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M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations

Partner with the business to deliver value.

  • I&O is often the last to be informed of an impending M&A deal.
  • The business doesn’t understand the necessary requirements or timeline for integration.
  • It’s hard to prioritize when you’re buried under a mountain of work.
  • Documentation may be lacking or nonexistent, and members of the target organization may be uncooperative.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Manage expectations. The business often expects integration in days or weeks, not months or years. You need to set them straight.
  • Open your checkbook and prepare to hire. Integration will require a temporary increase in resources.
  • Tackle organizational and cultural change. People are harder to integrate than technology. Culture change is the hardest part, and the integration plan should address it.

Impact and Result

  • Tailor your approach based on the business objectives of the merger or acquisition.
  • Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves.
  • Ensure adequate personnel and budget.
  • Plan for the integration into normal operations.

M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out how to partner with the business to conquer the challenges in your next merger or acquisition.

1. Establish goals

Partner with the business to determine goals and establish high-level scope.

M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations preview picture

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Establish goals
  • Call 1: Plan stakeholder communication and establish M&A goals.
  • Call 2: Review Project Napkin.

Guided Implementation 2: Conduct discovery
  • Call 1: Build discovery plan.
  • Call 2: Conduct risk and value assessment.

Guided Implementation 3: Plan short-term integration
  • Call 1: Establish partnership and staff retention strategy.
  • Call 2: Build day 1 minimum viable operating model and project plan.

Guided Implementation 4: Map long-term integration
  • Call 1: Determine long-term future state.
  • Call 2: Build long-term integration project plan.
  • Call 3: Conduct project and process post-mortem.

Author

Derek Shank

Contributors

  • Arnie Williamson, IT Executive
  • Elton Tucker, IT Architect and Strategist
  • John Ferrara, Senior Director, Windows Hosting Services
  • Justin Stratton, Senior IT Operations Manager
  • George Tunnicliffe, Head of IT Operations
  • Elton Tucker, IT Architect and Strategist
  • Nabeel Yousif, Executive Consultant
  • Sergio Zanardo, President, SZ Conseil Inc
  • 3 anonymous contributors
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