M&A Consulting

Transactions are often untimely and inherently disruptive to operations. By preparing for a transaction, management teams can self-identify critical “must haves” and items that are less important to business operations. To assist our clients, Protiviti has a proprietary process leveraging our “readiness” framework that can be completed in a matter of hours or during a multi-day workshop designed to help our clients prepare for their next transaction activity.

Readiness sessions typically include:

• Define transaction guiding principles
• Develop success metrics (i.e., synergies)
• Develop comms and change management plans
• Stand-up Diligence Management Office
• Execute readiness workshops with key stakeholders
• Define 30-, 60-, and 100-day plans

“Realizing transaction value is only as good as the plan to get there.” Protiviti’s M&A consulting team assists client with identifying what is important to their specific transaction and mapping these activities to a functional integration or separation plan, all of which fits into the “big picture” and achieves financial metrics as outlined in the deal model.

Our key focus areas include:

• Define Target Operating Model (TOM)
• Establish transaction governance structure
• Identify core closing activities
• Develop Day 1 execution plan
• Identify critical resource requirements
• Identify and align critical dependencies
• Finalize key milestones

Now that the deal is closed, it’s often up to the transaction management office to successful combine or separate operations and transition to business as usual.

Protiviti M&A consulting experts support all management activities after a deal is closed by:

• Assess & align Target Operating Model (TOM)
• Confirm and assess governance structure
• Set-up transaction management office
• Develop detailed post close execution plans
• Deliver human capital transition plan
• Stand-up and staff closing “situation room”
• Implement risk plan

When undertaking a transaction, employees are not only burdened with their “day jobs”, but are also expected to support transaction activities until the businesses transition to a combined entity. In addition to supporting at the transaction level, Protiviti’s transaction team can support within workstreams as strategic advisors or as “boots on the ground” to alleviate pressures on existing employees. Our typical focus areas are IT, Human Capital, Supply Chain, Communications, Finance / Accounting (Treasury, FP&A, AP, AR, etc…), as well as legal support relating to contract rationalization.

Our focus areas include:

• Manage transaction work stream(s)
• Operationalize “master plan” from transaction management office
• Develop and execute synergy identification and validation
• Develop, implement, and execute reporting mechanism
• Monitor resource leveling and staff augmentation requirements

Once a transaction is completed and transitioning to business as usual, clients are often expected to realize synergies set forth in the deal thesis. These synergies are often combined into two buckets: (1) sales and (2) costs. Our team of professionals is experienced not only in identification of synergies across all workstreams, implementation and monitoring of financial performance metrics, but cleaning up back office functions that arise from combining ERP’s and other various systems into one unified operating system.

Our focus areas include:

• Address performance and demand issues while also filling operational roles
• Stand-up new or relocate existing functions
• Clean-up accounting and risk backlog
• Turn around under-performing functions
• Establish formal account reconciliation program
• Build and operate general accounting shared services

Additionally, our team of individuals can look back on current or prior transaction activities and perform “look back” assessments to identify pain points and better prepare your organization for the next transaction.