15-Point M&A Planning Checklist

Submitted by Melanie Endert on Mon, 01/08/2024 - 15:03

The Art of M&A® / Integration: The Postmerger Plan
An excerpt from The Art of M&A, Fifth Edition: A Merger, Acquisition, and Buyout Guide by Alexandra Reed Lajoux

Q: Some plans never get implemented or get implemented poorly. How can postmerger planners avoid this problem?

The following 15-point M&A planning checklist can help integration planners at the senior management level see if they are on the right track:

Are the plans consistent with the intrinsic logic of the deal?
Do the plans specify how the company will pay for the deal?
Are there written plans to cover both the short term (less than five years) and the long term (five years or more)?
Do short- and long-term plans mesh?
Has the planning process involved both senior managers and employees most affected by the plans?
Do the plans take into account the operational and cultural realities of the two companies involved?
Have senior managers and the board of directors reviewed the plan documents?
Are senior managers and the board using the plans to make their decisions?
Are the plans supported by appropriate policies?
Are the plans supported by adequate resources (including any needed training)?
Do the plans specify measures and milestones of progress?
Do the plans identify the individuals or groups accountable for fulfilling them?
Have the plans been distributed to all appropriate parties?
Is there a program for communicating the plans internally?
Is there a program for communicating the plans externally?

The answer to each question should be Yes!

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Learn more about The Art of M&A® Integration Fundamentals and network with other M&A professionals at M&A Leadership Council's virtual or in-person training courses. Our expert practitioners will get you ready for your next acquisition (or help an ongoing one!) through practical insights, case studies, assignments, group exercises, and readouts.

Alexandra (Alex) Reed Lajoux, Ph.D., M.B.A., founding principal of Capital Expert Services, LLC, serves the National Association of Corporate Directors as chief knowledge officer emeritus. With forty years’ experience in industry, she is regarded as a trusted source of useful insights and introductions in the field of corporate governance, M&A, and the professional disciplines that underlie these two domains. Dr. Lajoux is the founding principal of Capital Expert Services, LLC, a diversity-minded firm offering expert witness search and related services. She is currently a Series Editor for De Gruyter Publishing.

*Lajoux, Alexandra Reed with Capital Expert Services. The Art of M&A, Fifth Edition: A Merger, Acquisition, and Buyout Guide. United States of America: McGraw Hill, 2019. Pp. 795. Print.