known as the V+APP Design Method: Design Workbook. The design aid tool was validated by expert designers. In conclusion, this research has indicated that the added value identification method shows promise as a practical and effective method in aiding expert designers to identify the potential value-adding personalisation features within personalisable AM products, ensuring they are able to fully exploit the unique characteristics and value-adding design characteristics enabled by AM. Finally, the limitations of the research have been explained and recommendations made for future work in this area.

Stock market event studies are often used to estimate the impact of an unanticipated event on stock returns of a company. Traditionally, these analyses focus on developing estimates of abnormal returns attributed to the event or some measure of post-event loss in shareholder value. In 1989 Mark Mitchell used an event study to estimate the impact of the 1982 Tylenol poisonings on Johnson & Johnson's share returns. Mark Mitchell was able to demonstrate that (1) Johnson & Johnson share returns were significantly impacted by the poisonings, and (2) such an impact translated, at least in part, to a depreciation of brand name capital. This study sets forth the basic framework of Mark Mitchell's 1989 analysis and wherever appropriate, provides possible alternatives to his methodologies. Using several alternative approaches including, but not necessarily limited to, consideration of the incremental values associated with the Tylenol brand name, cost to develop the brand, alternative market factors, and changes in income streams I compare changes in brand value to brand name capital depreciation estimated by Mitchell. In some instances the aforementioned approaches are used in conjunction with aspects of Mitchell's methodology. The results tend to provide more accurate estimates of the loss in brand value possibly associated with the 1982 poisonings.
Master of Arts

A company's decisions on how to manage its reverse supply chain (RSC) are important for both economic and environmental reasons. From a strategic standpoint, the key decision a manufacturer makes is whether or not to collect products at their end-of-life (EOL) (i.e., when their useful lives are over), and if so, how to recover value from the recovered products. We call this decision as the EOL option of a product, and it determines how the RSC is designed and managed overall. Many EOL options exist for a product such as resale, refurbishment, remanufacturing and part salvage. However, many factors influence the optimal EOL option. These factors include the product's: (i) characteristics, (ii) design, and (iii) pricing. A product's characteristics are its properties that impact the various costs incurred during its production, residual part values, and customer demand. In this work, the product design is viewed as the choice of quality for each of its parts. A part's quality-level determines, among other things, its cost, salvage value, and the likelihood of obtaining it in good condition from a disassembled used product. Finally, the manufacturer must determine how to price its new and used products. This decision depends on many considerations such as whether new and used products compete and whether competition exists from other manufacturers. The choice of appropriate EOL options for products constitutes a foundation of RSC design. In this work, we study how to optimally determine a product's optimal EOL option and consider the impact of product design and product pricing on this decision. We present a full description of the system that details the relationships among all entities. The system description reveals the use of a production planning type of modeling strategy. Additionally, a comprehensive and general mathematical model is presented that takes into consideration multi-period planning and product inventory. A unique aspect of our model over previous production planning models for RSC is that we consider the product returns as being endogenous variables rather than them being exogenous. This model forms the basis of our research, and we use its special cases in our analysis. To begin our analysis of the problem, we study the case in which the product design and price are fixed. Both non-mandated and mandated collection are considered. Our analysis focuses on a special case of the problem involving two stages: in the first stage, new products are produced, and in the second stage, the EOL products are collected for value recovery. For fixed product design and price, our analysis reveals a fundamental mapping of product characteristics onto optimal EOL options. It is germane to our understanding of the problem in general since a multi-period problem is separable into multiple two-stage problems. Necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are also presented for each possible solution of this two-stage problem. For the two-part problem, a graphical mapping of product characteristics onto optimal EOL options is also presented, which reveals how EOL options vary with product characteristics. Additionally, we study the case of product design under mandated collection, as encountered in product leasing. We assume new production cost, part replacement cost, and part salvage value to be functions of the quality-level of a part along with the likelihood of recovering a good-part from a returned product. These are reasonable assumptions for leased products since the customer is paying for the usage of the product over a fixed contract period. In this case, the two-stage model can still be used to gain insights. For the two-part problem, a method for mapping part yields onto optimal EOL options is presented. Closed-form optimality conditions for joint determination of part yields and EOL options are not generally attainable for the two-stage case; however, computationally efficient methods for this problem are developed for some relatively non-restrictive special cases. It is found that, typically, a part may belong to one of three major categories: (i) it is of low quality and will need to be replaced to perform remanufacturing, (ii) it is of high quality and its surplus will be salvaged, or (iii) it is of moderate quality and just enough of its amount is collected to meet remanufactured product demand. Finally, we consider the problem of determining optimal prices for new and remanufactured products under non-mandated manufacturer's choice of collection. New and remanufactured products may or may not compete, depending on market conditions. Additionally, we assume the manufacturer to have a monopoly on the product. Again, the two-stage problem is used and efficient solution methods are developed. Efficient solution methods and key insights are presented.
Ph. D.

Challenges faced today in the truck industry indicate a need for transformation in truck manufacturers’ business logic. First, current business models are based on the sales of new vehicles so truck manufacturers fail to capture substantial financial benefits from servicing the installed base. Second, the truck market is prone to regional market cycles, which necessitates truck manufacturers to find solutions to stabilize their revenues. Moreover, environmental legislation and social pressures encourage truck manufacturers to look for solutions to preserve natural resources and enhance social welfare. To address these challenges, this study examines a regenerative result-oriented product-service (RROPS) business model, which combines a result-oriented product-service system and a closed-loop supply chain. By adopting a RROPS business model, truck manufacturers can earn regular sources of revenues, because demand for services is counter-cyclical, while improving their environmental and social performance. Hence, the goal of this study is to establish how to generate sustainable value for truck manufacturers. The study follows a multiple methods research design and collects data from truck manufacturers and logistics firms. Based on relevant literature and findings from a case study of a truck manufacturer, this work operationalizes eight building blocks of a RROPS business model, using the Business Model Canvas as framework of reference. China, the world’s largest national truck market by volume, is chosen as context for the study because truck manufacturers in China face economic, social and environmental challenges (e.g low profitability, no value capture from used trucks) that a RROPS business model could help addressing. Referring to the resource-based view and the social exchange theory, two conceptual frameworks are developed to determine mechanisms of sustainable value generation. Research hypotheses are tested with a sample of 180 survey responses collected from 22 truck manufacturers. Qualitative and quantitative survey data from logistics firms are also collected to conduct a comparative analysis between truck manufacturers' and logistics firms' perspectives with respect to market-related building blocks of a RROPS business model. The resulting contributions to knowledge are threefold. First, this study adds to existing literature on sustainable business models by offering a comprehensive analysis of a RROPS business model from a triple bottom line perspective. Second, this work extends the resource-based view and the social exchange theory by identifying and testing how business model elements of a RROPS business model contribute to the generation of sustainable value for truck manufacturers. Finally, this study establishes individual and combined mediating effects of three business model elements and shows that RROPS key partners contribute the most to explain the variance in RROPS gains, followed by RROPS key resources and RROPS internal risk management. With respect to managerial implications, this research demonstrates the relevance of a business model approach and establishes key characteristics of building blocks in a RROPS business model as well as the interdependencies between these business model elements. Truck manufacturers should pay particular attention to grow relational exchanges with their business partners and develop firm's internal strategic assets such as information and communication technologies and internal risk management practices. Furthermore, outcomes of the comparative analysis highlight that truck manufacturers should make more efforts to comprehend truck owners’ business environments. In China, a RROPS business model appears as a suitable solution to comply with the triple bottom lines of sustainability in the truck sector, but changes in customer habits and Chinese legislations are required to promote this new business logic.

Inspection methods for satellites post-launch are currently expensive and/or dangerous. To address this, BYU, in conjunction with NASA, is designing a series of small satellites called CubeSATs. These small satellites are designed to be launched from a satellite and to visually inspect the launching body. The current satellite revision passively tumbles through space and is appropriately named the passive inspection cube satellite (PICS). The next revision actively maintains translation and rotation relative to the launching satellite and is named the translation, rotation inspection cube satellite (TRICS). One of the necessary sensors aboard this next revision is the means to detect distance. This work explores the feasibility of using a software defined radio as a small, low-cost front end for a ranging radar to fulfill this need. For this work, the LimeSDR-Mini is selected due to its low-cost, small form factor, full duplex operation, and open-source hardware/software. Additionally, due to the the channel characteristics of space, the linear frequency modulated continuous-wave (LFMCW) radar is selected as the radar architecture due to its ranging capabilities and simplicity. The LFMCW radar theory and simulation are presented. Two programming methods for the LimeSDR-Mini are considered: GNU Radio Companion and the pyLMS7002Soapy API. GNU Radio Companion is used for initial exploration of the LimeSDR-Mini and confirms its data streaming (RX and TX) and full duplex capabilities. The pyLMS7002Soapy API demonstrates further refined control over the LimeSDR-Mini while providing platform independence and deployability. This work concludes that the LimeSDR-Mini is capable of acting as the front end for a ranging radar aboard a small satellite provided the pyLMS7002Soapy API is used for configuration and control. GNU Radio Companion is not recommended as a programming platform for the LimeSDR-Mini and the pyLMS7002Soapy API requires further research to fine tune the SDR's performance.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att få en djupare förståelse för produktplaceringsprocessen och därmed se vad produktplacering som marknadsföringskanal genererar till en film- och/eller tv-produktion. Utgångspunkten för att besvara syftet är värdeskapandeteorier tillsammans med en kvalitativ undersökning via intervjuer med sex personer inom produktplaceringsbranschen. Resultatet från undersökningen visade på att fördelarna med produktplacering är att den ger konsumenten en plattform att se en produkt eller ett varumärke i ett verklighetstroget sammanhang och därmed görs produktionen mer trovärdig. I ett större perspektiv genererar produktplacering mer än bara trovärdighet, den erbjuder ett nätverk med samarbetspartners, liksom ett värdeskapande genom kringliggande plattformar.
The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of the product placement process and to see what a marketing channel such as product placement generates to a film and/or a television production. The starting point for answering the purpose of this paper is the value creation theories together with a qualitative survey through interviews with six people in the product placement industry. The results from the survey showed that the benefits of product placement are the contribution of a platform for consumers to see a product or a brand in a realistic context and thereby making a production more reliable. In a larger perspective, product placement generates more than just credibility, it offers a network of partners, as well as value creation through surrounding platforms.

碩士
國立勤益科技大學
企業管理系
103
Increasing living quality and affluence have mean that an increasing number of people are paying more attention to recreational activities, leading to the continuous growth of the tourism industry. Statistics from the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan have shown that the number of people traveling abroad has been constantly growing in recent years, which has also given rise to increasing demand for tourism-related products such as baggage, which is now regarded as a necessity for travelers. Estimates from Infiniti Research predict that the global baggage market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% from 2012 to 2016. However, various types of baggage are becoming extremely similar in terms of functions and features. Consumers are also less aware of the methods needed to select a suitable suitcase. Furthermore, the suitcase market is also increasingly shaped by red ocean strategies. Therefore, understanding consumer requirements for baggage functions and properties, as well as the ultimate values and purposes for using baggage, not only provides a reference for suitcase manufacturers during design and development, but also helps manufacturers formulate corresponding marketing strategies as well. The framework of this investigation applied means-end chain (MEC) approaches, and soft ladder interviews to conduct in-depth interviews with suitcase users. Content analysis was then used to study the Attributes-Consequences-Values relationships of suitcase users which were subsequently used to illustrate the hierarchical value map (HVM), analyze the ultimate value for suitcase use, and provide suitcase manufacturers with indicators for future research and development, and marketing of their suitcases. The research sample included 60 people with males and females accounting for 50% respectively. In order to ensure that the sample population is capable of expressing abstract ideas clearly, 96.6% of the interviewees have at least college-level education, with 86.6% of the interviewees being students at the time of the interview. Given that the majority of the interviewees were students, most of the interviewees were therefore below 30 years of age. The results of the study indicate that size and space were the attributes that consumers care most about when selecting their suitcase, followed by material strength, appearance and style, and lock designs. Key results and benefits regarded as important according to attribute analyses, such as durability improvement, fulfillment of personal needs, and ease of carrying and storage, were then ranked accordingly. The results above indicate that security and enjoyment are the ultimate values when consumers purchase baggage.

碩士
元智大學
管理研究所
97
The development of technology in past centuries has radically changed the life of people, resulted in high economic growth, and accelerated the consumption of natural resources on earth. Emerging green consumption makes consumers and enterprises pay more and more attention to the impact on environment, however, expensive, non-durable, and high-cost green products disappoint consumers in the performance of green market. Therefore, understanding customer’s value satisfied by purchased products is very important and valuable in marketing. This research is to study the correlation between attributes of hybrid electrical vehicle, consequences, and personal values in consumer’s buying decision by the means-end chain method. Consumer’s personality is used as an independent variable to explore whether or not high-altruistic and low-altruistic consumers demonstrate different value structures. The result shows that mean-end chain of the attributes of hybrid electrical vehicle, consequences, and personal values that consumer value does exist. In the analysis between the attributes of hybrid electrical vehicle and consequences, pioneer on environment and public interests have the highest degree of correlation. In the analysis between consequences and personal values, public interests and environmental protection value have the highest degree of correlation. In the analysis between personal values and the attributes of hybrid electrical vehicle, low and less pollution and environmental protection value have the highest degree of correlation. Different consumer’s personalities (high-altruistic and altruistic characteristics) do show different value structures.

碩士
國立成功大學
國際企業研究所碩博士班
100
Since the cosmetics industry is a high value-added industry, Ministry of Economic Affairs Industrial Development Bureau is planning vigorously to nurture domestic cosmetics striving for enormous business opportunities. The competition in global cosmetics industry has been getting intensive, which highlights the importance of the product attributes’ perceived value in consumers’ mind. In study, it takes cleansing oil as an example. The representative of high price is ShuUemura, medium price is Shiseido, and low price is Dr. Jou, and to explore the impact of product attributes on perceived, and purchase intention. The sample of study is woman who may use cleansing oil to remove make ups. There are total 300 valid questionnaires, each brand has 100 questionnaires, and valid rate is 91.7%. Use SPSS statistical analysis tools, such as descriptive analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and discriminate analysis. The results of this study are as follows: 1. Product attributes has discrimination power on the consumers’ perceived quality. 2. Product attributes has discrimination power on the consumers’ perceived price. 3. Perceived quality has discrimination power on the consumers’ purchase intention. 4. Perceived price has discrimination power on the consumers’ purchase intention. Thus, it proves that the importance of product attributes for cleansing oil. Also, cleansing oil companies need to focus on the product attributes’ perceived value in consumers’ mind, especially perceived quality and perceived price. Besides, they must properly use promotional activities to increase consumers’ purchase intention.

碩士
朝陽科技大學
企業管理系碩士班
101
The digital camera is a product of experience, and familiarity with the weekday lifestyle and operation-related. The value of digital camera, through the use of the product, the actual experience of the product. The value in use in digital camera product is an important considered. In this study, We emphasize on a digital camera user experience, and explore the continuing involvement in the correlation between the connected without interference effect between product use and value in use, as well as explore the product use, value in use and loyalty. For digital camera users, the study issued a total of 300 questionnaires, 283 valid questionnaires received with, the effective response rate was 94.33%. The empirical results show that, the product usage is posifively related to value in use for the loyalty Individually positive impact on the continued involvement of the moderating effect of "use" and "value in use" relationship there. Based on the above conclusions, Proudct usage mangerial implications are discovered, also provide specific recommendations for the marketing and community management of digital cameras are also provide.

碩士
國立中山大學
高階經營碩士班
98
Research Problems: Every industry produces its own wastes, but if its development is handled well, these wastes can be used as an additional resource as well. However, every resource recycling industry will eventually have to face the fact that in this industrial world over a period of time, the “Red Ocean” competition by offering a lower price as well as decreasing the value added to the industry. In the past, the China Steel Cooperation (CSC) used to dump these granulated blast furnace slag into the ocean as industrial wastes, which have caused pollutions to the ocean leading to protest with the local fishermen. Using the Slag Powder Resource Recycling Company as an example, they have taken in these wastes since 1986 from the CSC. Under research, the granulated blast furnace slag are used and developed into a resource to produce slag powder, which successfully substitutes the use of cements to be used to make concrete. After 20 years of development, slag powder production has been extremely competitive and consolidated, making it a mature product in the market. Therefore, knowing how to increase the value-added to a product for the customer has always been a very important issue to the company leader. “This paper is mainly focused on studying how to use the concept of Servitization of Manufacturing to increase the value-added to its product towards its customers.” Research Design:　　 This research uses [a slag resource recycling plant] as an example to explore the concept of manufacturing service as a way to develop and cooperate in communications with the customer services. A total of 5 companies, namely A, B, C, D, E, with access to case the company’s downstream clients, are expected to complete five questionnaire interviews. These surveys will provide analysis to enhance the value-added approach. Main Contribution: Through thorough discussion and case interviews with the company’s colleagues and its clients, the direction of the service and its proposed approach is sorted out to give the company and its related industries an increase in production and will also be a very important direction for the company in its development.

Fashion industry especially clothing is one of the largest sub-sectors that give contribute to carbon footprint in the world this day. This over consumption has resulted to unbalance the environment. These activities are rapidly growing across the globe and have an important role in creating awareness among the consumers regarding the products that environmentally friendly and their impact on the environment which helps the consumers in their buying decisions So, changing consumer perspectives it can be a way that presumed to be sustainability consume and environmentally safe. Product fashion that features the benefits of green ecological and social cultural tradition can be beneficial. This paper attempts to explore the usage of fashion product from the artisan that hand base labor where the product made from recycled clothing material combining with traditional cloth among the consumer purchase behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate and explore the factors consumer behavior of environmental concern, altruistic motivation, fashion motivation, price perception, perceived value, product involvement, personal value, emotional value, and social status influence consumers attitudes toward handmade/artisan fashion products. Also, the factors consumer behavior on the intention to purchase of handmade/artisan fashion products made from recycled clothing combined with traditional cloth rather for personal use and gifting, also how it affects, and, in ways, shapes consumers purchase intention when aware of the impact of their actions in the environment and social responsibility. This study was based on the literature review, and it was conducted a questionnaire to 320 participants comprising three groups’ consumers: Indonesians living in home country, Indonesian individuals living in abroad, and people unrelated with Indonesia such as Europeans with all the other nationalities. The analysis of the results found that shows consumers price perception, perceived value, product involvement, emotional value, and consumer attitudes significant influenced on intention to purchase for self use. The second result found perceived value, product involvement and consumer attitudes significant influenced on intention to purchase for gifting. The last altruistic motivation and social status significant influenced on consumer attitudes toward handmade/artisan fashion products made from recycled clothing combined with traditional cloth.