Parallel Planning for Integration
Learn how to meet deal’s ultimate objectives, approach it from the right angle, provide a tactical perspective and execute strategically well-planned integration.
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About the play
When approaching a deal and assembling the teams involved, always remember: the earlier the integration staff is brought into a deal, the more likely the deal is to meet its ultimate objectives.
The integration lead’s involvement ideally begins at the earliest strategic meetings, outlining the initiative itself, and extends through the conclusion of the M&A process. During the pre-close phase of the deal, the role of the integration lead is to
- provide a tactical perspective to the business development and deal teams,
- and create a detailed post-merger integration plan to be executed on day one.
Preparation
People
Integration team, specifically the integration lead, due diligence team, Corporate Development, and other stakeholders
Difficulty
Moderate to Difficult
Materials
None
Time
15 minutes
Running the Play
Select a strong integration lead
An integration lead should have a robust business background (the more experience the better), strong communication skills, and credibility.
Have Corporate Development include the integration lead during the targeting stage
This helps Corporate Development have a stronger understanding of some of the integration criteria and considerations; it also empowers the integration team to perform better valuation, which can result in reduced risks.
Include integration lead in diligence meetings; when possible have members overlap both teams
When possible, having members of the diligence team also on the integration team is useful because information does not have to be transferred.
Moreover, throughout the diligence process, the integration team members or lead can keep critical integration items in mind, such as go to market strategy and the integration of work streams and processes.