As companies navigate mergers or acquisitions they invariably run up against sticky post-merger problems that often prevent them from realizing their potential. Here are 6 things to consider when thinking about M&A.

We Discuss:

• What are the major areas prone to M&A failure? (Hint: Security)
• Why do so many deals fail? - What role does technology play in M&A failure rates?
• What is the impact of culture on deals that work out great?
• What can consultants do when working M&A to help ensure good outcomes?

6 Takeaways:

1. Legacy technical debt, like outdated systems and programming languages, can necessitate more IT consolidation post-merger (26:47).
2. Effective security in M&A scenarios requires broad organizational maturity as most business leaders don't understand security implications (32:52).
3. The business drives M&A decisions based on strategic goals, not to acquire IT systems, so technology enablement should align to business needs (33:36).
4. Cultural alignment and change management are critical for integration success but often overlooked in M&A planning (35:25).
5. Customer impacts from the merger like billing changes need consideration in addition to internal system transitions (37:57).
6. There are often unknown cultural nuances in an acquired company that must be learned in M&A before full value realization (39:42).