Master thesis Chinese vs. European Paint Shop Equipment Suppliers - Looking Beyond Price

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Background

A paint shop is one of the largest and longest-lived investments in a truck plant. It often runs for 20–30 years and is usually the plant's biggest energy consumer. For a long time, vehicle manufacturers in Europe bought this equipment almost exclusively from European suppliers. Chinese suppliers have since grown fast, and they now compete for projects in Europe, often at a lower price.

As buyers, we can compare prices. What is much harder to compare are the costs and risks that don't show up in a quote: quality at start-up, compliance with European regulations, service over the equipment's lifetime, sustainability and geopolitical exposure. These non-fiscal parts of the total cost of ownership (TCO) can outweigh a price difference, but we lack a structured way to assess them.

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The thesis

The thesis compares Chinese and European suppliers of paint shop equipment to heavy-duty truck manufacturers in Europe. The focus is on the non-fiscal parts of TCO : everything beyond price that affects the true cost and risk of the investment.

Scope:

- Vehicles: Paint shops for heavy-duty trucks.

- Manufacturers: Heavy-duty truck manufacturers with plants in Europe. Where European experience of Chinese suppliers is limited, reference cases from plants outside Europe can be used.

- Suppliers: Defined by headquarters and ownership. How to treat European suppliers that manufacture in China, or joint ventures, is clarified as part of the thesis.

- Investment type: New paint shops and major rebuilds, where a full supplier comparison is made. Smaller upgrades and spare part purchases are excluded.

- Equipment: Open within the paint shop. You choose and justify which equipment to study, in dialogue with us.

- Lifecycle: The full lifetime of the chosen equipment, from tender and installation through operation to end of life, so the complete non-fiscal TCO is captured.

- Non-fiscal factors: The four most important ones. Identifying and justifying these is part of the thesis.

- Time frame: Supplier development over the last 10 years.

- Perspective: The buyer's, with input from engineering and plant operations.

The aim is to give buyers better input for sourcing decisions. You will shape the exact research questions, method and framework yourselves, together with your university supervisor.

Questions you could explore include:

- Which four non-fiscal factors matter most over the equipment's lifetime, and how can they be assessed or quantified?

- How do Chinese and European suppliers compare on these factors today, and how has that changed?

- When does a lower purchase price turn out to be the more expensive option over the equipment's lifetime?

- What should buyers evaluate or require in tenders to compare suppliers fairly?

Who are you?

We're looking for: master students in Industrial Engineering and Management, Supply Chain Management or a similar program. You are curious and structured, and comfortable interviewing experts and working with qualitative and quantitative information.

An interest in purchasing, manufacturing or global supply chains is a plus.

You'll be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

What’s in it for you?

- A real, current business problem with direct impact on how we source equipment

- Access to buyers, paint process engineers and other experts for interviews

- Two supervisors from our production equipment purchasing team

- Insight into global sourcing in the automotive industry

Ready for this challenge?

Don’t hesitate to send your application (CV and Cover Letter).

Last application: November 1st.

We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail.

Who we are and what we believe in
We are committed to shaping the future landscape of efficient, safe, and sustainable transport solutions. Fulfilling our mission creates countless career opportunities for talents across the group’s leading brands and entities.

Applying to this job offers you the opportunity to join Volvo Group . Every day, you will be working with some of the sharpest and most creative brains in our field to be able to leave our society in better shape for the next generation. ​We are passionate about what we do, and we thrive on teamwork. ​We are almost 100,000 people united around the world by a culture of care, inclusiveness, and empowerment.

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Join us to collaborate on innovative, sustainable technologies that redefine how we design, build, and deliver value. Bring your curiosity, your expertise, and your collaborative energy, and together, we’ll turn bold ideas into tangible solutions for our customers and contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow.