The Post Merger Integration Achilles

Data can either cripple or accelerate Post Merger Integration for a Private Equity portfolio company. In the Invest – Grow – Strategic Exit cycle, “Growth and Innovation” were the prime directives for this enterprise software company. While new cloud applications were on the roadmap supporting their new Go-To-Market (GTM) and all the right players for CRM, ERP, Marketing Automation, eCommerce, etc. were identified… lurking in the shadows beneath the business processes were issues that were lingering in the data.
 
ARR growth was critical, but just as a calculator is dependent on the accuracy of the digits’ input, these digital transformation investments were dependent on the core data being consumed. While systems are temporary, the data lasts forever.
 
At the foundation, data can be the Achilles or the catalyst to growth. 
Synergies (Yes, I said it!) and Outcomes tied to PMI relied heavily on making the right decisions based on exact answers. Our client was looking for insights such as: 

Ø ARR and Bookings by Market? 
Ø Customer Profitability Analysis?
Ø What is the fully loaded cost of my ARR, by market? 
Ø Which campaigns were most effective, and why?
Ø What content resonated most for conversion?
Ø What product features are most sought after?
Ø How do I cluster customers to cross-sell better?
And more.
 
Our approach was to start with a data foundation anchored in discipline: policies, rules, and standards. Boring stuff unless you’re a data geek; but when mapped to a strong ROI and business outcomes like: lead conversion, ARR growth, solution bundling, and improved customer insights we could navigate and engage more effectively with the business stakeholders. It was designed for their business needs not simply an IT data project. 
Understanding the Go To Market was critical to provide the right data in context to be analyzed. Part of the Post Merger Integration effort was to bridge teams, build on a common set of goals, and show with a fact-based data driven approach of how insights would be gained and then applied within the merged entity. This led to trust, collaboration, and engagement as part of the PMI process. In essence, PMI and growth were inextricably linked to the data; just as your stability is tied to a solid foundation.

To learn more about our approach and how we can share some ideas, visit us at www.amino-data.com/PEandVC