Logistics and Skanska Xchange : Supply chain improvements in the construction industry

Sammanfattning: This master thesis has aimed to answer the question whether logistic solutions for made to order materials should be included in the Skanska Xchange concept. Skanska Xchange is a project that gathers knowledge, methods and expertise from the Nordic countries with the purpose of providing standardized construction methods. We believe the answer to the thesis’ question is yes. However, Skanska Xchange should initially not invest in developing any new solutions. There are currently several good logistics initiatives within the Skanska organization, but they are never deployed on a company wide basis. Instead, the logistics solution largely depends on who is involved in any given project. It is our belief that Skanska Xchange could help turning said logistics initiatives into standard procedures within the Xchange project. During our work with this thesis, problems have been identified and analyzed mainly from a lean construction perspective, focusing on eliminating or minimizing what we have classified as waste. Recommended solutions to be adopted by the Xchange concept include the use of terminals and logistics centers, carry-in services, installation packages and kitting. The solutions have also been discussed from two perspectives: solutions to be used during framework assemble and solutions to be used after framework assembly.