Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a popular and easy tool for visualizing production processes in enterprise. It allows one to eliminate or reduce waste, i.e., activities that do not create added value for the customer. The versatility of this tool allows it to be used in industry. There are theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects encountered by practitioners in developing Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for a specific manufacturing industry, but they are not fully resolved and require clarification. This paper presents a case study that describes the use of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in the production of steel pipes. Relevant data from this process were collected and analyzed at the start of the project. An initial process was mapped, associated waste was identified, and then future processes were mapped. The financial results were estimated. Consequently, the process was improved, and savings were achieved. The article should constitute the basis for further development of an improvement project for a selected company aimed at improving the areas identified in a given article.

The implementation of Product-Service Systems (PSS) calls for the modification of existing business models. The goal of the paper is to work out an analysis and a classification of PSS design methods used in the development of new business models. Using a systematic review method, we identified 60 PSS design methods. Following the examination of the major business model templates, we selected the Business Canvas Model for further studies. Then, coding rules were adopted to specify what elements of the Business Model Canvas impacts individual PSS design methods and an analysis was performed. In the final stage, methods were broken down by Business Model Canvas domains. Various PSS design methods presented in the literature address different areas of Business Model Canvas. The available PPS methods can be classified into three main groups: Group 1—including infrastructure and offering; Group 2—including infrastructure, offering and customers; and Group 3—including infrastructure, offering, customers and finance. Very few methods consider areas such as Key Partners, Customer Segments, Cost Structure and Revenue Streams. Nevertheless, there is no PPS design method that would address all of Business Model Canvas building blocks. The paper discusses PSS design in business model context. Classification of PSS design methods was proposed together with new possibilities to develop business models based on this classification. The proposed approach illustrates the combination of PSS design methods applied in food processing and agricultural machines industry.

Crowdfunding (CF) is considered to be an innovative source of funding, and research into its effects on CF participants is being conducted from many different angles. In our article, we propose a qualitative analysis of CF’s impact on creating added value for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper is a conceptual study based on the theory of value co-creation, the Norton–Kaplan value model, and the concept of economic value added (EVA) to identify the areas (perspectives) of business activity where crowdfunding may stimulate the growth of company value. Based on the map of co-relations in crowdfunding that we have created, we propose a new model of crowdfunding value analysis from the entrepreneur’s point of view. Our research demonstrates that crowdfunding not only presents an alternative financing option, but also affects all perspectives relevant to value creation. As compared to the existing literature, this analysis is the most comprehensive take on the importance of crowdfunding for increasing the value of small and medium enterprises to date, thus offering a material contribution to the fuller understanding of crowdfunding from the financial standpoint, as well as pointing to the importance of crowdfunding as a financing method influencing sustainable decision-making by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The added value of the study is the proposed method of analysing the impact of CF on the value of enterprises by using the Norton–Kaplan model and EVA.

Startup accelerators are a highly useful part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. They are responsible for supporting young innovative enterprises with innovative ideas at the early stages of their development. Problems related to building a business model, raising funds for business development, or determining the directions of development of the products and services offered are often just the tip of the iceberg, which can be a serious obstacle preventing survival on the market and achieving commercial success. Accelerators are entities supporting innovation, which, using the tools and programs they have, can significantly facilitate issues related to running a business by immature start-ups and significantly contribute to overcoming the challenges that constantly appear before them. Due to the importance of innovation in the global economy and its obvious connection with start-ups, scientists in the last decade have clearly marked their interest in the subject of start-up accelerators. The purpose of this research work is to present the current state of knowledge in the area of accelerators and to systematize it. For this purpose, a literature review describing issues related to start-up accelerators was reviewed and a bibliometric analysis was carried out. As a result of the research, the topics in the area of accelerators that were most often taken up by scientists and the details on which previous publications focused were shown. The authors hope that the presented study will be valuable material for theoreticians conducting future research on start-up accelerators, and will also be a useful support for practitioners from such entities as start-ups, accelerators, corporations, and government agencies.

Manufacturing companies strive to minimize costs, maximize efficiency and improve production quality, which is crucial for market competitiveness. As companies grow and technologies evolve, increasingly complex challenges arise in effectively managing and improving production processes. One of the tools that helps companies improve their processes is value-stream mapping (VSM). The article focuses on the use of VSM in the production process of hand tools used in the construction industry. The paper presents selected aspects of the optimization of the production process using the mapping concept. The research identified and characterized the most important processes occurring in the production of hand tools used in construction. Then, basic data on the value stream was collected and the need for improvements and actions aimed at optimizing the value stream was indicated. Financial results, key performance indicators (KPIs), machine operation and reliability, energy consumption in the production process and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) before and after improvements were calculated. The analysis carried out allowed for the optimization of the production process in terms of economy and energy consumption. As a result of the improvements, the productivity of injection-molding workers increased by 9.4% and the overall equipment efficiency by 18%. The machine availability rate increased from 70.3% to 85.2%. After implementing the improvements, the company is able to save approximately 295,488 kWh annually, i.e., approximately EUR 53,253, while 1 kWh currently costs producers in Poland EUR 0.18. The conclusions and results described in the paper constitute a solid basis for further development of an improvement project for the selected company.

Nowadays, sustainable development is becoming a model for significant improvements in the modern world. Taking into consideration possible future challenges, transport must have sustainable features. Today, such a type of transportation as intermodal transport (transport that uses more than one mode of transportation) is gaining relevance. It is one of the most promising types of transport from an economic and environmental point of view. In this paper, the importance of sustainable development of intermodal freight transport is analyzed; the state of foreign trade and the trade balance in Ukraine and Poland are examined; and the sustainable development trends and prospects of trade relations between two countries are determined, taking into account the existing product structure. It is noted that the post-war recovery of Ukraine will require the activation of logistical flows with EU countries. The analysis of the state of freight transport by various modes of transport allowed for theoretically justifying the insufficient attention given to the development of intermodal freight transport between Ukraine and Poland for logistics optimization in international trade. From a methodological perspective, it is proposed to describe the subject area in terms of graph theory. The practical contribution involved the testing of the proposed model of intermodal freight transport to optimize logistics flows in international trade between Ukraine and Poland, considering the minimization of transport service costs and time. This required refining the mathematical apparatus based on the method of successive moves and linking their development to specific supply chains.