Integrating ERP Systems in a Decentralized Company: A Case Study

Abstract

System integration across regions is essential for global operations, especially in business-to business (B2B) transactions. Medical Device Corporation¹ (MDC), a medical-device manufacturer, aims to implement an e-procurement system to increase efficiency in group purchasing transactions and to enhance customer service. However, the company needed to standardize work processes in its various regions and integrate disparate regional ERP systems prior to the implementation of an e-procurement system. To achieve this objective, MDC is currently conducting a two-phase system integration strategy. This study describes MDC’s system integration promotion strategy in the context of the unique features of the medical supply industry and an environment in which work processes vary enormously with distinct regional environmental characteristics.

Keywords:

• System Integration
• ERP
• Medical industry Business-to-Business
• Global enterprise

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gee-Woo Bock

Gee-Woo Bock is an associate professor in the School of Business Administration in Sungkyungkwan University (SKKU) in Seoul, Korea. Before he joined SKKU he was with the National University of Singapore in Singapore and with the Strategic Management Department in Samsung Economic Research Institute in Seoul, Korea. He received his BA degree (1988) with emphases on Sociology and Business Administration from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, and an MBA degree (1991) with emphases on MIS and Consulting Services from the University of Southern California in L.A. He received his PhD (2001) in MIS from the Graduate School of Management of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Seoul, Korea. His research areas are knowledge sharing, community of practice, virtual community, trust in e-commerce and strategic use of IT. He received the Best Case Study Award twice in 1996 and 1999, and the Award for Young Fellow in 2005 at the Annual International Conferences of Korea Management Information System Society. His papers have been accepted or published in MIS Quarterly, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, European Journal of Information Systems, Communications of the ACM and other journals.

Emilia Flores

Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina, Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan, and Ronald Socharto were undergraduate students in the CS5367 Electronic Commerce course at the National University of Singapore at the time this case was written.

Donald Latumahina

Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina, Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan, and Ronald Socharto were undergraduate students in the CS5367 Electronic Commerce course at the National University of Singapore at the time this case was written.

Harry Cheng

Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina, Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan, and Ronald Socharto were undergraduate students in the CS5367 Electronic Commerce course at the National University of Singapore at the time this case was written.

Vu Tung Lam

Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina, Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan, and Ronald Socharto were undergraduate students in the CS5367 Electronic Commerce course at the National University of Singapore at the time this case was written.

Chan Stephanie

Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina, Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan, and Ronald Socharto were undergraduate students in the CS5367 Electronic Commerce course at the National University of Singapore at the time this case was written.

Ronald Soeharto

Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina, Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan, and Ronald Socharto were undergraduate students in the CS5367 Electronic Commerce course at the National University of Singapore at the time this case was written.

Youn Jung Kang

Youn-Jung Kang is a post-doc researcher in BK 21 group of Human Recourse Development of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) in Seoul, Korea. She received her MS degree (2002) with emphases on e-commerce from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea and her Ph.D. in MIS from Sungkyunkwan University (2007) in Seoul, Korea. Her research areas are personalization, privacy, knowledge management and interorganizational information systems. She is a member of Association Information Systems.