The division of Supply & Operations Management (SOM) conducts research, education and outreach activities related to logistics and freight transport, operations management, service management, and industrial marketing and purchasing. All of these areas relate to the broader field of supply chain management.
Our research is problem-oriented and empirical, with strong emphasis on industry and societal relevance. Sustainability needs and circular material flows, digitalization, information technology developments and automation are focused drivers and enablers in our work. The research is part of Chalmers’ Production, Transport, Energy and Health Engineering Areas of Advance; and is conducted in close collaboration with other faculty groups at Chalmers.
The division staff teaches courses at the BSc level in the educational programmes Industrial Management & Engineering (in Swedish), Industrial Management & Production Engineering (in Swedish) and, the MSc level in the Supply Chain Management, Quality and Operations Management, and Production Engineering masters programmes, as well as in the PhD education at Technology Management and Economics and in courses for professionals. About 30 different courses and about 40 BSc/MSc theses are examined at the division every year.
The division focuses on three broad areas:
Within industrial marketing and purchasing our studies address inter-organisational aspects of current industrial challenges such as efforts to reduce carbon emissions. We take a starting point in business relationships and how these are connected in industrial networks. Interdependence, interaction and adjustments made in collaboration between firms are key concepts in these endeavours.
Within logistics and freight transport we address challenges of industrial companies and supply chains related to material handling, warehousing, operations and supply chain planning and control, material supply, procurement and circular supply chains. Excellent logistics and transportation services require interplay between effective use of resources, management of freight, technology, environmental sustainability, inter-organizational structures and -relationships, and coordination of physical flow and information. The scope ranges from focus on item level to the freight transport system, and to the wider supply chain. This lays the foundation for competitive supply chains in which providers and users of logistics services deliver products and solutions to industrial as well as consumer markets, locally and globally. Automation, visibility, resilience and circularity are common themes in our projects and studies.
Within operations management our focus is on internal operations in different settings such as manufacturing or healthcare. The research topics include manufacturing strategy, healthcare management, performance management, remanufacturing, maintenance management, work organization, production management, time data management and work studies.
Since the service element is increasing in both the private and the public sector, the division also focuses on the management, design, delivery and improvement of services.
Research projects and publications
On Chalmers Research you will find the division's projects and publications.
