This is a post- merger integration training material.
The contents include:
• Day One capabilities
• Synergy Capture
• Functional Integration:
• IT
• Finance
• Supply Chain
• HR
• Communications and Change
This comprehensive Post-Merger Integration Training material dives deep into the critical aspects of integration, ensuring your organization is well-prepared for Day One and beyond. The document provides a detailed approach to establishing a robust Day One plan, including functional scope and strategy, high-level milestones, and a 30-day action list with accountable resources. Key deliverables such as program risks, issues, and assumptions are meticulously outlined to mitigate potential pitfalls.
The training material also emphasizes capturing synergies, a crucial component for realizing the full value of a merger. Focused organizational simplification efforts are highlighted to drive significant cost savings in the first year. The document explores interdependencies among cost reduction opportunities, particularly in facilities-related areas, and provides a framework for quantifying, prioritizing, and assessing efforts to capture these opportunities. Understanding the timing and impact of various cost reduction techniques is critical for achieving and exceeding established targets.
Functional integration is another cornerstone of this training, with dedicated sections on IT, finance, supply chain, and HR. The IT integration segment discusses selling M&A IT services, lifecycle capabilities, and opportunities, emphasizing the importance of a dual-track approach that addresses both corporate and IT-focused needs. The finance integration section outlines value at different stages of the M&A lifecycle, competitive landscape, and the practitioner's base strength, ensuring your finance team is well-positioned to support the integration process.
The supply chain integration portion provides a high-level workflow, data collection and validation steps, and clean team prioritization and recommendation steps. Detailed templates for data collection, spend analysis, and opportunity identification are included to streamline the integration process. The document also covers final deliverables, such as spend profiles and aggregated level 1 opportunities, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain landscape post-merger.
HR integration is thoroughly addressed, focusing on merger integration objectives, critical success factors, and challenges of human capital integration. The document outlines key priorities for selection and retention, leadership, culture, and communications, and provides a transition playbook for people management. This ensures that the workforce is aligned, engaged, and effectively managed throughout the integration process.
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Executive Summary
This is a post-merger integration training deck built around Day 1 readiness, synergy capture, and functional integration—structured in the same crisp, outcome-driven style you’d expect from a McKinsey, Bain, or BCG-quality presentation (consulting-grade format and rigor; not affiliated). It is designed to help an integration team define “Day 1” (when two companies begin operating as one, or a divested entity begins operating independently), translate that definition into a functional Day 1 plan, and then execute through milestones, 30-day actions, and disciplined risk/issue/assumption tracking.
Who This Is For and When to Use
• Integration Management Office (IMO) / PMO leads running merger integration or separation execution
• Functional workstream leads building Day 1 scope, post-Day 1 scope, milestones, and near-term actions
• Finance leaders and integration finance teams accountable for synergy targets, governance, and benefits tracking
• IT, Supply Chain, HR, and Communications/Change teams coordinating systems, processes, and people transition work across Day 1 and stabilization
Best-fit moments to use this deck:
• Pre-close planning window to set Day 1 scope, governance, and readiness walk-throughs
• Day 1 execution and D1+30 ramp to drive stabilization, first close, and early synergy traction
• Divestitures/separations that require TSAs/SLAs and a clean transition plan from “seller” systems to “NewCo” operations
Learning Objectives
• Define Day 1 in plain operational terms for a merger or divestiture, and explain why it sets external confidence and internal clarity
• Build a Day 1 plan using a repeatable set of deliverables: scope/strategy, milestones, 30-day actions, and tracked risks/issues/assumptions
• Create a baseline schedule that connects functional charters, readiness reviews, stabilization, and “Day 2” transition work
• Establish synergy capture discipline (targets, timing, ownership) and clarify the role of Finance and the PMO in execution governance
• Identify functional integration touchpoints across systems and processes (ERP, core finance, payroll, supply chain, customer/order systems)
• Apply HR integration priorities across organization structure, retention, rewards, HR service delivery, and change readiness
Table of Contents
• Day One Capabilities (page 3)
• Capturing Synergies (page 10)
• Functional Integration (page 29)
• IT (page 29)
• Finance (page 37)
• Supply Chain (page 44)
• HR (page 101)
• Communications and Change (page 113)
Primary Topics Covered
• Day 1 Definition and Value - Day 1 is defined as the point two companies begin operating as one (merger) or a carved-out entity begins operating independently (divestiture). The deck frames Day 1 as a credibility milestone externally (“the street,” lenders, customers, suppliers) and an internal operating reset that sets discipline and accountability.
• Day 1 Planning Method and Core Deliverables - A practical approach for building the Day 1 plan: define scope/strategy (Day 1 and post-Day 1), then create a milestone plan, a 30-day action list with accountable resources, and a program log of risks, issues, and assumptions.
• Baseline Schedule and Integration Timeline - A baseline schedule that connects pre-close work, readiness walk-throughs, TSA/SLA planning, command center setup, stabilization, first close, settlement processes, and the transition toward “Day 2.”
• Synergy Capture and Cost Reduction Execution - A synergy capture module that focuses on driving savings, clarifying Finance’s role in execution, and answering concrete questions: what is achievable, what can be accelerated, and what governance and resourcing are required.
• Finance Integration across the M&A Lifecycle - Finance integration topics spanning due diligence through closing and steady state: TSA definition, legal entity setup, process/policy design, systems testing, reporting strategy, payroll testing, and ongoing synergy benefit tracking.
• HR Integration Priorities and Deliverables - Human capital integration coverage across organization design, leadership roles, reporting relationships, retention strategy, rewards consolidation, HR service delivery, and change readiness.
Deliverables, Templates, and Tools
• Functional scope and strategy template that separates required Day 1 activities from post-Day 1 activities
• High-level functional milestone plan tied to the program timeline (charters, design review, readiness review, hand-off)
• Functional 30-day action list with accountable resources to force near-term execution discipline
• Program risk, issue, and assumption tracking to surface blockers early and keep dependencies visible
• Baseline schedule model covering pre-close, TSA/SLA, command center, stabilization, first close, and Day 2 transition
• TSA exhibit/log example to frame service scope, service levels, and payment terms in a transition services agreement
Slide Highlights
• “Day 1 Defined” slide that makes the merger vs. divestiture definition unambiguous, with a direct list of why Day 1 matters
• “Our Approach to Establishing the Day 1 Plan” slide that spells out exactly what teams must produce (scope, milestones, actions, risks/issues/assumptions)
• Timeline view linking pre-close planning, readiness walk-throughs, command central, stabilization, and settlement processes
• Synergy capture framing for Finance and PMO roles: line functions may own tactics, but Finance/PMO own results
• Finance systems and integration points snapshot (ERP/core finance/treasury/reporting/tax/payroll plus supply chain and customer systems touchpoints)
• HR integration service areas and priorities across leadership/culture/comms, retention, rewards, HR delivery, and risk management
Potential Workshop Agenda
Day 1 Readiness Working Session (90–120 minutes)
• Align on Day 1 definition, non-negotiable Day 1 capabilities, and what “ready” means for each workstream
• Draft functional Day 1 scope vs. post-Day 1 scope and assign owners
• Build a first-pass milestone plan and a 30-day action list
Synergy Capture Working Session (60–90 minutes)
• Pressure-test synergy targets and timing, then define how Finance and the PMO will run governance
• Identify “saves” sources and agree on tracking cadence so benefits do not drift
HR and Change Readiness Deep Dive (90 minutes)
• Confirm key talent/retention approach, rewards consolidation questions, and Day 1 reporting relationships
• Define change readiness inputs and immediate communications needs
Customization Guidance
• Replace generic timeline labels with your actual pre-close window, Day 1 date, first close date, and stabilization milestones
• Tailor each workstream’s “required Day 1 activities” and “post-Day 1 activities” so scope is explicit
• Add your deal’s TSA/SLA services, service levels, and durations directly into the TSA exhibit/log format
Secondary Topics Covered
• Governance and operating model questions for integration execution (who decides what, how often, with what data)
• Resource planning and accountability: workload estimates, accountable resources, and ownership clarity
• “Command central” / command center setup and stabilization management as a distinct phase of execution
• Financial statement reconciliation and settlement processes during transition services periods
• Finance process scope examples (AP/AR/GL/inventory/intercompany pricing) as a way to translate strategy into execution steps
FAQ
What exactly is “Day 1” in a merger vs. a divestiture?
In a merger, Day 1 is when two companies begin operating as one company. In a divestiture, Day 1 is when the carved-out entity begins operating independently from the seller, even if TSAs or SLAs remain in place for a period after closing.
What are the concrete deliverables required for Day 1 readiness (not just meetings and status updates)?
A practical Day 1 package typically includes: functional scope/strategy (required Day 1 activities and post-Day 1 activities), a high-level milestone plan, a 30-day action list with accountable resources, and a tracked log of program risks, issues, and assumptions.
How do I separate Day 1 scope from post-Day 1 scope so teams stop arguing about priorities?
Use a simple two-bucket definition for every workstream: “must-have capabilities to operate on Day 1” versus “activities that can occur after Day 1 without breaking operations.” Then force each item onto a milestone plan and 30-day action list so the trade-offs become explicit.
What should a baseline integration schedule include from pre-close through stabilization and “Day 2”?
A workable baseline schedule typically spans the pre-close window and readiness walk-throughs, TSA/SLA setup where needed, command center stabilization, early operating milestones (such as first close), reconciliation and settlement processes during transition, and a structured handoff into “Day 2” execution.
How should Finance and the PMO work together on synergy capture and cost reduction governance?
Finance and the PMO may not own every cost-reduction tactic, but they should own results: defining targets, building a cadence for tracking, coordinating execution across line functions, and maintaining visibility into progress versus commitments.
What systems and process touchpoints should Finance track (ERP, payroll, supply chain, customer systems)?
Focus on the “backbone” systems and their dependencies: ERP; core finance processes (GL, invoicing, AR, AP, fixed assets); treasury/cash management; reporting and analysis; tax systems; time and expense; payroll and commissions—plus integration points into supply chain systems and customer/order management.
What are the highest-impact HR integration priorities in the first wave (structure, retention, rewards, HR delivery)?
First-wave HR integration typically centers on end-state organization design and reporting lines, critical talent retention and deployment, harmonizing rewards and benefits where needed, and ensuring HR service delivery can support the transition (while reinforcing clear communication and change readiness).
When do TSAs and SLAs become unavoidable, and what must be defined inside them?
They become unavoidable when separation or integration requires one party to keep providing operational services temporarily (systems, processes, support functions) to avoid breaking Day 1 operations. The core definitions usually include service scope, service levels, length/duration, and cost/payment terms.
How do I turn a long list of integration tasks into a 30-day action list with real owners?
Start from the milestone plan and select only the items that must be started or completed in the next 30 days. Assign accountable resources to each action and keep it tied to Day 1 readiness and stabilization outcomes (not general “nice-to-have” improvements).
What should be tracked as risks, issues, and assumptions to avoid late surprises?
Track items that can derail Day 1 readiness or delay stabilization: risks (potential blockers), issues (current blockers), and assumptions (conditions you’re relying on). Keep them visible across workstreams so dependencies are surfaced early.
Glossary
• Day 1 - The operational start point for a combined company (merger) or an independent entity (divestiture)
• Day 2 - Post-Day 1 transition toward full separation or steady-state integration
• Day One Capabilities - The must-have capabilities and must-do activities required to operate on Day 1
• Synergy Capture - Discipline for meeting targets and sustaining realized benefits over time
• Baseline Schedule - The integrated timeline that links pre-close planning, Day 1 readiness, stabilization, and post-Day 1 transition work
• Milestone Plan - A high-level sequence of functional milestones tied to the overall program timeline
• 30-Day Action List - A near-term execution list that forces ownership and prioritization for the next 30 days
• IMO / PMO - The integration program leadership function that coordinates governance, cadence, and cross-workstream execution
• Workstream - A functional integration team (for example, IT, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, or Communications and Change) accountable for a defined scope
• TSA - Transition Services Agreement defining temporary services provided during separation or integration
• SLA - Service Level Agreement defining service performance levels (often used during transitional service periods)
• Command Center - The central execution control point used during stabilization to manage issues, decisions, and dependencies
• Stabilization - The phase immediately after Day 1 focused on operational continuity, issue resolution, and settling into a steady cadence
• First Close - The first financial close cycle after Day 1 that often serves as an early stress test for finance processes and systems
• Risks, Issues, and Assumptions - The core execution log used to identify potential blockers, current blockers, and conditions being relied on
Source: Best Practices in Post-merger Integration, Synergy PowerPoint Slides: Post-merger Integration Training PowerPoint (PPT) Presentation Slide Deck, Documents & Files
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