in this process. In 1995–96, two conflicting parties were identified. The
suppliers of meat and cured meats, poultry and delicatessen stood
against the suppliers of fruits and vegetables. These two parties
continued to fight for their own interests throughout the process.
The issue that the two groups had difficulty agreeing on was whether
the trays should be ventilated/drained or closed. The design of handles,
perforated or non-perforated, was also much discussed. Another hot
topic, repeatedly being put on the agenda, was the debate on tray
height dimensions. Discussion on which colour should be chosen for
the trays was also often on the agenda, causing conflicting views.
The working group identified two questions to be carefully
considered when deciding on tray properties: which of these two
groups has the most urgent need/use of a common tray? And which of
these two businesses has the largest volume?
Certain issues were covered repeatedly or deliberately postponed.
The decision making was based on a negotiation- and majority-based
consensus decision strategy. This was time-consuming. The definition
of tray heights is one example of this. At a working group meeting
during a study trip to Finland in August 1996, it was decided to start a
project to test how the most frequent products would fit into different
tray heights. First, a test protocol was compiled. During October 1996,
a large number of test packing operations took place all over Sweden.
More than 200 different frequent products were included in the test. In
order to achieve a unified height on loaded pallets, as well as
acceptable fill rates, the following three heights were proposed and
decided upon in November: 110, 140 and 165 millimetres.