When we last checked, I asked about checklists and specifically, what kind of checklists would you have for the tech side?

There is one piece of advice that I received from a flight instructor years ago when I was building out my own checklists. It was to always use the manufacturer’s list first, add to it with your own best practices. When I started flying different types of aircraft, I also noticed that their lists would differ. Some would be more detailed in one areas, others less. Some would ignore certain checks, and others were critical.

The result? There is no one size fits all list!

As you begin to acquire more companies, you will discover some things and certain patterns will begin to emerge. Unlike with the financials or legal items, tech is more nuanced because it depends so much on the type of acquisition, the ultimate goals post-close, what you have, and what the other side brings to the table.

With my clients it is the questions that I ask which form the basis of my checklist:

  • What is the ultimate goal of the acquisition and what is being acquired?
  • Are there any custom applications, and if so where do they live and how will they be conveyed?
  • How compatible is the tech/data being acquired with what you have, and do you and your team have the skills and tools required?
  • What kind of impact will there be with your current apps as a result of the acquisition?
  • What impact will the acquisition have on the licensing in the short term and then longer term?
  • Where are the optimization points to reduce the duplication in functionality?

This is why I recommend conducting war game style exercises so that you can use these to flesh out not just what your strengths and gaps are, but also, what questions to ask and what to look for prior to close, and then what will be required come integration time.

Ultimately not a checklist, but the questions leading to one.