Mavengigs

Mavengigs is a global consulting firm providing consulting services for Mergers & Integrations (M&A) and Transformations. Through our network of independent resources and partners, we serve clients in USA and Europe. Mavengigs is a division of Panvisage Inc. (a holding company with interests in consulting, education, real estate and investments).

This content is a synopsis from multiple sources for easy reference for educational purposes only. We encourage everyone to become familiar with this content, and then reach out to us for project opportunities.

M&A Program Management

M&A high level process includes M&A Strategy, Valuation, Buy Side Process or Sell Side Process, Due Diligence, Deal Closing, followed by Integration (for Buy Side) or Divestiture (for Sell Side), and optionally followed by Transformation.

M&A Transactions involve overseeing and orchestrating a complex spectrum of activities to integrate or divest people, process and technology, requiring an effort to coordinate between various stakeholders.

Depending on the type and stage of the M&A transaction, Program Management may be delivered as part of organizational structures like:

• Integration Management Office (IMO, for Buy-Side Integrations)
• Separation Management Office (SMO, for Sell-Side Divestitures),
• Transformation Management Office (TMO, for optional Transformation, after, or in parallel with, Integration or Divestiture). 

Organizations not undergoing M&A or Transformation programs typically have consultative Program Management Office (PMO) structures that set the standards, processes, and reporting for their projects, but don’t drive the program strongly. 

Program Management

Program Management is a systematic and disciplined approach to managing a portfolio of related parallel projects or initiatives that are managed as a group to achieve common company-wide strategic goals and objectives. Program Manager manages a diverse landscape of projects (business and technology) that collectively contribute to overall success of the program. Projects generally collaborate to achieve synergies by improved efficiency of resource utilization, better management of project risks and dependencies, and enhanced quality of results.

Program Director leads the IMO/SMO/TMO type organization and is supported by Program Managers (for larger transactions), Project Managers (leading each component project, including scope, deliverables, timeline & budgets), Change Management Lead (managing organizational change, training, and communication) and Business Analysts (BAs, managing requirements, testing and post go-live support). They are further supported by Technical Lead, Technical Architect, testers, and developers. Expectations, requirements, and risks are managed with Internal and External Stakeholders on an ongoing basis.

Typical PMO Action Plan:  

We recommend strong program management of all in-flight activities on our M&A and Transformation projects, driven by the PMO, including the following:

• Conduct blue-printing workshops for functional work streams to confirm future state operating models; publish future state application landscape diagram.
• Confirm project portfolio, including list of projects, and details for each project, including scope, deliverables, dependencies, milestones, budget, stakeholders and resources; identify any gaps (and cascading dependencies) to achieve objectives. 
• Right-size and right-source all projects, and shutdown any non-essential projects; confirm standardization of business and IT processes.
• Coordinate any key program level decisions that are open (including who needs to decide what by when, with associated impacts); assign specific leaders to drive key decisions (they will coordinate with appropriate functions)
• Request all project teams to update project plans (including budgets, deliverables, and dependencies) in line with the finalized application landscape and key program level decisions.
• Develop a Program Level Plan reflecting the top-level program milestones and dependencies, with actual links to all portfolio project level plan’s top milestones; develop executive dashboards showing color coded status.
• Develop a Program Level RAID Log (Risks, Actions, Issues, Decisions) to ensure effective program management over the next several months to coordinate multiple in-flight projects, dependencies, decisions, and impacts.
• Setup Meetings and Status Reporting Cadence for the program and all functional tracks (weekly & bi-weekly meetings) and monthly steering committee meetings.
• Setup Change Management track to coordinate change management activities for the program; coordinate UAT & end user training and corporate communication.