Mergers & Acquisitions Integration Handbook: Helping Companies Realize The Full Value of Acquisitions

CHAPTER 14

Information Technology Integration

Matthew Podowitz

This chapter, addressing the IT aspects of a post-merger integration process, is authored by my friend and colleague Matt Podowitz. I asked Matt to contribute his knowledge and expertise on this topic because of his unique take on the role of IT in creating value during an integration. Matt has also developed, and graciously shared here, several simple but innovative and effective approaches and tools he has developed to help companies direct and empower their IT functions to do just that.

Matt has served as a strategic compliance, operations, technology, and transactions advisor for boards and executives at more than 100 companies. In his almost 20 years of transaction experience, Matt has led operations and technology due diligence, post-merger planning, or integration efforts on more than 300 M&A transactions. He is also an accomplished writer and speaker on operations and technology value creation topics and has authored or has been featured in articles regarding operations cost reduction, technology strategy, and post-merger integration in CIO magazine, BizTech magazine, and in the online editions of Business News Daily, Information Week, the Wall Street Journal, and other leading news outlets.

Matt's focus always begins and ends with value creation, and this has been a primary focus of all his efforts to help his clients successfully integrate companies. Many companies approach IT as just another department to ...