# IT due diligence in M&A

Topic in the [M&A Playbook](https://elbantli.com/insights/), 22 chapters. Source: https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/due-diligence/

IT due diligence playbooks for testing technology risk, cost, scalability, cyber exposure, separation complexity, and deal implications.

## Chapters

- [The role of technology in value creation (and destruction) in M&A](https://elbantli.com/insights/technology-value-creation-destruction-ma/): How technology creates or destroys value in M&A, and how to turn the deal thesis into technology gates, dates, and a sequenced plan that protects Day-1.
- [How tech due diligence really drives investment outcomes](https://elbantli.com/insights/how-tech-due-diligence-drives-investment-outcomes/): How tech due diligence changes investment outcomes: use it to move price, value timing, and Day-1 decisions before the deal model hardens.
- [Buy-side vs sell-side tech due diligence: different objectives, different truths](https://elbantli.com/insights/buy-side-vs-sell-side-tech-due-diligence/): A deal team guide to using sell-side diligence to speed the process—without confusing “a clean story” with an executable plan.
- [What good looks like in IT due diligence](https://elbantli.com/insights/what-good-looks-like-it-due-diligence/): What good IT due diligence looks like: five evidence-backed artifacts that turn findings into price, timing, and a Day-1 plan you can execute.
- [Tech DD in PE deals vs corporate deals](https://elbantli.com/insights/tech-dd-in-pe-deals-vs-corporate-deals/): How tech due diligence differs between private equity and corporate buyers, and how to set scope, outputs, and decision triggers for each.
- [Speed vs depth: trade-offs in fast-cycle due diligence](https://elbantli.com/insights/speed-vs-depth-fast-cycle-tech-due-diligence/): A fast-cycle tech diligence playbook to pick the few questions that set the deal clock, cash needs, and downside protection.
- [Red flags that kill deals (or should)](https://elbantli.com/insights/red-flags-that-kill-deals-or-should/): Seven tech due diligence red flags that should force a walk, reprice, or restructure call, with the evidence to ask for and decision triggers.
- [Assessing the IT organization: skills, structure, and key-person risk](https://elbantli.com/insights/assessing-the-it-organization-skills-structure-key-person-risk/): A diligence framework to underwrite whether the IT team can run the business and deliver the deal agenda—and what it costs to de-risk the first 100 days.
- [Application landscape due diligence: complexity, technical debt, and fit](https://elbantli.com/insights/application-landscape-due-diligence-complexity-technical-debt-fit/): How application due diligence finds the systems that set the deal clock, turns technical debt into mandatory cash, and protects value before signing.
- [Infrastructure and cloud due diligence: scalability, cost, and risk](https://elbantli.com/insights/infrastructure-and-cloud-due-diligence-scalability-cost-risk/): How infrastructure and cloud due diligence tests cost, scalability, control, and recovery, and when the findings should change price, terms, or timing.
- [Cybersecurity due diligence: what matters before it is too late](https://elbantli.com/insights/cybersecurity-due-diligence-what-matters-before-too-late/): A cyber due diligence framework to test which issues change price, timing, connectivity, and first-100-day execution before the buyer inherits the risk.
- [Data, analytics, and reporting due diligence](https://elbantli.com/insights/data-analytics-reporting-due-diligence/): How data due diligence tests whether management reporting, data quality, and KPI logic can support the investment thesis after close.
- [ERP due diligence: when the core system is the deal](https://elbantli.com/insights/erp-due-diligence-when-core-system-is-the-deal/): An ERP due diligence method to test when system fit, condition, and change capacity should alter the investment case, one-time cash, or integration plan.
- [IT contracts, licenses, and vendor lock-in risks](https://elbantli.com/insights/it-contracts-licenses-vendor-lock-in-risks/): How to find contract and licensing terms that change TSA cost, run-rate, separation timing, and the buyer's freedom to execute the deal plan.
- [IT cost structure and budget due diligence](https://elbantli.com/insights/it-cost-structure-budget-due-diligence/): An IT due diligence approach for normalizing IT run-rate, separating mandatory spend from upside, and protecting the EBITDA case before signing.
- [Identifying separation and integration complexity during DD](https://elbantli.com/insights/identifying-separation-integration-complexity-during-dd/): How to spot the technology dependencies that set the separation or integration clock before the deal team locks price, TSAs, and Day-1 commitments.
- [How AI is changing tech due diligence](https://elbantli.com/insights/how-ai-is-changing-tech-due-diligence/): Where AI can compress tech due diligence work, where it creates false confidence, and how deal teams should govern AI-assisted findings.
- [Using AI to accelerate application and codebase analysis](https://elbantli.com/insights/using-ai-accelerate-application-codebase-analysis/): How buyers can use AI-assisted codebase analysis in tech due diligence to find application risk faster without unsupported conclusions about code quality.
- [AI for cyber, data, and risk detection in deals](https://elbantli.com/insights/ai-cyber-data-risk-detection-deals/): Where AI can improve cyber, data, and operational risk detection in diligence, and how to keep the outputs tied to deal decisions rather than noise.
- [Limits and risks of AI-driven due diligence](https://elbantli.com/insights/limits-risks-ai-driven-due-diligence/): A deal-team checklist for using AI in diligence without creating false precision, data leakage, weak attribution, or unsupported investment conclusions.
- [Translating tech due diligence findings into the investment thesis](https://elbantli.com/insights/translating-tech-due-diligence-findings-into-investment-thesis/): A deal-team method for turning tech due diligence findings into price, timing, and funding decisions in the investment thesis before you sign.
- [From findings to actions: building the tech workplan pre-close](https://elbantli.com/insights/from-findings-to-actions-building-tech-workplan-pre-close/): Turn technology diligence findings into owned actions, decision gates, funding, and Day-1 protection before the transaction closes.

## More topics

- [IT carve-outs and separations](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/carve-outs/)
- [Cloud due diligence in M&A](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/cloud/)
- [IT cost and synergy analysis in M&A](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/cost-reduction/)
- [Cybersecurity in M&A](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/cybersecurity/)
- [M&A Day-1 IT readiness](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/day-1/)
- [Tech M&A deal execution](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/deal-execution/)
- [ERP strategy in M&A](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/erp/)
- [Post-deal IT integration and separation](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/integrations/)
- [Technology value creation in M&A](https://elbantli.com/insights/tags/value-creation/)