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The project business in the packaging machine industry is highly volatile. Although the industry is steadily growing, firms face increasing financial constraints due to external, difficult to control, factors. This thesis examines the underlying concepts and processes of a Supply Chain Finance implementation, using the Syntegon Group as an empirical example. Due to the extended payment terms of customers and the currently undergoing refinancing measures, the analysis about potential liquidity increasing measures becomes extremely relevant for Syntegon. The research questions covered focus on cash liquidity increases, working capital improvement and alternatives to Supply Chain Finance solutions.
This research aims to provide an informed recommendation about the implementation of Supply Chain Finance. The research is divided into two major parts. The first part discusses the underlying theoretical frameworks to understand the concept of working capital and supply chain management. These concepts are of great importance for the understanding of Supply Chain Finance and its relevance in today’s globalized world. The second part focuses on a detailed empirical analysis of the Syntegon Group. Hereby, the qualitative research involves expert interviews with various departments of the Syntegon Group. The answers of the interviewees are evaluated based on the different categories. This allows for a direct comparison of the interviewee’s answers.
The quantitative analysis consists of the key figure analyses. These allow an informed statement about the current financial situation of the group. By calculating potential payment term extensions and the consequential cash flow opportunities, an estimation about the benefit of the implementation of Supply Chain Finance can be made. Lastly, the cost-benefit analysis of implementing such a solution versus receiving the money as a bank loan is determined.
The results of the calculation and analyses have shown that payment term extensions offer large cash flow opportunities for the Syntegon Group. Receiving a bank loan in the same amount as the unlocked working capital would result in a lower benefit.
Although further research beyond this thesis is needed, the clear benefits of implementing a Supply Chain Finance solution to increase liquidity are demonstrated.
This thesis deals with the CO2 footprint of the Porsche Taycan. Porsche aims to become a carbon neutral company by 2030 and is therefore looking for potentials of improvement. This thesis intends to find solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the Porsche Taycan over its entire life cycle.
First, the thesis deals with the theoretical framework of conducting a Life Cycle Assessment based on the DIN EN ISO 14040 and DIN EN ISO 14044 standards. Then, the Porsche Taycan and its battery system are introduced.
A CO2 hotspot analysis is carried out for the entire life cycle of the battery of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and thus potential for improvement is identified. The main CO2 hotspots are… [DELTED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY REASONS].
Furthermore, an Excel tool is built to model the entire life cycle of the Taycan. This tool is used to carry out a sensitivity analysis for selected parameters. The analysis shows how sensitive the carbon footprint reacts to changes and thus helps making decisions upon where improvements can be made.
Based on the two analyses it is, among other things, recommended that Porsche… [DELTED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY REASONS].
This thesis aims to investigate the presence of herding behaviour in the German DAX40 market during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Herding behaviour is a phenomenon in behavioural finance where investors ignore their own information and base their decisions on fellow market participants. This behaviour most often presents during times of high market volatility. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a critical effect on the German financial markets, making it an appropriate time period to detect herding behaviour among investors of the DAX40.To begin this investigation, a literature review is used to build a good understanding of the causes and effects of herding behaviour. The literature review also presents some of the most influential models which aim to explain herding behaviour in financial markets. This is followed by using the methodology of the Cross-sectional standard deviation (CSSD) and the cross-sectional absolute deviation (CSAD), two empirical models to detect herding in financial markets. For the investigation, daily stock data of the DAX40 performance index and the DAX40 companies was collected for two years surrounding the pandemic's beginning in March 2020. No significant evidence of herding was detected in the DAX40 market during the sampling period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advancements in digital technologies, such as the Industrial Internet of Things, enabled machinery manufacturers to develop software products that complement and enhance existing products, such as production systems. Some of these software products aim to improve industrial production by assisting users, primarily machine operators, with their work. Although it is essential for a successful market launch that the software product meets users' needs, some manufacturers have difficulties identifying them. This situation is because the interface of their software products to users, especially user input mechanisms, encounters shortcomings. Typically, user input mechanisms enable user input, such as feature requests, to occur, which ultimately can assist in identifying users' needs.
This thesis investigates Syntegon Packaging Systems AG and their software product myShopfloor as an exemplary machinery manufacturer within a case study. The case study's findings exemplify that the contextual conditions in the business-to-business domain, particularly the food industry, and internal shortcomings present challenges in gathering user input to identify and meet users' needs. Therefore, this case study proposed and conducted a solution for improving the interface of myShopfloor.
The solution started by conducting market research to identify user input mechanisms and tools used in the software industry. Afterward, the identified user input mechanisms were evaluated in a survey with Syntegon Packaging Systems AG employees based on their usefulness for myShopfloor. The evaluation of the survey resulted in selecting user input mechanisms rated as very useful by these employees. In contrast, a subsequent evaluation of the identified tools resulted in an appropriate combination of tools covering the selected user input mechanisms.
Finally, an implementation strategy for myShopfloor was outlined as the last part of the solution. First, use cases resulting from each user input mechanism were described to illustrate how specific user flows could lead to user input.
Afterward, an adjustment of the Scrum software development process of myShopfloor suggested how to handle and convert the emerging user input into implementable product backlog items. Thereby, this thesis exemplified how to improve the interface of software products by investigating and recommending a solution to myShopfloor. This example was then used for generalizing the results for other companies.
Starting from the direct exchange of goods and services to the first traces of money almost 3,000 years ago to contactless payments with our smartphones and bank cards in the 21st century. Along the way we have recorded a lot of innovation in the field of payments like the invention of the credit card in the 1940s or the implementation of a debit system for debit cards in the 1980s.
Each of those innovations was greeted with skepticism at the time of their introduction. The concerns of the people are understandable since the innovation in this field touches a very important topic to most humans: money.
At first people did not trust physical money when they did not exchange goods and services directly anymore since it did not feel like it is a fair exchange. Then people were not believing that plastic cards will one day substitute cash. Now people are pessimistic about contactless payment methods that don’t even require those plastic cards anymore.
Yet experts agree on the idea that the future of payment is contactless.
In my thesis I am focusing one of the technologies used for contactless payments called NFC.
The goal of this thesis is to give an overview over the usage, chances, risks and the competitors of this contactless technology, highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and answer the following question based on empirical data:
“Is NFC the best method to handle contactless payments?”
Many entrepreneurs are still conducting business today according to the principle "the purpose of business is business". The focus here is primarily placed on the corporation’s profits while human relations within the enterprise are almost completely ignored. Humanity and business are, after all, seen as two mutually exclusive concepts. However, results of studies undertaken by well-known research institutes, such as Gallup, indicate this management style to be inefficient for businesses in the long run as the resulting low emotional bond of employees with their companies generates high costs for organizations.
For this reason, the present paper examines the extent to which humanity and business are really two mutually exclusive ideas and provides an answer to the research question of whether taking a human approach in a business is a crucial factor for its success. In addition, the possible effects resulting through the integration of humanity in business are analyzed.
To provide an answer to the research question, the currently most recent working challenges in organizations as well as their corresponding demands were first worked out. Subsequently, the human being - with a specific focus on human emotions and emotional needs – was closer examined due to its significance in the company. Finally, the possible effects achieved by taking a human approach in a business were presented on the basis of two already human-oriented corporations. All researches were predominantly based on primary sources as well as on the results of a self-conducted qualitative interview.
The results of all investigations clearly suggest that taking a human approach in an organization is a decisive factor for its success. In addition, it was established that human interactions even help enterprises in achieving astonishingly quick and long-lasting financial successes.
It is therefore plain that it is necessary for companies pursuing the goal to be successful in the long-term to break free from the common principle of "the purpose of business is business" and instead be more open to new forms of management, such as "Humanity and Business".
The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has driven companies towards an ongoing digital transformation. This creates a considerable market push and pull from consumers for innovative technologies given the benefits they convey. In the corporate world this translates to the objectives of companies for gaining competitive advantages, created by the integration of new digital solutions, for the creation of value.
The advantages of a continuous integration of technologies within all areas of an organizations conveys the need for more adaptive resources. A major player in charge of leading said transformation for the obtention of unprecedented benefits is the Information Technology Department (IT). Therefore, the ongoing accelerated demand for digital solutions requires an accelerated delivery as well from the IT.
The limited resources, particularly from employees capable of continuously developing digital solutions, represents an unsustainable approach given the gap between growing demand and supply for new technological advancements.
Employees within the organizational context of MHP Management- und IT Beratung GmbH, who are addressed in this thesis as the customers of the MHP-IT, are presented with an alternative approach to fulfil the current demand for digital solutions through their integration in the process; this would empower them to contribute in the companies digital transformation journey. The proposed way of doing so is through the introduction of the Power Platform tools in corporate MHP.
The objective of this thesis focuses on the fundamental change that the incorporation of the Power Platform conveys on individuals within their work environment. This is aimed at the identification of possible approaches that can foment organizational acceptance, for the abovementioned platform, as an alternative way of creating value. This is achieved through the evaluation of individual values for their successful incorporation as citizen developers empowered to create.
The Organizational Cultural Assessment Instrument has been chosen as a methodology for answering the research objectives of identifying the current values that employees have in their work environment, as well as to bring forward tailored recommendations as adequate measures to drive the incorporation of the Power Platform. Complementing this is the identification of predispositions from potential users via qualitative and quantitative methods.
Given the benefits that the Power Platform creates in different operational fields, results indicate a premature acceptance for the introduction of the same as a suitable alternative for creating digital solutions. Furthermore, the conducted organizational environment study, also referred to as culture, highlights the dominant values present among the workers of MHP. This delineates a tailored approach of different measures that can be taken for introducing the Power Platform, as a digital transformation tool, and empowerment of citizen developers.
Emphasise is given to the identified inclinations from employees, as these constitutes the prioritization of procedures according to their values, through which the implementation of change can be coped with and the acceptance of the Power Platform tools increased.
Marketing strategy remains a critical driver of customer satisfaction and competitiveness in the banking industry globally. Despite this, private and government banks in Germany are yet to attain required customer satisfaction levels. Studies on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction revealed both positive and negative results. The main purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of service quality on customer satisfaction in the German Banking sector. Deutsche bank offenbach am main branch was used as a case. The target population was 2000 customers; holders of either a savings account, current account or both. 120 questionnaires were administered using a non- probability sampling technique known as the convenience sampling. 100 out of the 120 questionnaires came back complete. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results revealed that service quality significantly contributed to customer satisfaction at (Adjusted R2 = 0.733, p<.05). It was concluded that service quality contributes to customer satisfaction. From the survey, other factors that influence customer satisfaction in the German banking sector include, account security, proximity, customer expectations and perceived valued of service quality, employee’s behavior and management. The study recommends a more emphasis on improving and maintaining high service quality levels translating to customer satisfaction. Therefore, the research provides a validated service quality model that can be used to clearly measure levels of service quality in relation to levels of customer satisfaction
The aim of this bachelor thesis is to answer the question of what a new world currency system based on a cryptocurrency could look like. For this purpose, the following research questions were posed:
1. What could be the design of an international digital currency?
2. How would a revived gold standard using an international digital currency be designed?
3. How would a revived Bretton Woods System using the Special Drawing Rights from the International Monetary Fund fixed to an international digital currency look like?
To answer these research questions, a comparison was made with the world currency systems that already existed. Here, the problems of the gold standard and Bretton Woods system were deductively crystallised through a literature review and then inductively applied to the possible system.
The study shows that this system is economically feasible and can solve most of the problems of the past world monetary systems. However, as it requires governments and central banks to cede their sovereignty it is unlikely to be actually adopted. Nevertheless, there are advantages of a digital currency issued by the central bank, such as the detachment from interest and money supply, which would also be politically feasible and sensible in the long term.
In light of the rising commoditization of products, manufacturers worldwide are adopting the strategy of offering value-added services to remain competitive. With the emergence of the new single-use technology, it is becoming increasingly difficult for traditional endoscope manufacturers to create competitive advantage by enhancing the product quality.
The aim of this paper is to investigate how value-added services can effectively differentiate the company KARL STORZ in the single-use endoscope market. In this
regard, insights into the decision-making process of customers in the medical technology industry are provided.
Qualitative exploratory research in form of in-depth expert interviews with KARL STORZ sales & marketing managers and physicians were conducted to gather new ideas and perspectives about the research topics.