Production Organization at Husqvarna AB : A Study of Chainsaw Production at Three Factories

Sammanfattning: This bachelor thesis looks at the organization of the production of chainsaws in three different Husqvarna AB plants; one in Sweden, one in Brazil and one in the USA. The field of production organization carries the mark of men like Adam Smith, Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford, and it is with reference to the approaches of these men, and others, that we ask how Husqvarna AB organizes its production of chainsaws. We found that production in the Swedish plant consisted of a worker philosophy influenced by the “group thinking” that was prominent in Sweden in the 1970s, coupled with a production philosophy sharing many traits with Ford’s mass production while incorporating elements of lean production. The production lines in Brazil are identical to the newer lines in the Swedish plant. The differences are fewer influences from “group” approaches such as the socio-technical view. The US plant provides a sharp contrast to the other two. It produces saws for the consumer market and not the professional market. Quality and longevity demands are radically different, which enables for another production approach to be used. With simple operations and very short times at each work station, the US plant is not many steps away from Ford’s mass production approach.