Owens Corning Case Study

Owens-Corning Case Study
Table of contents
1. Case Study Questions........................................................................................................... 1
2. Owens-Corning's Enterprise System Struggle......................................................................1
1. Case Study Questions
Read the Owens-Corning Case Study and then consider the following questions:
1. Describe the problems Owens-Corning had with its information systems prior to
installing its enterprise system. What management, organization, and technology factors
were responsible for those problems?
2. What management, organization, and technology problems did Owens-Corning face in
putting their enterprise system into effect?
3. How did implementing an enterprise system change the way Owens-Corning ran its
business?
4. Was installing an enterprise system the right solution for Owens-Corning? Explain.
2. Owens-Corning's Enterprise System Struggle
In the early 1990s Owens-Corning was a United States leader in the production and sale of
such building materials as insulation, siding and roofing, but management wanted the
company to grow. The company had only two possible paths to growth: offering a fuller
range of building materials, and/or becoming a global force. To increase its range of products
Owens-Corning decided to acquire other companies. To become a global force, management
realized the company would need to become a global enterprise that could coordinate the
activities of all of its units in many different countries.
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Owens-Corning had been divided along product lines, such
as fiberglass insulation, exterior siding, roofing materials. Each unit operated as a distinct
entity with its own set of information systems. (The company had more than 200 archaic,
inflexible and isolated systems.) Each plant had its own product lines, pricing schedules, and
trucking carriers. Owens-Corning customers had to place... [continues]

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