Overview
A publicly traded property and casualty insurance company was growing quickly as a result of multiple acquisitions. The company hired DLC to create an acquisition integration playbook to ensure the knowledge transfer would not be lost through the recent acquisitions and could be leveraged for future transactions.
Business Challenges
After completing a series of acquisitions and having multiple deals in the pipeline, the client attempted to create an integration playbook, but was met with difficulty completing the project due to limited resources.
In addition, most of the knowledge resided with senior management on the teams, which led to the de-prioritization of the acquisition integration project due to competing interests within the company’s ongoing operations.
DLC Approach
After aligning on expectations and requirements with the integration leadership team, DLC formulated several options that would address the client’s needs including the risk mitigation strategy that was at the heart of the project.
Once the stakeholders approved the scope and objectives, DLC developed the communication plan, frequency and structure, the finished product and maintenance, and an execution plan for completing the work within the expected 6 month timeframe.
DLC then created the integration playbook (including enterprise frameworks, department-specific knowledge, documents and checklists) to ensure that responsibilities for future acquisition integrations can be delegated to other team members with senior leaders stepping in to resolve any serious conflicts that arise.
The Results
Despite competing priorities with the department heads, DLC delivered the project within the 6 month timeframe and on budget. The integration playbook strategy created a living document that provides an adaptable and tailored framework to ensure speed of execution and consistency in future acquisition integrations, allowing senior management to deputize and empower their team to lead the integration effort well in the future.
This playbook also minimizes the risk of losing critical knowledge due to personnel changes or departures.
Before DLC
- Disorganized and de-prioritized post-acquisition process
- Resource shortages
- Lack of efficiency
After DLC
- Post-acquisition integration playbook
- Risk reduction
- Knowledge retention via process documentation
