Integration

The Post‑Merger Integration Trap: Why 70% of Deals Fail

Buying is easy. Integrating without breaking value is hard. Here’s the operator’s guide to making the thesis real in 365 days.

Common Pitfalls

• Culture clash: Entrepreneur pace vs. portfolio cadence.
• Comp misalignment: PMs incentivized for volume, not margin or cash.
• Tech confusion: Dueling CRMs/FSMs with no reporting standard.
• No 90/180/365 roadmap: Everyone is busy; nothing compounds.

How to Make Integration Work

1. Appoint an integration lead with authority and a weekly cadence.
2. Stand up a synergy tracker (revenue lift, DSO reduction, margin expansion).
3. Align compensation by Day 60, communicate changes by Day 30.
4. Consolidate systems to a single CRM/FSM and standard dashboards by Day 180.

See the PMI scorecard template