Post-Merger Integration Checklists

Our 30 post-merger integration checklists cover:

Functional integration teams can use our checklists to stimulate the thinking of teams, reduce their workload, ensure they cover their bases, and do not miss any key activities. The sample M&A integration checklists have been been used on many deals and gleaned from our M&A integration playbooks. 

PRITCHETT's Merger Integration Certification Workshop Attendees and Website Subscribers can download all the complete acquisition integration checklists. They can also access all the presentations, playbooks, books, articles, assessments, webinars, tools, templates, and research on MergerIntegration.com.

Back Office

Sales, Marketing & Operations

Human Resources

Finance

Information Technology

Day 1 - Day 30

Communications

Back Office

Sales, Marketing & Operations

Sales, Marketing and Operational M&A Checklist

M&A Due Diligence Checklists - Sales, Marketing, and Operations

Free

Comprehensive 95-page sales, marketing, and operation guide to conduct thorough, effective M&A due diligence.

One of the most difficult aspects in business evaluation is understanding and justifying forecasts of future revenues. Section I of this guide provides a micro-style analysis of marketing and sales. The section asks numerous specific questions about twenty-five company functions that, together, address the ability of a business to gain and retain profitable customers.

Sections II through VI help the analyst develop a macro evaluation of the ability of other functions and departments to deliver on marketing’s promises to customers and prospects.

Section VII acts as a strategic summary, where detailed facts gathered earlier can be consolidated into an overall perspective of the company and its relative position in the industry. The summary helps the analyst develop and support conclusions. The additional information gathered during the analysis may lead  to ...
M&A Integration Business Development Checklist

M&A Integration Business Development Checklist

  • Schedule a meeting with top executives from key functions (Operations, Business Development, Finance) at target to present the corporate growth strategy
  • Identify key stakeholders within target to work on corporate strategy team
  • Construct, build, and publish Newco Business Development Org. chart
  • Design a core competency/skill matrix with target and overlap with Acquirer’s matrix for clear understanding of key offerings 
  • Schedule meetings with key stakeholders (Operations, Business Development and Finance) to present the corporate strategy for growth
  • Construct tactical plans for services growth based on larger projects and expansion of customer base
  • Outline the projected synergies and identified incremental revenue opportunities
  • Schedule a meeting key stakeholders to review tactical plans ...

 

Human Resources

HR Acquisition Integration Checklist

HR Acquisition Integration Checklist

Free

In-depth Human Resources Acquisition Integration Checklist that covers compensation, retention, deferred compensation, severance, health insurance, COBRA, LTD, STD,  401(k), pension, communications, recruiting, data conversion, organization structure, workers compensation, training & development, educational assistance, travel & expense, plus 9 more areas.
Post Merger Integration HR Checklist

Post-Merger Integration HR Checklist

Free

111 Human Resources tasks to be completed grouped into the following categories:

Day 1
Talent Assessment
Performance Management
Benefits
HR Orientation
Career Development
Onboarding
Retention
Reduction In Force
New Hire Plan
Acquisition Checklist for HR

Acquisition Checklist for HR

Free

HR Acquisition Integration Checklist in Word  that covers areas such as organizational design, benefits and compensation, policies, and HR systems.

Organization

  • Define acquired company org. structure
  • Identify formal and informal org. relationships
  • Determine organization similarities / differences
  • Gather information on relevant positions
  • Map acquired company roles to acquiring company roles
  • Identify organization differences to address
  • Position titles, areas of overlap, etc.
  • Align positions & titles
  • Review / Align job descriptions
  • Establish new organization structure ...

 
M&A Human Resources Due Diligence Checklist

M&A Human Resources Due Diligence Checklist

Free

7-Page HR Due Diligence Checklist

  • Number of full-time employees in business (Exclude part-time, contract, and temporary employees).
     
  • Employee names, job titles, and compensation.
     
  • Total number of employees exempt from overtime: sales, administrative, professional and executive employees.
     
  • Total number of hourly full-time (nonexempt) employees. Seasonal variations? Skill levels within each group?
     
  • Total number of employees classified as temporary. Circumstances and conditions employees considered temporary.
     
  • Total number of contract employees.
     
  • Use and total number of part-time employees.
     
  • Significant increases or decreases during the past year in employee categories?
HR Due Diligence Information Request Checklist

HR Due Diligence Information Request Checklist

Free

8-Page HR Due Diligence Checklist:

  • Organization charts and a description of management structure, including principal functional areas, headcount by area. and reporting relationships.
     
  • Job descriptions for all major job categories and minimum education, experience, and skill levels required for each.
     
  • Current pay ranges and recent increases. 
     
  • List current personnel (including lists of officers and directors) with hire dates, current annual salaries, bonus targets (if applicable), commission targets (if applicable), years of service with the Company, site location, highest educational degree, and prior experience ... 
178 HR and Legal Due Diligence Questions 

Human Resources and Legal Due Diligence Checklist

Free

178 HR and Legal Due Diligence Questions 

Checklists for each of these categories: Employees, Unions, Compensation and Benefits, Retirement Plans, 401(k)s, and ESOPs, Culture, and Legal and Regulatory.

Employees

1. Does this business have a human resources department? If yes, how is it staffed and what are its responsibilities? To whom does the senior human resources executive report? Are human resources personnel involved in significant business decisions?

2. What is the number of full-time employees? (Exclude part-time, contract, and temporary employees.) Subdivide the total by country and business unit in which they are employed. Request lists, if needed, ...
M&A HR Integration Checklist

M&A HR Integration Checklist

Free

The Human Resources Acquisition Integration Checklist covers the following areas: Pension Plan, 401K, Profit Sharing, HRIS, Health Benefits, Compensation, Severance and Transition, Workers Compensation, Employee Relations, Organizational Development and Staffing,  and Safety / Environmental.
Post Merger Integration Legal Checklist

Post Merger Integration Legal Checklist

Litigation Review:

Gather and review ligation closed (<5 yrs) to current
Determine and review budget set aside for each case
Assess the merits of current case(s)
Assess the financial exposure (Judgment & Legal Costs)
Report any key findings/concerns to the general counsel, corporate development and executive team

Contracts/Obligations Operational Contracts Review:

Review all "Standard Form Agreements" utilized by Target Co.
Review all "Operations Agreements" of Target Co. ...
 
M&A HR Due Diligence Checklist

M&A HR Due Diligence Checklist

Free

60 HR Due Diligence Tasks

  • HR staffing and its responsibilities
  • HR reporting relationships
  • Significant layoffs or closings in the past, progress or being contemplated
  • Employees permitted and/or encouraged to work full or part time at home
  • Executive search firms utilized. The firms and fees paid. Searches in progress
  • Business’s pay scales or rates and benefit costs relative to competitors
  • Status of litigation or potential litigation
  • Plans, either contemplated or in progress, to modify or cancel any benefit programs for existing or retired employees ...

Finance

Post Merger Integration Finance Checklist

Post Merger Integration Finance Checklist

Free

Over 110 finance integration tasks grouped in the areas of synergy tracking, chart of accounts, cash management, accounting policy variances, accounts payable, and accounts receivable.

Synergy Tracking

  • Determine synergy tracking approach.  Decide on system and method.
  • Identify team members and responsibilities.
  • Create detailed implementation plans
  • Create synergy tracking model templates
  • ​Develop ongoing status reporting format and timing...
Acquisition Integration Accounting Checklist

Acquisition Integration Accounting Checklist

Free

Acquisition Integration Accounting Checklist covers 88  integration tasks in areas such as treasury, synergy tracking, organization design, taxes, operational reporting, and financial close.

Excerpt:

Treasury
Implement plan for inter-company sweep and settlement to acquiring company's lockboxes / GL
Lockbox implementation / closures
Move accounts to same cash management platform
Close Acquired Company's bank accounts
Adjust for Target once final structure determined ...
M&A Due Diligence: 30 Common Red Flags

M&A Due Diligence: 30 Common Red Flags

Free
  1. Does the company appear to manipulate reserve accounts in order to smooth or enhance its reported earnings?
  2. Is the internal audit team subjected to significant scope restrictions?
  3. Are a large proportion of monthly sales completed during the last few days of each month?
  4. Are any employees of such importance that their departure for any reason would jeopardize the existence of the business?
  5. Is there evidence of continual changes in accounting methods?
Payroll Merger & Acquisition Checklist

Payroll Merger & Acquisition Checklist

Free
Payroll Disbursement Bank Accounts
Coordinate with HR to identify payroll strategy for each country (e.g. Firm A payroll, outsource payroll vendors beginning Day 1)
 
Coordinate with Legal and HR to identify where payroll disbursement accounts will be needed by country
 
Create plan in conjunction with Treasury to open any new payroll disbursement accounts by Day 1 in conjunction with legal entity strategy and setup
 
Identify all Firm B payroll disbursement accounts by country
 
Create plan to close Firm B payroll disbursement accounts or transfer to Firm A legal entities and change bank signatory names by Day 1
 
 
Payroll and Expense Disbursements ...
Acquisition Integration Finance Checklist

Acquisition Integration Finance Checklist

Free

Newco - Finance Organization

  • Schedule a work session with key stakeholders to assess functional redundancies and begin construct of attrition plan
  • Build roles/responsibility matrix
  • Construct a draft organization chart
  • Conduct follow up meeting with key stakeholders to review draft and gather edits
  • Schedule and conduct presentation meeting with decision making executives to present organization chart and gather further edits
  • Revise new org chart
  • Construct memo with HR to have an executive publish new org chart
  • Schedule a department meeting to introduce new org chart/ R&R for review
  • File new org chart into corporate archives and policy records
Finance M&A Due Diligence Checklist

Finance M&A Due Diligence Checklist

Free

Cash Flow:

  • Cash flow forecast for the next six months
  • Trend line of work capital for the past year, changes relative to total sales 
  • Working capital by segment, product line, and customer
  • Historical and projected capital expenditure requirements

Profits: 

  • Budget projections or business plans for the Business and the Target
  • Capitalized a disproportionate amount of expenses 
  • Any material changes in the financial position of the Business and the Target
  • Past budgets and projections with actual experience in order to assess the accuracy of management estimates
  • Copies of federal tax returns for the last three years
  • Copies of letters to the Target's auditors with respect to current, pending or threatened lawsuits or Target's delayed expenses ...

 
Pre-Close Financial Integration Checklist: Actions and Deliverables

Pre-Close Financial Integration Checklist: Actions and Deliverables

Free

Sections

Budget
insurance
Limits of Authority
Accounting
Reporting Process
Purchase Price Accounting
Divestment
Internal Audit
External Audit
Financial Due Diligence Request List

Financial Due Diligence Request List

Free

Excerpt from 4-Page Financial Due Diligence Request List:

  • Quarterly income statement for most recent two quarters
  • Financial projection for next four quarters
  • Amount of forecast guaranteed by contract
  • Most recent business plans
  • A copy of tax returns for the last four years
  • All tax distributions made
  • Past two years’ audit results      
  • Last four years of financial statements
  • Detailed analysis of each balance sheet account
  • Debt instruments, indentures, loan agreements and agreements on documents relating to lines of credit ...

Information Technology

M&A Integration IT Checklist

M&A Integration IT Checklist

Free

M&A Integration IT Checklist in Word that covers Applications, Operations, IT Organization, Security and Access. Network Infrastructure, Enterprise Technology, Finance, and HR.

Applications

  • Transition SharePoint (web/collaboration) from 3rd party to Acquirer governance
    • Transition business control of Target Co.com
    • Migrate Target Co. SharePoint instance
  • Transition Imaging - CIS/Viewpoint (Carla) to Acquirer governance
  • Transition ERP - eCMS to Acquirer governance
    • Audit and review issues
    • Transfer to Acquirer support and governance
  • Transfer bid/estimating to Acquirer governance
    • Audit and review issues
    • Transfer to Acquirer support and governance
    • Complete governance review of project controls
      • Review approaches and define near term gaps
      • Identify bridging requirements
      • Develop migration plan
  • Transfer project scheduling ...

 
M&A IT Due Diligence Checklist

M&A IT Due Diligence Checklist

Free

Excerpt from IT Checklist

  • Systems for which management is dissatisfied. Corrective measures taken or planned
  • Employees with exceptional skills in writing software, developing systems, or troubleshooting problems
  • Systems manual maintained, up to date, and followed
  • List of all information systems utilizing computers and their function in the business. Type of machines, software, their age, number, and location of units
  • Backup and disaster recovery procedures and programs
  • Level of difficulty anticipated to integrate the company’s databases into the buyer’s systems
  • Policy on the issuance of mobile IT equipment to employees. List of all mobile equipment and to whom it is issued
  • New information systems scheduled to be added or to replace existing systems
  • Systems that use third-party software and custom-built solutions. Third-party systems under maintenance contracts
  • IT employees responsible for system support and security. Security systems and practices are in place to protect the systems ...
IT Mergers & Acquisitions Checklist

IT Mergers & Acquisitions Checklist

Free

IT Mergers & Acquisitions Checklist that covers Networks, Applications, IT Operations, IT Policies and Procedures, IT Projects, and Coordination.

Day 1-Day 30

M&A Day 1 Readiness Checklist

M&A Day 1 Readiness Checklist

Free

Checklist of 270 tasks. 

Status Preparation Completed by Day 1
On Track Playbooks: SC Review
On Track Corporate communications / IR review
Escalate Customer-facing Webcast
On Track Supplier-facing Webcast
On Track Employee-facing webcast with HR professionals
On Track Day 1 Timeline Completed
On Track Meet with Heads and Leads to incorporate "alignment" tactics for Day 1
Post-Merger Integration Day 1 Checklist: Over 500 Tasks by Work Stream

Post-Merger Integration Day 1 Checklist: Over 500 Tasks by Work Stream

Free

Workstreams include: Finance, Communications, Human Resources, Safety, Information Technology, R&D, and Procurement

Day 1 Finance:

  • Coordinate with IT and business units regarding closing of periods and end of period processing
  • Ensure Acquired Co. Letters of Credit remain in place under new banking arrangements
  • Communicate Acquirer limits of authority to Acquired Co.
  • Execute funds transfer at close
  • Provide Acquired Co. exposure and claim data to Acquirer brokers to confirm existing carriers will cover acquisition on Day 1
  • Confirm no change in control issues and existing carrier will continue coverage and list Acquirer as named insured on all policies as back up ...

 
Day 1 Deliverables

Post-Merger Integration Day 1 Deliverables Checklist

Free

Workstream

Day 1 Deliverables

Day 1 Preparation

Finance

Organization Structure

Detailed employee census, access to Acquired Co. leadership

Finance

Seamless day 1

Access to Acquired Co. systems and analysis of how they do things, review change in control

Finance

 

Change in control

All change in control issues and potential challenges resolved (Banking, Insurance, etc)

Finance

Tax management

Review staffing, Acquired Co. & Acquirer practices around tax (payroll, S&U, income, property)

Finance

SOP for finance

Limits of authority, accounting methodology/framework, month-end procedures & etc.
Day 1 M&A Integration Checklist

Day 1 M&A Integration Checklist

Free

Day 1 Checklist in Excel of 131 tasks for:

  • Financial System Integration 
  • Human Resources
  • It Infrastructure
  • Legal
  • Purchasing /Supply Chain Management
  • Sales and Business Development
  • Project Operations 
  • Real Estate 
  • PMO
Post Merger Integration First 30 Days Checklist

Post Merger Integration First 30 Days Checklist

Workstreams include Information Technology, Corporate Finance, Communications, Human Resources, Environmental, Safety, R&D, Procurement, and Business Units

Information Technology:

  • Develop high-level working assumptions on scope if Acquired Co. moves to SAP
  • Prepare rough order of magnitude cost estimate
  • Create Functionality Matrix showing all ERP instances and what modules and functionality are used
  • Determine initial working assumptions on ERP rollout options 
  • Complete organization design
  • Determine standard desktop and laptop models
  • Determine patch management, asset management, and software deployment tools ... 

Communications

Post-Merger Integration Communication Plan Checklist

Post-Merger Integration Communication Plan Checklist

Free

9-slide presentation covers checklists for assumptions, actions, process steps, and communication vehicles.

 
Merger Communications Plan Checklist

Merger Communications Plan Checklist

Day 1

  • Build and present the Peer-to-Peer Matrix for Target Co. employees
  • Build agenda/outline of events
  • Draft speeches, rewrites and edits
  • Define all stakeholders (Presenters, audience, support staff, etc. to execute ALL day tasks/functions from food, audio, laptops, hotel, etc.)
  • Create invite to Day 1 (email, letters, webinars, voicemail etc.)
  • Set date for invite(s) to go: First one immediately after Press Release and Investor Call, and a reminder early in the morning of Day 1. Include location address and specific times
  • Website: make all adjustments and key information for Target employees available online. Include investor link and provide a FAQ's link for employees 
  • Invite all off-site employees into webinar/audio for Day 1 event
  • Have appropriate HR personnel onsite for Day 1 to address questions/issues/concerns about new benefits…