Sony Barcelona Plant (A)

This is the first of a three-case series (906-041-1 to 906-043-1). The cases describe the ERP (enterprise resource planning) implementation in Sony Barcelona Plant within a major project initiative called STAR with the aim to standardise processes and information systems in all production plants in Europe: Barcelona (Spain), Pencoed (UK) and Stuttgart (Germany). The point of view is from the Barcelona Plant. While there are many cases describing ERP implementation, project and risk management, very few cover success and failure in the same setting. In this case series we show success and failure factors within the same project and we get into the 'black box' of a decisional process. In addition we link strategy, organisational change and information systems' value assessment. Case (A) covers the initial phase of the project where the European plants tried to define the 'ideal factory' in 1997. Divergences in implementation strategy appeared between Barcelona and Pencoed. The (A) case exposes the first dilemma to students: from Barcelona's perspective whether to continue with the STAR project in all factories or to define an autonomous implementation strategy.