An IT Superstar is Stifled by Broken Communication.
When Ashley found herself leading one of the largest M&A projects in her industry, she quickly became overwhelmed with the details required to track. She realizes that all eyes are watching her as she orchestrates the IT integration of the acquisition. She knew the stakes were high in that her team was transitioning some of the best and brightest talent. But some were resistant to change and simply looking for a single reason to dust off their resumes and jump ship.
The Challenge of Communicating with Multiple Teams
Ashley had different departments asking questions and increasing the stress on her team daily. She understands the importance of delivering an incredible experience to the acquired company employees as they onboard into the parent organization, but also sees the various gaps in both data and people. Ashley must get a clear picture (mostly manually) of what sort of devices the newly acquired employees already have and what tools they need to be successful. She then must take that information and try to overlay it into the device & software standards her company has set over the years. She must also oversee a coordinated effort to deliver hardware, software and identity control across multiple teams (HAM, SAM, IAM, ITAM, HR, FINANCE), trying hard to make each work like a gear in a clock and avoiding/resolving any wedge that may make the clock halt immediately.
Ashley must do all of this while also providing timely updates to leadership on both sides of the acquisition, giving visibility into the project along the way. Pretty soon, Ashley started to feel less and less connected with the teams she was trying to coordinate because there were so many moving pieces. Dates started slipping and users began complaining about and resisting the impending transition. That’s when she turned to Multiply for guidance..
Our Recommendations and Action Plan for M&A Clients
Multiply recommends action plans built on a foundation of building bridges, fostering relationships & connecting people. The team works with clients like Ashley to create deliverables that not only would solve the current problem, but help set her team up for success in the future.
Action items we’d recommend in this use case:
- Simplify data gathering & forecasting via automation and auditing tools
- Offer users control and deliver clear expectations via controlled communication managed by Multiply
- Implement scalable process for asset delivery and recovery with Multiply’s tools
The Way Forward Becomes Clear
Ashley was able to collaborate quickly with the acquired company and build meaningful relationships that instilled confidence across the board. They were able to remove barriers between both organizations and eliminate the worry & fear an acquisition like this can bring to employees, leading to a high degree of employee retention after the integration was complete. Everyone had a line of sight to the completion of the project and had real-time updates and insights provided by Multiply that they could use to make quick decisions along the way. By the time the transition was complete, many bridges were created and pride was instilled across teams. Everyone could focus on moving the business forward and executing on initiatives that underscored why these two companies united in the first place!
