Where the integration clock starts

• When do you expect the integration team to be staffed and active after close? Options: Immediately at close, Within 1 week, Within 2 to 4 weeks, Within 4 to 8 weeks, No firm plan yet
• Who will be the day to day point on your side for integration coordination? Options: Fund operating partner, Corporate COO or equivalent, Designated integration lead, Head of HR, Head of Finance, Other
• How many weeks is your target to deliver the first consolidated financial close for the combined entity? Options: 0 to 2 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks, 5 to 8 weeks, 9 to 12 weeks, Longer than 12 weeks
• Describe the single deal model line item you cannot miss in the first 12 months and why it matters to your investment committee.
• What reporting cadence does your investment committee expect on integration milestones? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Quarterly, On request only
• Which functions do you already plan to keep separate for 12 months or longer? Options: Finance, HR and payroll, IT and infrastructure, Commercial / sales, Manufacturing / operations, R&D / product, Other

Which risks feel most urgent in the first 90 days

• If you lost the acquired company's top three revenue producers, how quickly would revenue fall and which customer segments would be most exposed? Options: Immediate material hit (weeks), Noticeable within one quarter, Manageable over two quarters, Little short term impact, Unknown
• How often have similar transitions in your portfolio generated customer churn inside six months? Options: Almost always, Often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Tell me which planned compensation or reporting changes are already communicated that could trigger departures. Options: Sales comp changes, Territory / account reassignments, Reporting line changes, Benefit or PTO changes, No planned changes communicated, Other
• What contingency would you accept if 2 or more top sellers depart in the first 90 days? Options: Immediate retention packages, Targeted account coverage plan, Accelerated hiring, Accept revenue variance and adjust model, Other
• Who needs to sign an emergency retention package before close for it to be effective? Options: Investment committee lead, CEO of the buyer, Head of HR, Deal integration lead, Legal counsel, Other

Hidden overlaps and single point failures

• What single operational overlap, if left unresolved, would stop the integration immediately?
• Walk me through the current data handoffs between your finance system and the target company's finance system.
• Which third party systems must interconnect to produce a combined P and L and who currently owns each connection? Options: ERP / general ledger, Payroll system, CRM, Order management, Point of sale / channel systems, Other
• Estimate how long it takes today to produce a combined P and L across the two entities under the current setup. Options: Same day, 1 to 3 days, 1 week, 2 to 4 weeks, Longer than 4 weeks
• If those connectors are not available at Day One, what is your fallback reconciliation timeline you would accept? Options: Manual interim process, 2 weeks, Interim process, 1 month, Interim process, 2 to 3 months, Accept delayed consolidated reporting beyond quarter close, No fallback defined

Who owns the scorecard and decision rights

• Name who on your investment committee will request explanations if integration milestones slip and the thresholds that trigger that review.
• Describe the governance cadence you expect, including meeting frequency and who has final decision authority for trade offs. Options: Weekly steering meetings, Biweekly program reviews, Monthly executive updates, Ad hoc as issues arise, Other
• List the decision types that require board level approval versus deal team approval. Options: Headcount changes, Material contract term changes, Capital expenditures, Large customer transition plans, Other
• Identify the final approver for resource reallocations that will affect the integration timeline. Options: Investment committee chair, CEO, CFO, Program sponsor, Other
• What single governance gap would stop you from committing integration resources this quarter?

The alternatives you are weighing

• Why would your team choose to keep the integration entirely internal instead of hiring an external partner? Options: Cost savings, Existing internal expertise, Control over decisions, Avoid external visibility, Other
• Tell me which external firms or internal programs you are still actively considering for integration support.
• Under what conditions would you keep the current internal approach instead of changing to an external partner? Options: Clear internal capacity, Proven prior success, Lower cost than external option, No risky overlaps found, Other
• Do any stakeholders prefer an incumbent consultant because of prior history, and who are those stakeholders? Options: Yes, operating partner, Yes, deal team, Yes, functional leader, No incumbent preference, Unknown
• Confirm if an internal proposal exists to run the integration without an outside partner and list what resources have already been budgeted. Options: No internal proposal, Proposal exists, partial budget allocated, Proposal exists, full budget allocated, Unknown

Operational readiness and gating constraints

• Identify the single integration dependency that, if unavailable, would prevent starting work on Day One.
• Provide the number of dedicated full time staff you can assign to the integration for the first 90 days. Options: 0, 1 to 3, 4 to 7, 8 to 15, More than 15
• Confirm whether your finance and HR data are consolidated in a single system or split across multiple instances. Options: Fully consolidated in one instance, Split across two instances, Split across multiple instances, Hybrid with partial integration, Unknown
• Can APIs or direct data extracts be provided for your accounting and payroll systems within two weeks of request? Options: Yes, APIs available, Yes, extract only, No, requires manual export, Unknown / need to check
• Name the role that will own data access approval and state their typical turnaround time for requests. Options: Head of IT, Head of Finance, Head of HR, Program sponsor, Legal / compliance
• Estimate any regulatory or compliance approvals required before Day One and their expected lead times in weeks. Options: None, 1 to 2 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks, More than 4 weeks, Unknown

Acceptance criteria and the decisive approvals

• Assuming a short pilot validates your top model assumptions, what internal formal approval would still be required before you sign a full engagement? Options: Investment committee sign off, Board approval, CEO approval, CFO approval, Procurement approval, None additional
• Point to the one pilot deliverable that would remove the need for further validation in your view. Options: Validated consolidated financials, Customer retention proof, Confirmed data integration, Staff retention commitments, Detailed cost run rate evidence, Other
• State the timeline you expect from pilot start to an executive decision. Options: 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks, One to two months, Longer than two months
• Would a fixed price pilot change your internal procurement path and speed approval? Options: Yes, speeds approval, No change, Not sure, depends on other terms
• List the roles that must be present in pilot steering meetings for the results to be credible to your board. Options: Investment committee rep, CEO, CFO, Head of HR, Head of IT, Deal integration lead, Other

Pilot scope, early wins, and next practical steps

• Point to the pilot measure that, if achieved, would make you ready to expand to full delivery the following week. Options: Confirmed P and L alignment, No material customer churn, Key seller retention verified, Data access and extracts proven, Governance process validated, Other
• Provide the specific customer accounts or segments that should be excluded from the pilot to avoid confounding results.
• Explain how you will measure retention and compensation adjustments during the pilot and which reports matter to your committee.
• Can you confirm the security and facility access your team can provide for knowledge transfer sessions and indicate any restrictions? Options: Full access available, Limited access with approvals, Remote only, No access currently available
• Select your preferred pilot duration to validate the highest risks. Options: 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks, Other

• Integration Vision Solution Experience

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm that the initiative-to-deal-model mappings cover the highest-risk diagnostic findings and their estimated value impact.
• Deliver a prioritized initiative-to-deal-model mapping and a Day One/30/90 milestone plan within five business days.
• You confirm Day One and 30/90 milestones, with owners and acceptance criteria, are sufficient to prevent seller loss and meet consolidation timelines.
• Translate diagnostics into initiatives mapped to the deal model
• Provide the final deal model and the list of top revenue producers with current compensation status within three business days.
• Show Day One and 30/90 milestones with named owners
• You agree on the seller deliverable and the buyer inputs required to proceed to Integration Scope and the diagnostic pilot.
• Identify the decision owner for each integration workstream and provide access to your current ERP and payroll extracts needed for pilot validation.
• Validate the proposed vision, assumptions, and scope
• Agree next commitments to move to Integration Scope

• Integration Vision Solution Experience
• Solution Experience Deck
• Integration Vision Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Operate the Integration Management Office
• Execute Day One Readiness and Launch Activities
• Consolidate Financial Reporting and Close Processes
• Integrate ERP and GL Data for Unified Reporting
• Migrate CRM Records and Reassign Accounts
• Reassign Account Teams and Preserve Customer Coverage
• Administer Retention and Stay-Bonus Programs
• Harmonize Compensation and Incentive Plans
• Migrate Payroll and HRIS Records
• Standardize Operating Procedures and Policies
• Consolidate Suppliers and Harmonize Procurement Terms
• Track and Report Synergy Realization Against Deal Model
• Lead Change Communications and Employee FAQs
• Run Knowledge Transfer and Role Handover Sessions

Operate the Integration Management Office

• Do you have an existing Integration Management Office (IMO) charter and RACI that covers the weekly cadence, decision log, and issue escalation path? Options: Yes, No, Partial
• Which governance artifacts will you provide or allow us to inherit for the IMO (for example: executive decision log, synergy tracker workbook, weekly dashboard)? Options: Executive decision log, Synergy tracker workbook, Weekly cadence deck, None of the above, Other
• Who do you designate as sign-off owner for cross-functional tradeoffs in the IMO (name the role tied to the deal model line item, e.g., CFO, business unit head)?
• How many functional workstreams do you expect the IMO to manage in the first 90 days (finance, IT, HR, commercial, operations)? Options: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8+
• Describe the items you consider out of scope for this engagement (for example: full ERP re-implementation, long-term managed services, custom product development) and any fixed-fee boundaries.

Execute Day One Readiness and Launch Activities

• List the Day One deliverables you require in the Day One reporting package (for example: consolidated P&L, cash position, top 10 customer list, critical open purchase orders).
• Provide the go-live cutover windows and blackout periods that you require in the cutover runbook (for example: month-end close window, payroll run dates, preferred weekend cutover). Options: Standard business hours, Overnight window, Weekend cutover, Specify custom dates
• Identify the critical systems that must be available on Day One to avoid revenue interruption (for example: order entry in the source CRM, billing module in your primary ERP, payment gateway). Options: Source CRM order entry, ERP billing module, Payment gateway, Customer-facing portal, Other
• Estimate the number of manual journal entries expected during the first consolidated month close that will require reconciliation across GL subledgers. Options: None, 1-50, 51-200, 201+
• Confirm whether you require a signed Day One acceptance checklist tied to the Day One reporting package and the cutover runbook. Options: Yes, No

Consolidate Financial Reporting and Close Processes

• By when do you require a consolidated trial balance and pro forma P&L for board reporting after close (in business days)? Options: 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, Custom
• Which systems currently house your GL and subledger detail that must be consolidated (for example: your primary ERP instance, a legacy accounting package, payroll ledger)? Options: Primary ERP instance, Legacy accounting package, Payroll ledger, Other
• Which reports define your month-end close checklist that you want harmonized (for example: AR aging, AP aging, bank reconciliation, variance analysis)? Options: AR aging, AP aging, Bank reconciliation, Variance analysis, Other
• Which roles will execute the consolidated close tasks (for example: controller, consolidation manager, accounts payable lead) and who will be seconded?
• Are there statutory reporting regimes you must meet that will constrain how you consolidate P&L lines (for example: local tax filings, revenue recognition policy differences)? Options: Yes, No

Integrate ERP and GL Data for Unified Reporting

• Specify the chart of accounts mapping approach you prefer for the primary ERP instance (roll-up mapping, new unified COA, or parallel reporting) and attach COA files if available. Options: Roll-up mapping, New unified COA, Parallel reporting, Not decided
• Indicate the required mapping between SKU or product codes and your consolidated revenue line items for reporting to the deal model.
• Which KPIs from ERP/GL must feed the synergy tracker workbook (for example: consolidated gross margin, SKU-level cost of goods sold, accounts receivable days sales outstanding)? Options: Consolidated gross margin, SKU-level COGS, AR DSO, Inventory turns, Other
• Which processes will require immediate subledger reconciliation after ERP integration (for example: inventory valuation, intercompany eliminations, fixed asset roll-forward)? Options: Inventory valuation, Intercompany eliminations, Fixed asset roll-forward, Revenue cutover recon
• Outline the data validation steps you expect for GL and subledger imports (for example: trial balance match threshold, missing account mapping exceptions) and acceptable thresholds.

Migrate CRM Records and Reassign Accounts

• Provide examples of the customer master records to migrate from your source CRM (for example: active accounts with open opportunities, contact roles, contract start dates).
• State the target account ownership model post-migration (for example: preserve existing owner, reassign by territory, reassign by product line). Options: Preserve existing owner, Reassign by territory, Reassign by product line, Mixed
• Identify any data quality rules that must run during CRM migration (for example: deduplicate on email+company, normalize address fields, merge duplicate account IDs). Options: Deduplicate on email+company, Normalize addresses, Merge duplicate account IDs, Other
• Choose the migration depth for activity history to retain in the target CRM (last 3 months, 12 months, full history) and provide reasons if custom. Options: 3 months, 12 months, Full history, Custom
• Which documents tied to accounts must move with the CRM record (for example: active contracts, statements of work, recent invoices)? Options: Active contracts, SOWs, Recent invoices, No documents

Reassign Account Teams and Preserve Customer Coverage

• How will you sequence account handovers to minimize coverage gaps for top revenue accounts (for example: staggered handover, overlap shadowing, immediate handover)? Options: Staggered handover with overlap, Full overlap (shadowing), Immediate handover, Other
• Where are current named account lists and quota assignments stored (for example: sales commission workbook, territory mapping spreadsheet, CRM territory field)? Options: Commission workbook, Territory spreadsheet, CRM territory field, Other
• Are there specific customers that require executive-level retention actions or dedicated continuity contacts (for example: top 20 customers by annual recurring revenue)? Options: Yes, No
• Detail the customer coverage playbook steps you expect during reassignment (for example: joint account call, transfer of relationship notes, updated billing contact).
• Include the timeframe for sales compensation alignment after reassignment (for example: within one payroll cycle, next quarter) and any quota reset rules. Options: One payroll cycle, Next quarter, Phased over two quarters, Custom

Administer Retention and Stay-Bonus Programs

• Define the employee eligibility criteria and measurable acceptance evidence for retention payments (for example: signed retention letter, employee remains through a specific date) including maximum payout tiers.
• For payroll runs, specify the payroll cut-off and tax treatment required to process retention or stay-bonus payments (for example: include in regular gross pay, process as one-time bonus in next payroll run). Options: Regular gross pay, One-time bonus run, Separate vendor payment, Custom
• Identify any retention obligations that must be honored under supplier contracts (for example: third-party consulting commitments tied to acquired contracts). Options: No known obligations, Yes - list contracts, Unknown
• For knowledge transfer sessions tied to retained employees, specify the number of hours and the required deliverables (for example: process runbooks, recordings). Options: Up to 8 hours, 8-24 hours, 24+ hours, Custom
• For retention bonus letters, provide the required legal approvals and signature authority (for example: HR lead, legal counsel) and attach a template if available. Options: HR approval, Legal approval, Executive sign-off, Other

Harmonize Compensation and Incentive Plans

• Do you have existing incentive plan documents (commission schedules, bonus matrices) that must be harmonized across the combined salesforce? Options: Yes, No, Partial
• Which pay elements require harmonization (for example: base salary, commission rates, accelerators, short-term incentives) and which roles do they affect? Options: Base salary, Commission rates, Accelerators, SPIFs, Other
• Who do you designate as the owner for final design and sign-off for harmonized compensation plans (for example: CHRO, head of sales, compensation committee)?
• How many compensation plan variants exist across the two organizations that must be reconciled for the next quarter? Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6+
• Describe the tolerance thresholds for payout changes you will accept during transition (for example: no more than 10% reduction to on-target earnings, guaranteed minimum for six months).

Migrate Payroll and HRIS Records

• List the HRIS modules to migrate (for example: employee master, benefits enrollment, time and attendance, payroll history). Options: Employee master, Benefits enrollment, Time and attendance, Payroll history, Other
• Provide the payroll cycle details you must preserve (for example: semi-monthly on 15/30, monthly last business day) and upcoming cut dates.
• Identify the primary keys used to match employee records across systems (for example: employee ID, national identifier, email) and any known duplicates.
• Estimate the number of employee records requiring manual reconciliation post-migration (for example: missing tax IDs, unmatched bank details). Options: 0-50, 51-200, 201-1,000, 1,000+
• Confirm whether employee benefit carriers require separate data feeds or manual enrollment after HRIS migration. Options: Yes, No, Partial

Standardize Operating Procedures and Policies

• By when do you require final SOPs for order-to-cash and procure-to-pay to be published for the combined organization? Options: 14 days, 30 days, 60 days, Custom
• Which source documents define your current SOPs (for example: work instructions, SOP PDFs, shared runbooks) and where are they stored? Options: Work instructions, SOP PDFs, Shared runbooks, Other
• Which reports are required to validate adherence to new SOPs during the first three months (for example: invoice exception rate, on-time shipments, PO cycle time)? Options: Invoice exception rate, On-time shipments, PO cycle time, Other
• Which roles are responsible for authoring and approving each SOP (for example: process owner, quality lead, operations director)?
• Are there industry compliance frameworks you must reflect in policies (for example: HIPAA in healthcare, FDA requirements, ISO 9001)? Options: Yes, No

Consolidate Suppliers and Harmonize Procurement Terms

• Specify the supplier segmentation criteria you want for consolidation (for example: top 100 spend by supplier, strategic vendors, single-source items). Options: Top spend, Strategic only, All suppliers, Custom
• Indicate contract terms you require to be harmonized (for example: payment terms, minimum order quantities, lead times, volume discounts) and attach sample contracts.
• Which KPIs will you track to validate supplier consolidation benefits (for example: cost savings by SKU, PO cycle time, supplier on-time delivery)? Options: Cost savings by SKU, PO cycle time, Supplier on-time delivery, Other
• Which processes in procure-to-pay will change immediately after consolidation (for example: supplier onboarding, invoice matching tolerance, purchase order approvals)? Options: Supplier onboarding, Invoice matching tolerance, PO approvals, Other
• Outline the supplier communication plan for consolidation, including required notice periods and approval authorities for contract amendments.

Track and Report Synergy Realization Against Deal Model

• Provide examples of deal model line items and the corresponding evidence you expect in the synergy tracker workbook (for example: G&A headcount savings supported by headcount files, SKU rationalization savings supported by SKU archive).
• State the minimum realization threshold for migrated cost synergies to pass acceptance (for example: dollar amount or percent of target) and the reporting cadence.
• Identify any automated feeds available to populate the synergy tracker (for example: consolidated GL exports, payroll reports, supplier invoices) and their refresh cadence. Options: Consolidated GL export, Payroll report feed, Supplier invoice feed, No automated feeds
• Choose the visualization and reporting formats you prefer for executive dashboards (for example: weekly PDF pocket P&L, live dashboard, monthly board pack) and intended recipients. Options: Weekly PDF, Live dashboard, Monthly board pack, Custom
• Which documents will serve as source-of-truth for realized synergies (for example: general ledger exports, signed vendor amendments, HR payroll runs)? Options: General ledger exports, Signed vendor amendments, HR payroll runs, Other

• current_state
• desired_state
• success_criteria
• gaps
• stakeholders
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness
• decision_readiness

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Terms & Fee Schedule
• Governance Cadence & Decision Rights Addendum
• Data Processing Agreement (DPA) & Security Addendum
• Data Access Authorization & Credentials Provisioning
• Change Order Agreement

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• 90-Day Realization Review (around day 90)
• Transition to Steady State and Incumbent Wind-down (post-90 days)
• Quarterly Realization and Governance Review (ongoing quarterly)

• Execute the legacy system decommission checklist and publish the decommission certificate or read-only retention plan.
• Assign owners to residual high-impact risks and set milestone-based mitigation plans.
• Prepare the steady-state monitoring package and handover checklist for the Transition meeting.
• Steady-state governance handover
• Document that the legacy incumbent is either decommissioned or formally retained read-only with associated archive steps.
• Confirm data migration completeness percentage and operational readiness of steady-state teams.
• Establish the ongoing governance owner and cadence for quarterly realization reviews.
• Reconfirm scope targets and owners
• Archive final migrated datasets and confirm retention policy and retrieval process.
• Publish the steady-state runbook, including owners, reporting templates, and the quarterly meeting schedule.
• Quarterly results vs Integration Scope
• Confirm trend direction for realized run-rate synergies and top-account churn, and whether corrective action is required.
• Prioritize enhancement requests that materially affect synergy realization and assign follow-up actions.
• Keep the steady-state governance operating cadence and reporting clear and current.
• Update the quarterly synergy realization forecast and distribute to governance stakeholders.
• Close low-risk open tickets and escalate any high-risk items with new mitigation dates.
• Add agreed enhancement requests to the steady-state backlog with prioritization notes.
• Confirm deployment completed to the extent that day-to-day operations can continue without manual workarounds.
• Document all high-severity blockers with owners and target resolution dates.
• Agree the schedule and scope for the First Measurement Review between weeks 4 and 10.
• Publish the post-go-live incident log and remediation tracker for async updates.
• Complete verification of any failed migration jobs and report outcomes within 72 hours.
• Schedule the First Measurement Review and circulate pre-read data sources to all attendees.
• Present first-period results against Integration Scope targets
• Establish whether primary metrics, realized annual run-rate synergies and retention rate of top revenue producers, are moving toward Integration Scope targets.
• Agree a prioritized set of corrective actions with deadlines and success criteria.
• Confirm owners and data sources for the 90-day realization review.
• Update the synergy ledger with verified actuals and variance explanations.
• Create and distribute a remediation plan for off-track initiatives with milestone dates.
• Deliver the data extract and validation notes required for the 90-day review by the agreed date.
• Recap Integration Scope targets and accepted acceptance outcomes
• Confirm the updated realized position against Integration Scope targets for run-rate synergies and finance close performance.
• Close or reset all remediation items with documented evidence and new deadlines where needed.
• Agree the timeframe and owner for transition of ongoing monitoring to steady-state governance.
• Publish a 90-day realization report that updates the deal model and lists closed and open remediation items.
• Deployment and cutover validation
• Incumbent decommission status
• Persistent blockers and open risks
• Present 90-day outcomes with evidence
• Root-cause diagnosis for material variances
• Corrective action planning
• Remediation closure review
• Enhancement and scope change requests
• Early adoption and operational signals
• Contract and cost wind-down actions
• Blocker triage and escalation plan
• Close the fallback habit
• Next quarter priorities and reporting updates
• Confirm timeline to the next realization gate
• Risk update and remaining lift
• Immediate remediation actions