Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyze the CDP-method in order to develop and refine the method. The method is developed and presented in Bäckstrand (2012), with the aim to strengthen the competitiveness of manufacturing companies. Someone outside of the development context has never, until now and to the researchers knowledge, refined the method.

Methodology: A multiple case study with four companies where used. The empirical data collected within the study where used to evaluate the CDP-method and to refine the method. The presented improvement is based on the empirical data and conceptual models developed from theory.

Findings: Three improvements were developed. The first of them changed step 8 of the method, the second can´t be tied to a single step and is therefore an overall suggestion, whereas the third provides a new type of analysis within step 6 of the method.

Research limitations: The research was conducted at companies where the CDP-method was already implemented. An implementation at a new company could possibly reveal another type of empirical data, which could be interpreted in a different way. The researchers have also detected areas that couldn’t be investigated within this research, these are identified and left for further research.

Theoretical implications: Results from this thesis connect the classification of supply risk by Kraljic (1983) with supply chain strategy by Fisher (1997) to enable a new type of analysis. Furthermore, theory within the standardization and over-specification (e.g. Burt, Petcavage & Pinkerton, 2010; Geldeman & van Weele, 2002) is introduced and incorporated in the CDP-method. A third implication is a reinforced focus on strategy in combination with the CDP-method, which is based on theory regarding strategic alignment (e.g. Gattorna & Walter, 1996; Hines, 2004).

Managerial implications: The new analysis should, together with the CDP-method as a whole, strengthen adopting companies supply chain and improve internal and external communication.

Originality/value: This thesis provides a new set of analysis in the CDP-method that could benefit practitioners.