M&A Integration Playbooks

M&A Integration Playbook - $10 Billion Acquisition

The free sample pdf is an excerpt from the playbook. The full unredacted playbook in Excel is available to Merger Integration Certification Workshop attendees and MergerIntegration.com subscribers.

The 61-page M&A integration playbook specifies over 900 integration tasks for the following work streams:

Finance: Treasury | SAP Integration | Financial Close | Operational Reporting | Financial Reporting | Tax | Inventory Accounting | Acquisition Process | Investor Relations | Synergy Tracking | Organization Design

Information Technology ...

Acquisition Integration Playbook - $8 Billion Deal

The Acquisition Integration playbook includes the following nine sections:

Post-Merger Integration 100-Day Plan from $90 Million Acquisition Playbook

This 53-page post-merger integration 100-day plan provides tasks and detailed checklists for these integration work streams:

• Due Diligence
• Human Resources
• Technology
• Finance
• Communications

Everything is tied together in easily customizable excel spreadsheets that auto-calculate total budget costs and synergies. Plus, the documents auto-display timing of all major activities on Gantt charts.

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. . .

Information Technology Post-Merger Integration Playbook

Information Technology High-Level Plan (Section 1)

Executive Summary
Approach
Current State
Proposed State
Gap Analysis
To-Be State
Implementation Plan
Implementation Schedule
Implementation Budget ...

M&A Employee Retention Playbook

Content

Minimizing Employee Losses
People Integration Strategy                                                   

Timing of Retention Phases                                                  

• Phase 1
• Phase 2
• Phase 3

Retention Process

• Retention Matrix
• Understand Employee’s Motivators ...

Acquisition Integration Playbook - $65 Million Deal

Integration Playbook (22-pages when printed) 

HR - 93 Initiatives
Finance - 91 Initiatives
IT - 48 Initiatives
Manufacturing - 81 Initiatives
Sales & Marketing - 25 Initiatives
Legal - 43 Initiatives

M&A HR Playbooks from 3 Different Integrations

22-page HR M&A Playbook when printed that includes 3 plans from 3 different actual integrations.  Plans cover over 350 tasks/initiatives. 

M&A Finance Day 100 Integration Plan

Over 110 Finance initiatives/tasks to be completed in the first 100 days after close.

Organization
Determine org chart for F&A
Determine employee retention plan for F&A

Accounting Variances
Obtain inventory of Company B accounting policies
Determine plan for migrating Company B to Company A policy & procedures
Apply Company A's Management Reporting structure to Company B
Map chart of accounts ...

M&A Integration Playbook - $10 Million Deal

Covers almost 500 tasks for these integration work streams:

• Legal
• Proposals
• Facilities
• Procurement
• Accounting
• Treasury
• Payroll
• HR
• Communications

HR M&A Integration Compensation & Benefits Playbook

M&A Integration Compensation & Benefits Playbook covers over 190 tasks grouped in these categories: 

Compensation

1.0 Integrate two companies on one base pay program
2.0 Integrate 2 companies to same annual bonus programs
3.0 Integrate Acquiree employees to Acquirer equity program
4.0 Integrate 2 companies to same miscellaneous compensation policies
5.0 Other Issues. . .

Cross-Border M&A Integration Playbook

Cross Border Plan - Excel file 21 pages when printed

Content

Integration Dashboard
Finance
Human Resources
Information Technology
Marketing and Communications
UK and EMEA
North America and APAC
Operations

M&A Integration Playbook - $5 Million Deal

  Contents

  Integration Strategy
  Project Management
  Approach to The Integration Project
  Identify Steering Committee and IMO
  Relationship Between SC and IMO
  Integration Teams
  Functional Integration Team
  Communication Team
  Integration Team Kick-Off
  Chartering Integration Team ...

Acquisition Integration Playbook - $2 Million Acquisition

Lists action items and supplies checklists on:

• Human Resources
• Accounting
• Billing
• Purchasing
• Information Technology
• Marketing
• Operations
• Call Center

Sales and Marketing M&A Integration Playbook - $25 Million Acquisition

Recommends 200 activities including:

• Accessing target's selling process
• Identifying overlap in product and service offerings
• Integration proposal process
• Developing transition plan
• Determining changes to brands
• Identifying new customer target opportunities
• Developing plan to capture synergies
• Harmonizing performance measures
• Establishing customer retention program

Day 1 Human Resources M&A Integration Playbook

Covers 36 HR workstreams and more than 200 actions. Plus, includes key risks and interdependencies.

• Compensation
• Severance
• Workers Comp.
• Health and Dental
• Short and Long Term Disability
• 401k
• Pension
• Payroll
• Safety ...

Information Technology Plans from 4 M&A Integration Playbooks

The four information technology integration plans are from $90 million, $2 billion, and $25 billion deals plus one small cross-border transaction.

The full Excel version is available to MergerIntegration.com subscribers and Merger Integration Certification Workshop attendees.

Legal Team Plans from 3 M&A Integration Playbooks

Legal Team Plans from 3 M&A Integration Playbooks that cover intellectual property, contracts, compliance, procurement, audits, organizational planning, ...

Day 1 M&A Playbook: Employee Communications - $1 Billion Acquisition

Sixteen page document that includes answers to seventy-five employee FAQs, plus communication guidelines, and important talking points and messages.

Day 1 M&A Playbook: Customer Communications - $1.0 Billion Acquisition

Easily customized Word document that includes answers to FAQs, sample letters to customers, and critical talking points and messages.

Customer Communication Guidelines (excerpt from page 3)

• Adhere to the information set forth in these documents and do not elaborate or expand upon the information provided.
• If a customer asks a question that is not included in these materials, it is likely something we cannot answer at this time. Capture the customer’s question and pass it to your manager.
• Maintain the very highest ethical standards and remain focused, as always, on serving the needs of our customers.

Day 1 M&A Playbook: Supplier Communications - $1.0 Billion Acquisition

Includes answers to FAQs, sample letters to suppliers, and important talking points and messages.

Answers to 13 Supplier Frequently Asked Questions

Will my point of contact at Company change?
There are no changes today; however, if there are changes as we work to integrate the two companies, we will inform you as quickly as possible. Our relationship with you remains a priority.

What is going to change?
For the time being, please continue to work with us as you have in the past ...

Customer Communications M&A Playbook - $95 Million Acquisition

What is the purpose of this Playbook?
The 10-page playbook was developed to help customer-facing employees share accurate, timely, and consistent information with their customers about Acquirer’s acquisition of Acquired Co.

What are materials in this playbook?
The following documents are for internal use only. Do not distribute these materials to anyone outside the company:

• Customer Key Messages
• Customer Talking Points
• FAQs: Customer Facing Employees
• FAQs: Customers and Distributors. . .

Supplier M&A Communications Playbook - $240 Million Acquisition

Six pages of communication guidance for supplier-facing teams that includes key messages, talking points, sample supplier letter, and supplier FAQs with answers.

Supplier Key Messages

• Our mission is to create a great place to work for our team members, great products and partnerships with our customers and suppliers across the markets we serve, and a great business that supports local economies.
• Nothing changes in the near term.
• We will act with purpose, focus and transparency to integrate our two companies working closely with our stakeholders every step of the way ...

M&A Integration Communications Playbook - $75 Million Acquisition

Covers all the tasks acquirers should follow to ensure all constituencies, including customers, employees, and investor relations, are well informed. An owner, due date, and priority are assigned to each task. 

• Develop special communications/plan for key customers/contracts, prepare talking points
• Develop a plan to manage employee expectations / reactions
• Identify ways to promote the Acquired Co's image within the acquirer
• Identify areas subject to name or identity change, plan process of change over and begin ordering new stationary, supplies, signs, banners, business cards, company forms, etc.
• Update communications guidelines as necessary. . .

Communications Playbook: Media, Social Media, & Websites - $76 Million Acquisition

Five-page playbook covers media plan, talking points, letter to state and local officials, and posts for social and media websites.

Facebook:

Provide an image announcing the deal is complete, along with the following text:
Acquired Co. has recently become part of the Acquirer Group. For more information about Acquirer including its acquisition of Acquired Co., please visit Acquirer.com.

Twitter Post: Provide standard text that suppliers, customers, and brand sites can retweet or copy ...

Day One M&A Communications Playbook - $25 Million Acquisition

Day 1 M&A Communication Plan

Covers 150 communication tasks in areas such as Message Development, Logistics, Branding, Signage, Intranet/ IT Updates, Key Messages and Internal FAQ, Day One Announcement, Video Production, Intranet/ IT Updates, Employee Town Halls, Give-aways, Management Tour to Sites, Press Materials, Media Outreach, Website Updates, Stakeholder Outreach, Public Affairs Outreach, and Issues Plan.