ERP Implementation at Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods is a major Canadian food producer that grew quickly over the past fifteen years through a series of mergers and acquisitions. As with many companies with a similar growth pattern, the company ended up with more then 30 different ERP systems, which in itself was evidence of a somewhat splintered management organization. In addition, they had been faced with a major product recall in 2003 because of tainted meat, which cost the company some 37.5 million dollars. They also, like many other Canadian exporters, are faced with the consequences of a rising Canadian dollar, which seriously affects their sales, particularly to their major market - the US.

All of these factors along with others, prompted the company to launch a thorough five year plan, which includes initiatives on several fronts, one of them being a streamlining of their ERP systems. The article referenced here, which is very comprehensive, provides an interesting case study of their challenges and of the solutions they are rolling out. Great for discussion in class or otherwise.