Integration Management Office (IMO)



Free M&A Integration Management Office (IMO) Presentations, Articles, and Tools
 

The Integration Management Office (IMO) is a temporary project management office that coordinates, balances, and prioritizes the efforts of the various integration teams (Finance, HR, IT, Sales, Manufacturing, etc.) and helps them apply integration best practices, utilize standardized tools, create plans, and track progress.

The IMO is led by an Integration Manager who is typically employed by the Acquirer. An Integration Manager is more likely to succeed if he/she has credibility with the executive team, strong project management expertise, and high touch skills in the areas of persuasion, empathy, negotiation, and diplomacy.


The extended IMO is comprised of teams that are tasked with developing and executing the plans to integrate their areas of the organization. Each of these teams is led by a subject matter expert for their functional discipline. Cross-functional work streams in areas such as Change Management, Culture, Communications, and Go-To-Market, may also be part of the extended IMO.

The documents in this section of the web site will to help you onboard, educate, mobilize, and lead your integration teams.

IMO Meetings

IMO Guidance

IMO Tools

IMO Meetings

Post-Merger Integration Planning Meeting

Post-Merger Integration Planning Meeting

IMO Meeting Objectives

Align on business principles and integration priorities:

  • Review integration strategy and key objectives
  • Review governance structure, roles and responsibilities
  • Review and reinforce integration philosophy

Agree to way of working together:

  • Review rules of engagement to ensure pre-close compliance with anti-trust guidelines
  • Build an alignment around meeting cadence and reporting structure

Begin with integration workplan development:

  • Review key elements of the communication plan 
  • Align around the workstream objectives outlined in the draft team charters
  • Discuss and prioritize each workstream’s initiatives
  • Review next steps and timing for workplan development
The IMO Process Prior to Kickoff Meeting

The IMO Process Prior to Kickoff Meeting

Agenda

Acquired Co. Differences with Acquired Company
Timeline - Phases
Two Key Integration Deliverables
Plans for Allocating Synergy Targets
Expectations of Team Members/Ground Rules
Key Success Factors for Integrations
Integration Planning Architecture
Integration Workstreams Governance
Kickoff Meeting Will be the First Interaction Between Acquirer and Acquired Co.
Next Steps
IMO Office Kickoff Meeting

IMO Office Kickoff Meeting

Agenda

  • Vision For Integration
  • Management Of Integration
  • Integration Governance Model
  • Steering Committee
  • Workstream Leaders
  • High Level Integration Goals
  • The Integration Project
  • Transaction Timeline
  • Charter Example
  • Target Operating Model
  • Walk-the-Wall Illustration
  • Create A Post-it Note For Each Milestone
  • Workstreams And Functions
  • Data Sharing
  • Document Control
  • Integration Project Plans
  • Next Steps
IMO M&A Integration Kickoff

IMO M&A Integration Kickoff

Agenda

Goals

  • Strategic Objectives
  • Value Drivers

Governance

  • Structure
  • Meetings

Breakout Teams

  • Integration Update
  • Workstream Breakout Guidelines
  • Breakout Groups
  • Breakout Instructions and Report Outs
Joint IMO Kickoff: Acquirer and Acquired Company

Joint Integration Management Office (IMO) M&A Kickoff Meeting

Understand how we will work together:

  • Review rules of engagement to ensure pre-close compliance with HSR guidelines
  • Review our M&A integration process, structure, roles, and responsibilities
  • Build a solid foundation for ongoing teaming and collaboration …
Cross-Border IMO Kickoff

Cross-Border M&A Integration IMO Team Kickoff

Agenda

Overview of Integration Process
Integration Opportunities and Risks
Key Duplications and Cost Reduction Objectives
General Overview and Key Questions
Business Structure
Synergy Plan
Integration Team Roles and Meeting Schedule
Admin Team Meeting Schedule
Scorecard
Project Tracking and Reporting
Deliverables for Administration, Communication, Engineering, IT, Manufacturing, Customer Support, Purchasing, Sales and Marketing
Breakout Session Guidelines

IMO Guidance

Merger Integration Management Process

Merger Integration Management Process

Objectives of Weekly Merger Integration Management Process

  • Add speed and efficiency to integration planning
  • Ensure that we make the most of all meetings and interactions
  • Proactively manage the identification and escalation of issues and decisions
  • Set the pace for M&A integration planning
M&A Integration RACI Matrix

Post-Merger Integration RACI Matrix

  Steering Com. IMO Funct. Teams Synergy Owners Accounting
Drives development of the overall integration plan including all the integration projects, communication plans, and achievement of synergy benefits       I  R/A    C     C  
Defines and manages integration processes including functional work plan reviews, cross-functional collaborations, issue management ...       I  R/A     I      I  
M&A Integration Playbook for Integration Managers

M&A Integration Playbook for Integration Managers

The Playbook defines the role and priorities of Integration Managers and provides tools to help them execute their responsibilities.

The Integration Manager is primarily responsible for leading the Integration Management Office (IMO) and coordinating the activities of the integration. This person should be employed by the acquiring company and appointed at least two months prior to close.

Responsibilities of IMO (and Integration Manager)

  • Set Up Governance: Form teams and set up hierarchy for the integration project.
  • Oversee Development of Team Charters: Establish the integration scope for each team.
  • Achieve “Early Wins”: Design successes early in the integration process to create positive momentum.
  • Develop Communication Strategy: Determine the communications that must be sent on a regular basis to keep people informed ...
3 Key Questions the (IMO) Integration Management Office Should be Able to Answer

3 Key Questions the (IMO) Integration Management Office Should be Able to Answer

  1. What are the basic roles/responsibilities associated with programs and projects?
  2. What are the deliverables for ...

 
The Role of M&A Integration Manager

The Role of M&A Integration Manager

The role of an M&A Integration Manager is to lead the Integration Management Office as it coordinates work across teams, manages cross-functional dependencies, conducts regular integration team meetings, tracks progress, reports results, and documents the lessons learned from the integration.

The Integration Manager should be a dedicated, full-time, on-site resource from the acquirer who should be appointed to the project no later than two weeks prior to Announcement and actively involved in the project until at least 120 days post-close.
Post-Merger Integration Issues, Problems, and Challenges

The 10 Common Post-Merger Integration Mistakes that Create Problems, Issues, and Challenges

This Post-Merger Integration presentation is a crash course on M&A integration that condenses into 10 slides PRITCHETT's recommendations on how to avoid post-merger problems.

  1. Little or No Pre-Close Planning:
    When planning does not start before close, an integration starts more slowly and takes longer.
     
  2. Unclear Integration Strategy:
    Acquirers should define a clear integration strategy early and before their teams begin to develop plans ...
The 5 Most Common Post Merger Integration Mistakes

Post-Merger Integration: The 5 Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

This Post-Merger Integration presentation is a crash course on M&A integration that condenses into 10 slides PRITCHETT's recommendations on how to avoid post-merger problems.

  1. Little or No Pre-Close Planning:
    When planning does not start before close, an integration starts more slowly and takes longer.
     
  2. Unclear Integration Strategy:
    Acquirers should define a clear integration strategy early and before their teams begin to develop plans ...

IMO Tools

how-to-select-integration-management-office-leader

How to Select a Leader for Your M&A Integration Management Office (IMO)

The role of Integration Manager (IM) in M&A is a challenging but fascinating job. It calls for a versatile, multiskilled person who possesses executive muscle and strong leadership ability ...

 
Integration Management Office Tools

Integration Management Office Tools

  • Day 1 Communication Plan
  • Communication Planning Template
  • Cross Project Coordination Template
  • Integration FAQ
  • Issue Escalation Template
  • Integration Scorecard Tool
  • Post Integration Survey
  • A Primer on Governance
  • Quick Wins Tool
  • Risk Management Template
  • Sample Welcome Letter
  • IMO Best Practices
  • Facility Data Sheet
  • Action Items
  • Lane Reporting Template
  • Project Close-out and Lessons Learned
Integration Management Office IMO Charter

Integration Management Office (IMO) Charter

Key Objectives and Scope Defined for IMO 

  • Define governance model & structure
  • Data harvesting process
  • Culture & communication planning
  • Drive key pre-planning workstreams …