Mergers & Acquisitions Integration Handbook, + Website

Proven strategies and tactics to manage the integration of acquired and/or merged companies

Mergers & Acquisitions Integration Handbook is a comprehensive resource to help companies create a scalable post merger or acquisition integration process and framework that accelerates operating and business benefit goal realization.

• Includes tools, templates, forms, examples and checklists to provide a no nonsense “handbook” style approach to managing an effective integration.
• Helps integration managers quickly get up to speed on various integration challenges, including guidance on developing detailed operational and functional integration plans to support flawless execution.
• Reveals how to avoid integration failure by establishing an in-house integration management office to handle integration projects.
• Includes a sample integration playbook that can be used to create a core competency within companies to support ongoing integration activity.

Botched integration is the number one reason mergers fail. Mergers & Acquisitions Integration Handbook shows you how to develop, execute and implement merger integrations and business strategies to realize your organization's mergers and acquisitions goals.

Acknowledgments xi

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Who Should Use This Book? 1

How This Book is Set Up 2

Chapter Summaries 2

A Word to the Wise 4

Chapter 2 Mergers and Acquisitions 101 and Assessing Integration Complexity and Risk 7

Mergers and Acquisitions 101 7

Determining Post-Acquisition Integration Scope 8

Assessing Integration Complexity and Risk 11

Summary 18

Chapter 3 Making the Business Case for Integration 19

How to Improve Performance 19

The Most Complex Areas 21

Making the Business Case for Integration Support 23

The Challenges of Integration 24

Integration Success Factors 29

Summary 30

Chapter 4 An Introduction to Integration Planning 31

Integration Activities 32

Integration Timing 32

Integration and Business Planning 33

Integration Support 35

Summary 37

Chapter 5 The Pre-Planning Phase 39

Key Activities 39

Reviewing the Planning Documents 40

Assessing Potential Challenge Areas 42

Summary 45

Chapter 6 The Importance of Due Diligence 47

Due Diligence Documents Lists 48

A Few Words about IT Due Diligence 59

Summary 60

Chapter 7 Establishing an Integration Management Office 61

Setting Up an IMO 63

Determining Functional Resource Commitments 66

Dedicated versus Matrixed Resources 68

Setting Up an Integration Project Charter 69

Setting Up an Integration Governance Structure 72

Summary 73

Chapter 8 Executing Your Integration Plan 75

Functional Work-Plan Elements 76

Integration Work Streams 77

Functional Work-Plan Quality 79

Functions Requiring Extra Attention 82

Summary 85

Chapter 9 Planning Your Integration’s End State 87

How to Know When an Integration is Finished 88

The Typical Process: Roles, Responsibilities, Tracking, and Finishing Well 88

Summary 93

Chapter 10 Effective Communication Planning 95

Communication Planning Objectives 95

Guiding Principles for an Effective Communication Plan 96

Establishing a Communication Matrix 97

A Proper Communication Process 101

Summary 105

Chapter 11 Cultural Integration and Assessment 107

Managing Cultural Integration Activities 107

Culture and Change Management 112

Summary 114

Chapter 12 The Talent Assessment Process 115

Talent Assessment Guiding Principles 115

Talent Assessment Objectives 116

Evaluation Tools for Assessing Talent 117

Retention and Separation Guidelines and Policies 118

Dependencies for Talent Assessment and Retention and Separation Activities 123

Things to Avoid 125

Summary 126

Chapter 13 Synergy Program Management 127

Effectively Managing Synergies 128

The IMO’s Role in Managing a Synergy Program 129

A Typical Synergy Plan 130

Best Practices 137

Summary 138

Chapter 14 Information Technology Integration 139

IT’s Role within an Integration 140

Day One Planning 144

The Three Risks 146

Summary 147

Chapter 15 Integration Feedback: Lessons Learned 149

Goals and Tools of Lessons Learned 149

Getting Feedback and Making Adjustments 150

Collecting Post-Integration Feedback 151

Additional Tips 153

Summary 156

Chapter 16 Creating an Integration Playbook 157

Playbook Contents 157

Playbook Elements 159

How the Elements Work Together 161

Applying the Playbook 162

Summary 162

About the Author 163

About the Website 165

Index 167

SCOTT C. WHITAKER, CMC, is President and CEO of Whitaker & Company, an Atlanta-based consulting and project management firm specializing in helping companies to develop, execute, and implement merger integrations and business strategies designed to achieve growth. Since 2005, Whitaker & Company has been involved in merger integration and strategy and operations projects totaling more than $25 billion for both domestic and international companies.

Whether you’re involved in a post-merger integration, or a post-acquisition integration, or a partial integration, it is vital that integration work be managed effectively to preserve value and not disrupt business continuity—which is exactly what integration managers are typically on the hook to accomplish.

Mergers & Acquisitions Integration Handbook offers no-nonsense guidance for managing a successful integration, preparing you for the various integration challenges you may encounter. Author and renowned M&A expert Scott Whitaker presents the best practices with pragmatic insights and proactive strategies to inform your thinking toward crafting the optimal integration strategy for your company.

Designed to address those challenges facing integration deals valued at $250 million or less, this handbook looks at those integration activities that are common to any merger or acquisition scenario. Samples of tools and templates illustrating how to accomplish many tasks are included, as well as essential information on:

• How to organize the bulk of your integration activities by phase
• Determining which resources you’ll need to manage your integration challenges
• Basic steps and practices to make communication planning a big part of your integration
• Setting up an integration management office (IMO)
• The key activities related to the execution phase of integration
• How to create a scalable integration playbook for your organization

Along with an accompanying website featuring access to a PowerPoint of a sample integration play-book, Mergers & Acquisitions Integration Handbook gets you up to speed on integration issues and basic practices so your team can efficiently tackle integration projects in a way that preserves and protects the value of your transaction.