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With sales of roughly CAD220 million in 1993, Sico had become a leader in architectural painting in eastern Canada on the strength of its sales force and wise acquisitions. Mr Lortie, the company owner, wanted to extend Sico's markets in northeastern North America. He was convinced that Sico could become a world-class producer. Yves Gosselin, the operations vice-president was newly appointed for this objective. During his review of Sico's competitive situation to establish his diagnosis, he received a large number of suggestions from his associates regarding both structures and infrastructures of Sico's manufacturing system. He is assessing how to prioritise the various actions identified: reducing the number of plants, standardising paint formulas, streamlining the product line and suppliers, integrated production planning, process improvement. This case was sponsored by the Indiana University CIBER Case Collection.