M&A Playbook

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1.Pre-Deal and Tech Due Diligence

  1. The Role of Technology in Value Creation (and Destruction) in M&A
  2. How Tech Due Diligence Really Drives Investment Outcomes
  3. Buy-Side vs Sell-Side Tech Due Diligence: Different Objectives, Different Truths
  4. What "Good" Looks Like in IT Due Diligence
  5. Tech DD in PE Deals vs Corporate Deals
  6. Speed vs Depth: Trade-offs in Fast-Cycle Due Diligence
  7. Red Flags That Kill Deals (or Should)
  8. Assessing the IT Organization: Skills, Structure, and Key-Person Risk
  9. Application Landscape Due Diligence: Complexity, Technical Debt, and Fit
  10. Infrastructure and Cloud Due Diligence: Scalability, Cost, and Risk
  11. Cybersecurity Due Diligence: What Matters Before It is Too Late
  12. Data, Analytics, and Reporting Due Diligence
  13. ERP Due Diligence: When the Core System Is the Deal
  14. IT Contracts, Licenses, and Vendor Lock-In Risks
  15. IT Cost Structure and Budget Due Diligence
  16. Identifying Separation and Integration Complexity During DD
  17. How AI Is Changing Tech Due Diligence
  18. Using AI to Accelerate Application and Codebase Analysis
  19. AI for Cyber, Data, and Risk Detection in Deals
  20. Limits and Risks of AI-Driven Due Diligence

2.Deal Structuring and Pre-Close Planning

  1. Translating Tech DD Findings into the Investment Thesis
  2. From Findings to Actions: Building the Tech Workplan Pre-Close
  3. TSA Strategy: Why Most Deals Get It Wrong
  4. Estimating True One-Time vs Run-Rate IT Costs
  5. Separation vs Integration: Making the Right Call Early
  6. Tech Implications of Carve-Out vs Full Acquisition Deals

3.Day-1 Readiness and Transition Services

  1. What Day-1 Really Means for IT
  2. Day-1 Readiness: Systems, People, and Data
  3. Designing and Negotiating TSAs That Actually Work
  4. Managing TSA Dependencies and Exit Risks
  5. Governance and Decision Rights During TSA Periods
  6. Common Day-1 Failures and How to Avoid Them

4.Post-Deal Integration and Separation Execution

  1. IT Program Management in Carve-Outs and PMIs
  2. Operating Model Choices for Post-Deal IT
  3. Application Separation vs Replacement Strategies
  4. Data Migration: Risks, Trade-offs, and Best Practices
  5. Identity, Access, and Security in Separations
  6. Infrastructure Stand-Up and Cutover Planning

5.ERP and Core Systems Transformation

  1. ERP as a Value Lever in M&A
  2. One ERP or Multiple? Post-Deal ERP Strategy Choices
  3. SAP in M&A: Common Scenarios and Pitfalls
  4. Microsoft Dynamics 365 in Carve-Outs and PMIs
  5. ERP for Manufacturing-Heavy Businesses
  6. Payroll and HR Systems in Global Separations
  7. Procurement and Supply Chain System Integration
  8. Timing ERP Transformations: Day-1, Day-100, or Later?

6.IT Transformation and Value Creation

  1. IT Cost Reduction After the Deal: What Actually Works
  2. FTE Rationalization Without Breaking the Business
  3. Capturing IT Synergies: Myths vs Reality
  4. Application Rationalization as a Value Lever
  5. Cloud Migration in Post-Deal Environments
  6. Modern Architecture as a Competitive Advantage
  7. Tech-Enabled EBITDA Expansion

7.Advanced Topics and Long-Term Value

  1. AI as a Post-Deal Value Creation Lever
  2. Data Platforms and Analytics Post-Acquisition
  3. Cybersecurity as a Board-Level Issue After Close
  4. Building a Scalable IT Function for PE Hold Periods
  5. When to Invest vs When to Stabilize
  6. Measuring IT Value Creation Over the Hold Period
  7. Lessons Learned from Failed (and Successful) Tech M&A Integrations