IT integration has the power to make or break your deal. We look at the common pitfalls surrounding IT integration in mergers and acquisitions and explain how advice and guidance from IT experts (like ours!) can help you avoid them.
Securing a new merger or acquisition marks a pivotal moment in any career. With your deal signed and sealed, it’s time to turn your attention to your next challenge – integration.
The process of integrating two businesses into one unified operation is a mammoth task that can take several months or even years. Do things wrong and you could jeopardise the success of the whole merger or acquisition.
One of the most important aspects to get right is your IT integration. With IT processes and software the foundation of many modern-day business operations, most businesses can’t afford to risk operational disruption from an integration gone wrong.
What are the challenges of IT integration in mergers and acquisitions?
Technology compatibility – With so many different software, platforms and data streams involved, compatibility issues are likely to occur in the integration process and need a speedy resolution.
Data migration – Merging data from multiple sources requires considerable planning, especially to maintain data integrity and security. A proactive approach should be taken to tackling any potential issues related to IT integration, including data loss, corruption and security breaches.
Process alignment and optimisation – For two businesses to work together efficiently, processes must be properly aligned. This involves in-depth analysis and planning to not only align processes but identify opportunities to streamline operations and increase efficiency. Sometimes a complete overhaul of existing procedures may be needed.
Security and compliance obligations – Many businesses are governed by industry regulations, which they must continue to comply with throughout the IT integration process. Maintaining airtight cybersecurity measures across your new merged IT infrastructure is also vital to avoid future legal and security risks.
4 ways working with IT experts will benefit your IT integration
Choosing to invest in specialist support for IT integration offers substantial benefits for both you and your company. Our IT experts can manage the whole process from start to finish. In particular, there are four benefits we can bring to any IT integration project:
- Eliminating the risk of catastrophic errors – We’re well-versed in the common (and not-so-common) pitfalls that crop up during the IT integration process. The chance of a drastic error is essentially eliminated when you have IT experts project-managing the integration, as, when the rare technical hiccup does occur, it can be spotted and resolved immediately.
- Streamlining the IT integration process – Like we said at the start of this article, integration is a lengthy job that can take years to complete successfully. With our IT experts on the job, we can at least guarantee that the IT side of the process will be finished as quickly as possible while keeping service disruption to a minimum.
- Reducing the cost of IT integration – As masters of all things systems and software, our expert IT team will be on the lookout for opportunities to reduce the costs associated with your IT integration. Whether it’s optimising processes for greater efficiency or recommending an upgrade that will cut costs long-term, we strive to keep things affordable for you.
- Freeing up internal capacity – Perhaps the most important advantage of hiring IT experts to support your IT integration is it removes the burden of managing such a large project from internal shoulders. This means you and your team have more time to focus your energies on other priorities and day-to-day operations, while we take care of the IT.
Beyond integration – How IT consultancy services can add value to M&A
While our IT integration services provide business owners with expert post-deal support, we also offer extensive strategic advice before and during your transaction, adding value at every stage of the process.
Our comprehensive IT consultancy services include:
IT evaluation – We can evaluate how well a potential business partner fits with your current business(es) in terms of IT compatibility. The choice is yours to make but strategic insights from our IT experts can help you make sure that decision is an informed one.
Preparing for M&A – We can advise you on how to increase the value of your business in preparation for sale. By carrying out a thorough IT audit, we can recognise any opportunities to optimise your systems and software to increase the attractive of your business to potential buyers.
Integration planning – Before the IT integration comes the extensive planning stage. This should be an integral part of your M&A strategy and, ideally, given careful thought before any dealmaking begins.
Avoid falling at the final hurdle with our IT consultancy and integration services
The importance of IT integration is too often overlooked in the M&A process. With specialist support from Infuse Technology, you can guarantee the smooth integration of all IT systems and software – on time and on budget. Contact us today to book your free consultation and find out more about how we can add value to your next deal.