M&A Acquisition Checklist

This workflow is designed to walk you through every stage of the M&A program from creating your search criteria to integrating the new organization.

For step-by-step guidance on creating, editing, managing, and running workflows, read Getting Started with Process Street: The 5 Stages of Process Building.

This task utilizes Forms Automation features such as Dropdown Menu, Date Selection, and File Upload. Read Getting Started: How to Use Form Fields for detailed instructions, or watch the video below. 

Before you even begin your search for a Target company, you need to determine your strategic rationale. 

Common rationales for top-performing deals include:

• To improve company performance
• Consolidate to remove excess capacity
• Improve a product's time-to-market
• Acquire technology, expertise, products, and/or resources
• Exploit economies of scale in specific industries
• Invest in a young company with a high level of promise

Use this task to document the reasons and motivations behind selecting the Target company. 

Enter the details of the valuation process such as who will be leading the valuation, who your contact at the Target company will be, and details of any outside counsel you intend to consult. 

This task uses the Conditional Logic feature. Read about Conditional Logic in our Knowledge Base. 

INFO: The next task is an Approval. Approvals help streamline any processes that require authorization. Read more about Approvals in our Knowledge Base, or watch the video below. 

INFO: The next task utilizes a Stop Task. This stops the workflow run at a given point. No tasks past that point (or the workflow run itself) can be completed until the stop task is completed. Read more about Stop Tasks in our Knowledge Base, or watch the video below. 

During the due diligence process, ensure you have reviewed the following documentation from the Target:

• Corporate structure & general matters
• Financials & taxes
• Strategic fit with your company
• Intellectual property & technology
• Material assets
• Contracts
• Employees & management
• Litigation
• Compliance & regulatory matters

Most mergers fail as a result of a poorly executed post-merger integration process. Establishing a firm strategy for how this process will go in advance will help make sure yours runs smoothly and successfully. 

Confirm that the lead for each of the teams has submitted their integration plan:

When you're ready to close, your M&A counsel will draft the final purchase and sale contracts for you to review. Once everyone has signed these contracts, the deal is closed and you have successfully acquired the Target company.

Once the merger is complete, it's important to evaluate the process to determine what - if anything - could have been done differently or improved. 

These lessons should be documented for future M&A programs. 

• BCG: Post-Merger Integration
• DealRoom: Biggest Post-Merger Integration Challenges & How to Overcome Them
• DealRoom: The Ultimate Guide to Post-Merger (M&A) Integration Process
• DealRoom: Top 5 Reasons of M&A Integration Failures & How to Prevent Them
• Deloitte: M&A Integration/Separation/Divestiture Checklist for Day One Readiness
• HBR: Don't Make This Common M&A Mistake
• HBR: The Big Idea: The New M&A Playbook
• IPM: A Matter of Approach: Avoiding M&A Pitfalls
• JITTA: A Framework for Understanding Post-Merger Information Systems Integration
• John Wiley & Sons: M&A Information Technology Best Practices, Appendix B
• Journal of Organization Design: Post-Merger Integration
• LHH: The Seven Worst M&A Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• M&A Science: Common M&A Pitfalls and Problems
• McKinsey & Company: A Blueprint for M&A Success
• McKinsey & Company: M&A Strategy & Due Diligence
• McKinsey & Company: The Six Types of Successful Acquisitions
• Midaxo: M&A Guide: Integration
• Priori Legal: M&A Due Diligence Checklist
• Pritchett, LP: M&A Integration Strategy and Guiding Principles
• Pritchett, LP: The 5 Critical Elements of an M&A Integration Plan
• Process Street: 8 Critical Change Management Models to Evolve and Survive
• Process Street: How to Make a Change Management Strategy (and Defuse the Growth Time Bomb)
• Process Street: How to Prevent Project Failure With a Risk Register
• Process Street: Prioritization Matrix 101: What, How & Why? (Free Template)
• Process Street: Risk Mitigation: What It Is and How to Implement It (Free Templates)
• Process Street: The Ultimate Risk Management Guide: Everything You Need to Know
• Process Street: Why You Need a Risk Management Process (+ Free Template)
• Red Rocket: Preparing for a Due Diligence Process
• SmartSheet: The Ultimate Guide to the M&A Process for Buyers and Sellers
• Thomson Reuters: Information Exchange and Integration Planning in M&A: Antitrust

• M&A Target Search Process
• M&A Strategy Checklist
• M&A Due Diligence Checklist
• Post-Merger Integration Checklist
• Employee Onboarding With Automations
• Employee Onboarding Checklist
• Employee Onboarding Quick Start
• Risk Management Process
• HIPAA Privacy Risk Assessment Checklist
• Risk Register Process Checklist
• Sustainability Risk Management Checklist
• Startup Due Diligence for a Venture Capitalist
• Private Equity Due Diligence Checklist
• Stock Purchase Due Diligence Checklist
• Property Acquisitions: Digital Marketing Assets
• Financial Audit Checklist
• Financial Planning Process
• Annual Financial Report Template
• Checklist for Writing an Operations Manual
• Employee Review Template
• Communication Plan Template Checklist