Merger & acquisition technology assessment

Merger and Acquisition (or M&A) IT integration can be a complex problem. Often you have restricted access to parties on both sides, and it can be difficult to be fully prepared.

Using Colloquial can help organisations manage the merger IT integration assessment by providing a framework for inventorying IT assets, assessing synergies and savings, and managing different scenarios for consideration.

How to get started

First start with crafting your Application Portfolio. You can use a table like Microsoft Excel or a tool like Colloquial. Check out our Quick Start Guide.

Now you have an Application Portfolio, we want to look how to optimise an organisation’s application landscape by identifying & removing redundant, outdated, or low-value applications.

  • The first step is to inventory both organisation's assets against a common reference architecture. This should include hardware, software, and applications. Colloquial can provide a framework for inventorying IT assets, including information on their age, vendor support status, and usage.

  • Evaluate both portfolios to identify key strengths and weaknesses.

    Once the assets have been inventoried, the next step is to assess the business value of each application. Using a common reference architecture based on capabilities will allow you to compare the applications across two or more entities to find synergies and savings.

  • Based on the synergies and savings assessment, the organisation can develop a mitigation strategy.

    When evaluating the various scenarios it is worth considering the change impact. The cost of retraining users or the introduction of inefficiencies may rapidly reduce any project benefits.

    Equally, maintaining multiple systems for aligned organisations in the same market is likely to reduce business agility and the ability to respond to new market needs.

The benefits of merger and acquisition scenario planning

  1. Improved visibility into the IT landscape of both organisations, including potential areas of risk.

  2. Increased awareness of the risks associated with IT integration after a merger or acquisition.

  3. Development of a roadmap for IT integration that minimizes the impact on the organisation.

  4. Enhanced ability to make informed decisions about IT investments and upgrades after a merger or acquisition.

  5. Better alignment between IT investments and business objectives after a merger or acquisition.