Opinion ID: 622296
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Integration Issues

Text: The integration process, plaintiff alleges, was mismanaged from the start. According to the complaint, physical integration of the acquired entities' networks proceeded behind schedule and over budget. Id. at A59. Level 3 failed to integrate the acquired entities' inventory control and provisioning systems, and as a result found itself simultaneously using multiple network inventory and provisioning systems acquired from WilTel and the metro businesses, resulting in significant delays in provisioning and fulfilling customer orders. Id. at A61. Furthermore, Level 3 failed to accurately map the acquired businesses' networks and inventory control and provisioning systems. Id. at A66. Plaintiff alleges that these basic problems arose because defendants fired the sales personnel employed by the acquired businesses who were familiar with products and customers as well as the technical experts who had knowledge of and were responsible for provisioning orders and activating sales. Id. at A60. The remaining Level 3 employees had difficulty understanding the functionality of the legacy systems and were not given adequate training to work within the numerous order tracking and provisioning systems being used to fill customers' orders. Id. at A60-61. Further, Level 3 had no experienced personnel to accurately map the acquired businesses' networks and inventory control and provisioning systems and as a result [it] was . . . unable to determine what portions of the acquired businesses' network elements were redundant. . . or unnecessary. Id. at A61, A66.