Responsible for facilities management after a merger?

It could be more of an IT clash than a culture clash unless you follow some simple pointers

The single biggest consideration throughout the process of bringing two IT systems into one is the disruption that end-users may feel, according to JBA - an organisation recently responsible for managing systems integration for a "wave of mergers in the food and beverage industry". Serious consideration should be given to IT systems - they are as ingrained and unique as corporate cultures.

"The negative impact of opposing IT systems is often overlooked during the merger & acquisition decision-making process," said Mark Barnekow, JBA's worldwide food and beverage business development manager. "As a result, many predicted cost savings are not achieved because the two companies are unable to operate as one." In addition, any resentment that staff members may feel about a merger or acquisition will only be intensified if their work is impeded by a new IT system they do not understand, he continued.

The M&A checklist includes:

• The need to understand the nature of the merger or acquisition - is it about increasing operating efficiency in which case a single IT platform might be crucial, or is it about creating two autonomous identities, in which case it might be feasible to keep both systems?
• Conducting an audit of current systems - it allows the nature of the problem to be understood
• Understanding any existing points of commonality and leveraging them
• Taking a step by step approach - keep activity phased and controllable so that end-users are not suddenly placed in a totally unfamiliar environment
• Remember to build in multiple language and currency functionality if the merger or acquisition is trans-national.

But, says Barnekow, the single biggest issue is to remember to build in training and assimilation time to keep end-users happyŠ