- I&O is often the last to be informed of an impending M&A deal.
- The business doesn’t understand the necessary requirements or timeline for integration.
- It’s hard to prioritize when you’re buried under a mountain of work.
- Documentation may be lacking or nonexistent, and members of the target organization may be uncooperative.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Manage expectations. The business often expects integration in days or weeks, not months or years. You need to set them straight.
- Open your checkbook and prepare to hire. Integration will require a temporary increase in resources.
- Tackle organizational and cultural change. People are harder to integrate than technology. Culture change is the hardest part, and the integration plan should address it.
Impact and Result
- Tailor your approach based on the business objectives of the merger or acquisition.
- Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves.
- Ensure adequate personnel and budget.
- Plan for the integration into normal operations.
M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out how to partner with the business to conquer the challenges in your next merger or acquisition.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations – Phases 1-4
1. Establish goals
Partner with the business to determine goals and establish high-level scope.
- M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations – Phase 1: Establish Goals
- I&O M&A Project Napkin
2. Conduct discovery
Find out what the target organization’s I&O looks like.
- M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations – Phase 2: Conduct Discovery
- I&O M&A Discovery Letter Template
- I&O M&A Discovery Template
- I&O M&A Workbook
- I&O M&A Risk Assessment Tool
3. Plan short-term integration
Build a plan to achieve a day 1 MVP.
- M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations – Phase 3: Plan Short-Term Integration
- I&O M&A Short-Term Integration Capacity Assessment Tool
4. Map long-term integration
Chart a roadmap for long-term integration.
- M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations – Phase 4: Map Long-Term Integration
- I&O M&A Long-Term Integration Portfolio Planning Tool
Workshop: M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 High-Level Scope
The Purpose
Establish goals and conduct discovery.
Key Benefits Achieved
Alignment with business goals
Documentation of target organization’s current state
Activities
0.1 Consult with stakeholders.
0.2 Establish M&A business goals.
0.3 Conduct target discovery.
0.4 Document own environment.
0.5 Clarify goals.
Outputs
Stakeholder communication plan
M&A business goals
I&O M&A Discovery Template
Current state of organization
2 Target Assessment
The Purpose
Assess risk and value of target organization.
Key Benefits Achieved
Accurate scope of I&O integration
Risk mitigation plans
Value realization strategies
Activities
1.1 Scope I&O M&A project.
1.2 Assess risks.
1.3 Assess value.
Outputs
I&O M&A Project Napkin
Risk assessment
Value assessment
3 Day 1 Integration Project Plan
The Purpose
Establish day 1 integration project plan.
Key Benefits Achieved
Smoother day 1 integration
Activities
2.1 Determine Day 1 minimum viable operating model post M&A.
2.2 Identify gaps.
2.3 Build day 1 project plan.
2.4 Estimate required resources.
Outputs
Day 1 project plan
4 Long-Term Project Plan
The Purpose
Draw long-term integration roadmap.
Key Benefits Achieved
Improved alignment with M&A goals
Greater realization of the deal’s value
Activities
3.1 Set long-term future state goals.
3.2 Create a long-term project plan.
3.3 Consult with business stakeholders on the long-term plan.
Outputs
Long-term integration project plan
5 Change Management and Continual Improvement
The Purpose
Prepare for organization and culture change.
Refine M&A I&O integration process.
Key Benefits Achieved
Smoother change management
Improved M&A integration process
Activities
4.1 Complete a change management plan.
4.2 Conduct a process post-mortem.
Outputs
Change management plan
Process improvements action items