The Compaq-Digital Merger

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the case study, "Merging Information Technology and Cultures at Compaq-Digital (B): Becoming A Single Firm". The paper explores how the acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation by Compaq Computer presented both companies with major changes in how they each did business. The paper examines the goals of Compaq IM, the obstacles they faced, their approach to the problems, what they failed to do and what they did well. The paper looks at Compaq's biggest strategic error, what their options were and what the author would have done in this situation.

Outline:
Executive Summary
What Are the Issues?
What Are the Goals?
What Are the Obstacles?
What Did they Do?
What Did They Fail to Do?
What Did They Do Well?
What Did They Do Poorly?
What Were Their Options?
What Would You Do?
Why Would You Do It?

From the Paper:

"The case study, Merging Information Technology and Cultures at Compaq-Digital (B): Becoming A Single Firm illustrates and exemplifies the struggles of making mergers of two highly complex and significantly different businesses and the challenges of making their business processes, information management technologies and systems, selling and distribution strategies, and services strategies align with one another. The acquisition of Digital Equipment Corporation by Compaq Computer presented both companies with major changes in how they each did business, and also forced the issue of remote workers on Compaq's management, who had advocated a highly centralized IT architecture, and from reading the case, an attitude of having IT workers in the office working, not remote. This personnel issue is just one of many but aptly illustrates how wide apart Compaq and Digital were at the time of the merger."

Sample of Sources Used:

• AMR Research (2003) - Configuration is the Heart of Customer Fulfillment for Complex Product Manufacturers. AMR Research Report. Monday March 31, 2003. Retrieved from the Internet on February 12, 2007 from: http://lwcresearch.com/filesfordownloads/ConfigurationIstheHeartofCustomerFulfillmentforComplexProductManufacturers.pdf
• Askegar and Columbus (2002) - Channel Management Best Practices: It's All About Orders. AMR Research Report. Monday September 9, 2002. Retrieved from the Internet on February 12, 2007 from: http://lwcresearch.com/filesfordownloads/SqueezetheRevenueOutofSPRs.pdf

More papers on The Compaq-Digital Merger:

• Case Study # 148094 : "A Look at the Sears/Kmart Merger"
• Essay # 70918 : "The Exxon-Mobil Merger"
• Essay # 71657 : "The Daimler-Chrysler Merger "

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: