Thesis Work - Seamless Implementation of Digitalization and Automation in Production

Background

As production becomes increasingly digitalized and automated, successful implementation requires more than technical solutions. It also depends on clear governance, defined responsibilities, effective organizational processes, and collaboration across functions. In a global manufacturing company, this becomes more complex as digitalization and automation initiatives need to be coordinated across sites with different conditions, competencies, systems, and ways of working. Responsibilities may span production, manufacturing engineering, IT, and global functions, creating challenges related to ownership, decision-making, handovers, and coordination. There is therefore a need to understand how the organization and ways of working can better support seamless implementation across different production sites.

Thesis Scope & Deliverables

This thesis focuses on understanding how governance, organizational roles, and processes should evolve to enable more seamless implementation of digitalization and automation across a global production organization. Key activities include:

• Mapping current roles, responsibilities, decision-making structures, and organizational processes related to digitalization and automation across selected sites.
• Identifying organizational barriers and gaps that create delays, unclear ownership, or difficulties in achieving successful implementation and long-term use.
• Investigating how responsibilities, decision-making, and collaboration can be improved among global and local functions.
• Developing a governance framework or operating model describing roles, responsibilities, organizational processes, interfaces, decision-making, and collaboration across organizational levels.
• Evaluating the proposed approach through selected Volvo CE sites and use cases.
• Providing recommendations for how the approach can support consistent yet adaptable implementation across different global production contexts.

Suitable Background

• Industrial engineering and management
• Production development
• Automation and digitalization
• Other relevant backgrounds combining technology, production, and organizational development

The thesis is particularly suitable for students interested in the intersection between people, digitalization, organizational processes, and industrial production. Students from different academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and candidates may be matched in complementary pairs so that different competencies can be combined across individual theses rather than required within a single student.

Thesis Information

• Level: 30 credits (Master’s thesis)
• Language: English
• Start date: 18 Januari, 2027
• Location: Volvo CE Eskilstuna (on site preferred)
• Number of students: 2 students (preferred)

Ready for the next move?

Last day to apply is November 30.

In case you have questions on the position, contact 

• Natalie Agerskans – natalie.agerskans@volvo.com
• Anna Eckervald Nilsson – anna.eckervald.nilsson@volvo.com