Richter Pharma
HEC006
Volume 4 Issue 1 March 2006
An ERP Story: Background (A)
Case prepared by Professors Carmen BERNIER and Vital ROY, as well as Éric BRUNELLE
Business Context
In 1950, when the general insurance company Aux Bons Soins (ABS) was in its early days, it offered a full range of general insurance products for individuals residing in the province of Quebec. Over the years, Canada has seen a consolidation of its general insurance industry. Three years ago, ABS acquired the insurance company General Maritime Protection, serving Eastern Canada. Last year, ABS seized an opportunity to conquer Western Canada’s market by acquiring Western General Insurance in Calgary. These acquisitions positioned ABS as a major panCanadian insurer. To date, these three companies have continued to function autonomously. Six months ago, management at ABS announced that it was bringing these three original companies under a single legal entity to form ABS Canada. Jean Roberge was appointed VicePresident of Information Technologies Management and was mandated to develop a strategic IT plan. During the annual strategic planning meeting of the management committee, held recently in Calgary, all of the committee members were pleased to see that the company and its two subsidiaries were in a good position to plan an aggressive strategy for sales growth. This is the context in which Jean Roberge recently presented a three-year strategic plan for the development of information systems and technologies. The plan, developed by a team of internal collaborators from the three original companies with the support of consultants, was officially presented and approved at the annual management meeting held in Calgary in March 2009. The main recommendation of the plan is to provide ABS Canada with an integrated management system and processes that could be shared by the three constituent entities for financial management, human resource management as well as sales and
Copyright © HEC Montréal
Volume 4 Issue 1 March 2006
An ERP Story: Background (A)
Case prepared by Professors Carmen BERNIER and Vital ROY, as well as Éric BRUNELLE
Business Context
In 1950, when the general insurance company Aux Bons Soins (ABS) was in its early days, it offered a full range of general insurance products for individuals residing in the province of Quebec. Over the years, Canada has seen a consolidation of its general insurance industry. Three years ago, ABS acquired the insurance company General Maritime Protection, serving Eastern Canada. Last year, ABS seized an opportunity to conquer Western Canada’s market by acquiring Western General Insurance in Calgary. These acquisitions positioned ABS as a major panCanadian insurer. To date, these three companies have continued to function autonomously. Six months ago, management at ABS announced that it was bringing these three original companies under a single legal entity to form ABS Canada. Jean Roberge was appointed VicePresident of Information Technologies Management and was mandated to develop a strategic IT plan. During the annual strategic planning meeting of the management committee, held recently in Calgary, all of the committee members were pleased to see that the company and its two subsidiaries were in a good position to plan an aggressive strategy for sales growth. This is the context in which Jean Roberge recently presented a three-year strategic plan for the development of information systems and technologies. The plan, developed by a team of internal collaborators from the three original companies with the support of consultants, was officially presented and approved at the annual management meeting held in Calgary in March 2009. The main recommendation of the plan is to provide ABS Canada with an integrated management system and processes that could be shared by the three constituent entities for financial management, human resource management as well as sales and
Copyright © HEC Montréal