The purpose of this paper is to present results of applying the Kraljic purchasing portfolio model at three Norwegian engineer-toorder (ETO) companies. The case companies operate in different markets, deliver products of different levels of complexity, and apply different organizational strategies, and differ in several other ways. The paper discusses the ways in which the case companies can develop their supplier strategies based on the executed Kraljic analysis, while emphasizing the importance of taking the companies' distinctive features into consideration..

This paper presents a case study comparing sea and road transport modes for a Norwegian producer of plastic pipes for the construction industry. The study is based on three cases in which CO2e emissions and transport costs were calculated and compared. The main research problem was to analyze whether sea transport is more environmentally friendly than road transport in terms of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and cost-effectiveness. The results from the three analyzed cases show that sea transport is not always the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective mode. We suggest that in order to evaluate the environmental impact and cost-effectiveness of sea transport as an alternative to road transport, such factors as transport distances, load weight/volume ratios, ship load factors, number of port calls, ship sizes, and ship fuel types for each specific case need to be analyzed.

This paper presents a case study of the information sharing practices in a buyer-supplier relationship of companies that deliver products to the global maritime industry. The main research question is whether improving the quality of shared information between buyer and supplier will enhance information utilization by the supplier and improve the operational efficiency of both companies. The case study describes the process of analyzing the information flows between the buyer and the supplier and the utilization of the shared information by the supplier. Our main focus was on analyzing information quality and information utilization, and finding solutions to improve the information sharing practices between the two companies.

This paper presents a six-step method for matching strategic purchasing goals with relevant tactics and operationalizing them through specific activities. The paper provides some of the observations from three Norwegian engineer-to-order companies that are currently working on implementing the proposed method. This paper contributes to purchasing and supply chain management research by providing and testing a method that helps companies to develop strategic goals for different segments of their purchasing portfolios and to match them with relevant tactics and specific activities.

Norway's shipyards have combined with a large network of maritime suppliers to become world-leading builders of offshore vessels for the oil and gas industry. This study analyzes a Norwegian shipyard and two of its suppliers in order to explore how such relationships are and should be managed. The paper presents an exploratory case study that mainly used qualitative data. The findings indicate that, by following the principles of the inter-organizational theories, the companies will reduce risks and create incentives for better performance. Implementing a real-time information sharing system between the buyer and supplier would improve both operational and managerial performance. The study also suggests that increasing value creation by leveraging the capabilities of the supply network and early involvement of suppliers will have the potential to increase this. Based on the discussion in this study, a performance measurement system for buyer-supplier relationships was developed.