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Winds of Change at Measurement Equipment Supply Company

Orneita Burton, Abilene Christian University , Don Pope, Abilene Christian University
March 16, 2012
SKU:
BUS-007435
Region: 
North America
Topic: 
Information Systems, Marketing & Sales
Length: 
7 pages
Keywords: 
distribution models, disintermediation, disruptive technologies, ERP systems
Student Price: 
$4.00 (€3.7)
Average rating: 
0

Bill Smith was the long-time owner/operator/CEO of Measurement Equipment Supply Company, Inc. (MESCO), a distributor of pressure, flow, and temperature measurement equipment for the oil and gas industry in West Texas and eastern New Mexico. A recent phone call from an equipment manufacturer brought urgency and clarity to Smith’s situation. This manufacturer wanted to cut MESCO out of the supply chain and deal directly with MESCO’s customers. Bill must now decide the best response to this problem, including the use of information technologies to improve operating efficiencies and thus remain a viable competitor in the industry’s distribution network.

Learning Outcomes: 
  1. Understand the role of distribution in supply chains.
  2. Distinguish between logistics-intensive distributors versus product knowledge-intensive distributors.
  3. Assess the impact of disruptive technologies that change business processes and alter the face of competition in an industry.
  4. Analyze the possible role of information technologies in competitive positioning and managing change.
  5. Summarize common problems in implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.