Cisco Systems, Inc., Acquisition Integration for Manufacturing

In 1998, Cisco Systems acquired Summa Four, a manufacturer of networking equipment. Cisco was located in California, and Summa Four was located in New Hampshire. Summa Four had several complex products in production, and was about to begin large scale production of a new product. The case describes the issues surrounding integration of manufacturing activities following an acquisition, and Cisco’s approach to integrating new acquisitions.