Mis Implimation

Overview of Case Study of Company Y.

The case will look at the problems that a chemical company (Company Y) experienced when it de¬cided to implement MRP II in its plants and put forward some possible solutions to them. The case study is based on five interviews with:

• Mr Dave Rantor, production director.

• Mr Mike Trainer, purchasing director.

• Dr Brian Church, operations director.

• Mr Ken Smith, senior MIS manager.

• Mr Bill Jones, senior warehouse manager.

Some Background to Company Y.

Company Y produces over £40 million worth of organic chemicals a year for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. 75% of its production is exported to over 100 countries throughout the world. It employs approximately 600 people on two sites in the North East of England. It has four plants on these two sites. Site one has a single plant on it that produces only one pharmaceutical product. This site contains the first production unit (Unit one) built by the company when it was founded in the early 1960's. Unit one on site one does not play any part in this case study. The other site, Site two, was purpose built in 1969 and contains the remaining three production units, units' two, three and four, as well as laboratories, engineering services and head offices of the company. Unit two produces the same product as Unit one, Unit three produces a variety of chemical intermediates for the pharmaceu¬tical industry and Unit four produces a variety of chemical intermediates for the agricultural industry.

The original American parent company was taken over by another American multinational in 1988 to integrate the selling of their own range of chemicals with those produced by Company Y. The current American parent company also has interests in a range of companies that produce pharmaceutical products. There is no sales department as all sales are dealt with elsewhere in the group. At present the three most senior managers at Company Y are

1: The operations director, Dr...