Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc

Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (2023 Form 10-K) and the factors discussed below, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The risks described in our 2023 Form 10-K and below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The following risk factor is added to the "Risk Factors" section of our 2023 Form 10-K:

Challenges in the transition of certain of our enterprise resource planning ("ERP") systems have adversely affected our business and operations, and may have further adverse effects.

As a result of technology initiatives, changes in our system platforms and the ongoing integration of business acquisitions, we have been consolidating and integrating the ERP systems that we operate. At the beginning of our third quarter of fiscal 2024, we began transitioning certain distribution and sales systems in the Americas to a new ERP system, as part of this multi-year effort. We experienced challenges in the transition during the third quarter of 2024 which caused operational challenges in fulfilling customer orders. Some disruptions and delays associated with these ERP transition challenges may continue through the fourth quarter of 2024. Although we believe we have identified the root causes of the ERP-related challenges and have developed appropriate plans to remediate these challenges, there can be no assurance that we will remediate all of our ERP-related challenges successfully and in a timely manner, or that other challenges will not arise. 

These ERP-related business interruptions caused several adverse consequences, including disruption to our ability to distribute product, difficulty in meeting customer demand, and delays in invoicing customers. These unanticipated ERP-related challenges have caused the transition to the new ERP system to be more expensive and time-consuming than we anticipated. In addition, some customers affected by these disruptions may have secured supply from alternative sources, and we must regain their trust and business. We have also experienced, and may continue to experience, decreases in productivity as our personnel continue to remediate issues in our new ERP system and related processes. Continuing disruptions, delays or deficiencies in the transition, design, and implementation of our ERP system, particularly any disruptions, delays or deficiencies that impact our operations, could have a material adverse effect on our business.