M&A Information Technology Best Practices

Chapter 22

Integration Management Office Best Practices

David LakeMauro Schiavon

This chapter contains an overview of the integration management office (IMO), a key component of any successful merger or acquisition. It highlights key roles, responsibilities, and activities. In addition, it provides a high-level overview of legislation that governs M&A transactions and shows how it affects the complexity of deal management along with other variables. Last, it contains some IMO best practices that will help your organization be more effective and successful in managing merger integration efforts.

The IMO is the centralized organization responsible for developing and executing an effective integration strategy starting at the early stages of the pre-announcement phase all the way to the execution of the integration or divestiture. Some of the key activities for the IMO include the coordinating integration activities, facilitating timely decision making, and resolving issues.

Roles and Responsibilities

Exhibit 22.1 is an example of a typical structure for an integration team. Some of the key roles are the steering committee, integration manager, communications manager, function leads, and cross-function leads, as follows:

• Steering committee:
  • Provide strategic guidance.
  • Establish priorities.
  • Communicate the importance of the integration.
  • Sign off on major decisions and communications.
• Integration manager:
  • Responsible for defining and executing against the integration strategy. (Note ...