Hucks CEO issued a directive that the company
would move toward a single information
system for all current and future sites. This was
strongly supported by top management. However,
during the implementation, a realignment of the
executive staff somewhat affected the continuity
of executive support. But more significantly, the
closing of two sites, the acquisition of ten new
sites, and unprecedented record sales so distracted
top management that appropriate executive level
support was somewhat sporadic and certainly less
visible than might have been desired. For example,
the initial implementation site was designated to
absorb one of the two consolidation closings. And,
during the critical implementation ‘‘go-live’’
weekend, some of the implementation team
members were also required to participate in the
physical reorganization of the manufacturing
plant to facilitate the relocation of an additional
100 workers and machines displaced by the consolidation.
This was a dual disaster waiting to
happen. Only the extraordinary dedication, effort,
and ability of the implementation team prevented
a significant failure in both initiatives.