MergerMax / Intro & FAQs

Introduction

  • Welcome to MERGERMAX®, M&A Partners’ core M&A framework and methodology. It is designed to focus Buyers’ efforts on the creation of measurable value while preventing many of the problems that historically cause deals to underperform or fail.
  • This value-focused M&A Lifecycle Framework:
    • Ensures Buyers are doing the right deals, being very clear on how those deals will create value
    • Makes sure the deals are conducted in such a way that they are set up for success, while minimizing the deal and integration risks
    • Ensures Buyers execute to plan, delivering the intended business results
    • Positions the companies to further optimize, once the integration is complete
  • MERGERMAX® has been developed and documented by consultants based on their real-world experience. It incorporates their experience as corporate practitioners and consultants across a wide range industries, deal types, deal sizes, and other distinctives.
  • The MERGERMAX® Lifecycle Framework and its detailed documentation have been designed to provide the practical, foundational considerations and best practices Executives, Corporate Development Leads and Integration Leads need.  Because every Buyer and deal is unique, MERGERMAX® is designed to be easily adapted to each client’s requirements.  When adopted across the enterprise, MERGERMAX® creates a repeatable business process that is flexible and adaptable enough to apply to all deal types, sizes and levels of complexity.
  • Smaller, less complex deals or acquirers may not require every phase or milestone or may utilize vastly simplified Governance models or deal management/reporting processes.  That’s okay.  What’s important is that the fundamentals be easily identified and applied to the needs at hand.
  • Divestitures are another tool commonly used for inorganic growth, however, they are executed under their own Divestiture Lifecycle and are not covered in this Framework
  • The following pages provide comprehensive documentation to support the Framework, providing the WHAT, HOW, WHEN, and BY WHOM for key milestones and tasks required to ensure deals achieve their strategies and Business Cases

How to Use MERGERMAX®

  • MERGERMAX® is designed to cover the entire M&A Lifecycle in eight phases – Strategy through Long-Term Value Creation.  Each phase is written as a separate chapter so users can pick up at any point in the deal lifecycle and access the information they need.  The standalone phases can also serve as “just-in-time” training modules to brief teams on important focus areas and deliverables as they approach a specific phase.
  • M&A Lifecycle Frameworks are extremely useful for orienting, training and aligning M&A resources.  However, they are not a substitute for more detailed M&A Playbooks.  Playbooks typically provide additional instructions on specific milestones and tasks, as well as relevant tools and templates required for each phase, including sample workplans that can serve as a baseline or starting point for the functional teams.  They also include important reference materials, such as business process and system maps, approval schedules, and prior deal samples.  It is typical for Corp Dev, the Integration Management Office (IMO), and individual Functions to each have their own M&A playbooks.  The M&A Lifecycle Framework serves as a higher-level set of guidelines that ensure alignment across all these teams and functions.
  • Let’s get started.