Pros
Staples acquired the successful business of Corporate Express Australia Limited. A company with a long history of excellent service for corporate customers, and reliable earnings for shareholders. The roots within the Australian marketplace are deep and offer a solid platform for consolidating suppliers and building efficiencies.
Kontras
The clash of cultures between Staples & Corporate Express has caused a huge fallout with both customers and employees. Revenue has fallen steeply from $1.2 Billion to less than $800 million. Staff exodus has drained much of the experienced people and created an unattractive environment for acquiring new talent. Systems & process changes have broken down causing most key SLA's to be missed for customers. Management expertise at all levels is poor and in particular the IT Division under Karl Sice have been unable to resolve issues for the past 24 months. As a result IT Division has lost over 50% of earning in the past 12 months alone.