M&A topic guide
Integration
Protect business continuity, assign operating decisions, and track acquisition value with a 104-action post-deal integration checklist.
The decision to make
What must keep working through Day 1, what should change afterward, and who owns delivery of the acquisition thesis?
Protect continuity before changing the operating model
Open After the Deal: Keep the Business Working. Identify what customers, employees, suppliers, and the finance team must be able to do on Day 1. Assign receiving owners and test access, payments, systems, contracts, and exception handling before transferring control.
Separate Day 1 from later improvements
Day 1 establishes that the business can keep working. Later changes should have a purpose, a test, a responsible owner, and a fallback. A cost reduction that interrupts revenue can defeat the acquisition thesis.
Carry material diligence findings into the operating plan without restarting the investigation. Give each issue a completion test and review date. Escalate missed conditions while there is still time to respond.
Measure the result against the thesis
Use the approved Synergy Underwriting & Value Bridge as the baseline for benefit and cost tracking. For a separated business, use the Carve-Out Perimeter & TSA Planner to track temporary-service dependencies and exit milestones.
Close the loop through the The M&A Deal Workflow: From Mandate to Value: what was delivered, what remains open, and what the next deal should do differently.
Transaction stages · All ten topics · Downloads
By Mike Ye · Updated September 10, 2026