Managing data after mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is a real headache. Most of you are familiar with the situation when you need to combine information from multiple warehouses and then implement a new tool for data processing. We, at Rozdoum, have been through the M&A process a few times.
We know that the company should be more agile at the pre-M&A analysis and the post-M&A data integration stages in order to make the merge process smooth. Therefore, this problem-solution guide will give you ideas which measures need to be taken in order to avoid data leaks and time losses after M&A.
In fact, the main challenge depends on how complex your company’s structure is and how many projects you run. After M&A you will need to combine all these projects with those of the other company, and work out corporate plans and schedules. The workflows usually vary across companies. Therefore, you need to synchronize them and all the activity details as well.
Data mismanagement is the main challenge that you will encounter after mergers and acquisitions. It is critically important to integrate all records into one repository, and create a working and flexible structure for the newly merged projects. The management process should be streamlined, understandable and workable.
Let's look at this problem in more detail. By ‘data mismanagement’, we understand a number of serious issues that prevent the joint projects from functioning properly:
Projects that face merging can be at different development stages. They can also be maintained using different project management tools. This mismatch may lead to data loss, exposure or leak.
In order to avoid data loss after M&A, you need to start the process of creating a new knowledge base. This is where you will run into 3 major issues.
Migration is a complex process that requires a clear strategy. A goal without a plan is a waste of time. The strategy you choose depends on many factors, including the allocated budget for migration, and human resources.
Let’s say, you need to merge two products (or projects). Most often, you need to transfer information from two sources to a single repository, saving all the connections and schemas. User activities in two applications should now be recorded in one aggregate database and stored in a clear form. However, it’s not that easy and here’s why:
In order to avoid committing large resources to these problems, consider taking the following steps:
The consolidation procedure is the next big problem you will encounter. It is a complex process since data is input in many ways and stored in various forms. Consolidation is designed to combine it and remove any possible deviations.
The consolidating procedure isn’t universal and differs across businesses, institutions, and projects. Here are a few techniques to use:
As mentioned above, the records in different databases can vary greatly in their quality, functionality and storage method. In order to successfully manage them from several projects, you could use a relevant application like WatchTower. Based on Atlassian's Jira, this app is designed to help you collect issues from various projects within one agile environment. It is important to understand that the merged companies or teams may use different task trackers. Nevertheless, when it comes to managing the merged projects, you still need to clearly understand how the work is going on. Swift and easy access to the tasks and progress reports is an essential element in management. And this is where applications like WatchTower will be crucially useful.
The Mergers & Acquisitions process is a real challenge for businesses. It is impossible to hedge against all potential problems at the post-M&A stage. The merged companies continue facing the mismanaged data problem. However, today many tools allow businesses to effectively monitor the workflow and perform accurate data management of two or more projects within a single environment.
Andriy Dekhtyar _Rozdoum_
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