18 The Environmental Implications of Digitalization …
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18.3.2 Observation (Direct and Participant)
Direct observation
Onsite visits were taken in the case company several times for different purposes. To
understand how the MES works among different departments, the process engineer
guided a tour by walking through the manufacturing processes along the material
flow. To see how the control centre of facility management runs, the interview was
carried out in the control room with demonstrations shown by the operating engineer from maintenance department. To check how digital tools facilitated work in
production line, a tour was done together with the leading operator from production.
Participant observation
Quick and in-depth understanding of the case company’s strategy, culture and activities cannot live without the author’s previous working experience in this company.
It also provided access to talk with the right person and gain valuable information.
Meanwhile, the new role of being an external observer avoided the potential biases
as a participant in the organization.
18.3.3 Documents
Two major sources were collected in the study: one was from the official internal
website from this company, another one was directly given by the interviewees.
The official internal website provides up-to-date policy, strategy and announcement and can be accessed to all employees, which verified and corroborated information from other sources. The documents from interviewees supports on presenting
the results in a visualized manner.
In addition, literature study provided a solid theoretical backbone to this study.
18.4 Results
The case company is an international company with 103 manufacturing sites all
over the world. Technology development accounts for an important role along the
110 years’ history. Although it is a single case study, it generalizes patterns and
findings, which could be applicable for other countries and areas outside of Sweden.
Along manufacturing processes, digital technologies indicate improvement potentials on environmental impact reduction, as it shows in Table 18.1. Four categories
of environmental impacts reflect contributions from individual digital technology
(Berkhout and Hertin 2004):
• Improved efficiency (represented with sign of )
253
18.3.2 Observation (Direct and Participant)
Direct observation
Onsite visits were taken in the case company several times for different purposes. To
understand how the MES works among different departments, the process engineer
guided a tour by walking through the manufacturing processes along the material
flow. To see how the control centre of facility management runs, the interview was
carried out in the control room with demonstrations shown by the operating engineer from maintenance department. To check how digital tools facilitated work in
production line, a tour was done together with the leading operator from production.
Participant observation
Quick and in-depth understanding of the case company’s strategy, culture and activities cannot live without the author’s previous working experience in this company.
It also provided access to talk with the right person and gain valuable information.
Meanwhile, the new role of being an external observer avoided the potential biases
as a participant in the organization.
18.3.3 Documents
Two major sources were collected in the study: one was from the official internal
website from this company, another one was directly given by the interviewees.
The official internal website provides up-to-date policy, strategy and announcement and can be accessed to all employees, which verified and corroborated information from other sources. The documents from interviewees supports on presenting
the results in a visualized manner.
In addition, literature study provided a solid theoretical backbone to this study.
18.4 Results
The case company is an international company with 103 manufacturing sites all
over the world. Technology development accounts for an important role along the
110 years’ history. Although it is a single case study, it generalizes patterns and
findings, which could be applicable for other countries and areas outside of Sweden.
Along manufacturing processes, digital technologies indicate improvement potentials on environmental impact reduction, as it shows in Table 18.1. Four categories
of environmental impacts reflect contributions from individual digital technology
(Berkhout and Hertin 2004):
• Improved efficiency (represented with sign of )