1. What problems was Hasbro having with its legacy SAP/R3 enterprise resource planning (ERP) system installed in the 1990s and how did it affect its operations and global strategy?
2. What management, organization, and technology issues did Hasbro address in order to implement a new global systems strategy?
3. Describe Hasbro’s new global systems and the problems they solved. How did they improve operations and management decision making?

If you’ve ever played in a sandbox with a Tonka dump truck, accessorized a My Little Pony, manipulated a Transformer, or engaged in mock combat with a G.I. Joe, you have experienced a piece of the Hasbro Inc. juggernaut. Begun by brothers Henry, Hilal, and Herman Hassenfeld in 1923 as a pencil box and school supplies company, Hasbro transitioned to toys in the 1940s. Acquisitions, including Milton Bradley, Tonka, and Wizards of the Coast helped drive growth in the second half of the 20th century.
Today Hasbro, based in Pawtucket, RI, is a multinational entertainment giant. It has licensing partnerships with Lucas film’s Star Wars franchise and Marvel Entertainment to produce action figures based on some of their films and will release its own productions of a second G.I. Joe, fourth Transformers, and first Stretch Armstrong film in 2014. With Hasbro Studios’ television programs climbing the ratings, numerous digital game licensing deals, and a newly opened adventure park ride, Hasbro’s self-description as a “branded play” company is strikingly appropriate.