Step 11: Capture M&A Integration Lessons Learned

If If a M&A lessons learned are not captured, hard-won wisdom will likely be lost. Mistakes should be identified and documented so they are not repeated in the future.

Many of the errors that derail integrations are predictable. Yet, acquirers make them anyway. They don’t do their homework, or they believe their businesses will be somehow immune to issues that plague other merging companies.

Acquirers can help protect their future deals by learning lessons not only from their integrations, but from others as well.

In this section, our presentations, videos, and book highlight the integration mistakes that many acquirers repeatedly make. Plus, our surveys and assessments will help you identify areas for improvement on your integrations.

Post-Merger Integration Surveys & Assessments

M&A Lessons Learned

Post-Merger Integration Tools

Videos

Post-Merger Integration Surveys & Assessments

Post-Merger Integration Survey of Acquired Company Employees

Post-Merger Integration Survey of Acquired Company Employees

Content

Summary of Results
Interpreting the Percentages
Key Drivers of Engagement
Ares of Strength
Improvement Opportunity
Improvement Needed
Takeaways
Next Steps
What Additional Remarks or Suggestions Do You Have
Timeline
Post-Merger Integration Team Survey

Post-Merger Integration Team Survey

Instructions

Please answer the following questions using a rating scale of 1-5. Feel free to add comments to add clarity or details. The results of this survey will be used to brief senior management regarding integration progress and priorities for the future.

First 5 of 25 Questions

  1. The integration team has done an excellent job of identifying the mission critical issues and activities required to successfully integrate Acquirer and Acquiree.
  2. The integration team has done an excellent job of identifying specific milestones and objectives for integrating Acquirer and Acquiree.
  3. The integration team has done an excellent job of establishing realistic time frames for integration deliverables.
  4. The integration team has done an excellent job of staying on budget for integration deliverables.
  5. The integration team has remained focused and productive during integration team meetings ...
Post Merger Integration Assessment

Post-Merger Integration Assessment

M&A Integration Assessment Project Objectives
   -    Gain insights into Acquirer executives’ experiences with respect to past and current integration practices and results to date
   -    Incorporate the perspective of acquired company personnel
   -    Use the assessment learnings to inform the development of an integration approach and improve competency in M&A integration …
 
Post-Merger Integration Survey Questions

Post-Merger Integration Survey Questions

Thirty post-merger integration survey questions to solicit feedback from employees and measure their perceptions of the deal and the integration.  

First 2 of the 30 Survey Questions

Instructions: Please answer the following questions using a rating scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being Agree Completely and 5 being Disagree Completely). Feel free to add comments whenever you think it will add clarity or details regarding your response. The results of this survey will be used to brief senior management regarding integration progress and future priorities.   

  1. I am confident that by joining forces our companies will be able to deliver greater value to our customers.
     
  2. I believe our customers are confident in our ability to deliver greater value to them as a result of our companies joining forces.
Mergers & Acquisitions Employee Survey and Results

Mergers & Acquisitions Employee Survey and Results

Each person was asked to rate twenty-one statements from 1 to 5

  1. I understand the reason for the merger
  2. I think the merger will be good for the business
  3. I have a good understanding of the company's goals and direction
  4. I know how the company is performing …
Post Acquisition Employee Survey

Post-Acquisition Employee Survey Questions

Survey includes twenty-one questions for employees in the following five categories: Demographics, Merger Announcement, Between Announcement and Close, During the Integration, and Overall …

 
Survey of Attendees

M&A Survey Questions

  1. Who dedicates an internal group (i.e. IMO)  to their integrations? 
  2. Does your company successfully communicate  integration objectives to employees prior to close?  And during the first 100 days after close ...

M&A Lessons Learned

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 ...
Merger Integration Communication Lessons Learned

Merger Integration Communication Lessons Learned

Key Findings: Misses

–Large (e.g., 500+ employee) town halls in Los  Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix

–Recorded phone messages from CEO

–Several days with excessive communications and mixed messages from multiple sources

Post-Merger Integration Tools

Videos