Case Study: MzansiTech Solutions $-$ Expanding Global Operations with Multi$-$site ERP

MzansiTech Solutions, a leader in advanced technological products and services, has experienced rapid

growth and expansion into the international market. MzansiTech Solutions has built a reputation for

innovation, quality, and customer service. Its product lines include high$-$tech consumer electronics, cutting$-$

edge software solutions, and advanced industrial equipment. As the company expanded globally, it

acquired smaller companies and merged their operations, each with its own legacy systems and processes.

With new branches established in the USA, Germany, China, and Brazil, the company faces several

challenges managing its global operations. This has resulted in a fragmented IT infrastructure, with

different branches using various systems for inventory management, sales tracking, and customer

relationship management $($CRM$).$

Lunga Smith, the Operations Manager at MzansiTech Solutions, is responsible for ensuring smooth

operations across all international sites. She faces numerous challenges in coordinating activities and

integrating data from various branches. Each site uses different software for managing their operations,

leading to inconsistencies and communication breakdowns.

Pablo Hernandez heads the Sales Department in the Brazilian branch and Carlos Garcia in the USA branch.

Both frequently encounters delays in receiving inventory updates from the central warehouse, causing

discrepancies in order fulfilment. This has led to customer dissatisfaction and lost sales opportunities.

Lin Wei and Astrid Lengrand is the Finance Manager in the China and Germany branches respectively. They

both struggles with consolidating financial reports due to the inconsistent data formats and accounting

practices across different branches. This makes it difficult to provide accurate and timely financial

information to the headquarters in East London, South Africa.

MzansiTech Solutions has recognized the need to implement a unified Enterprise Resource Planning $($ERP$)$

system to address these challenges. The goal is to integrate all aspects of the company's operations into a

single, unified system, providing real$-$time visibility and improving coordination between branches. While

the benefits of a multi$-$site ERP system seem to be clear, the implementation will come with its own set of

challenges. Your consulting company $($Nozuko Consulting$)$ has been hired to analyse the current situation

and provide recommendations. During interviews with various staff members, several key questions have

emerged.

Questions:

What are the main challenges that Lunga faces in managing operations across multiple international

sites? $[10]$

Explain how the lack of coordination between different international branches affects the operations

at MzansiTech Solutions. $[10]$

What could be the potential outcomes of having inaccurate information about inventory levels across

different sites? $[10]$

How might the existence of disconnected systems at MzansiTech Solutions impact global operations

and the company's reputation? $[10]$

How could implement a multi$-$site ERP system potentially help address the issues faced by MzansiTech

Solutions? $[10]$

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