End-to-End (E2E) M&A Process Design

The long-term development of the global M&A market is characterized by a highly volatile pattern and was challenged by six merger waves. Multiple financial market assessments indicate that the global M&A market is in the midst of a new, the seventh merger wave, which is driven by business model innovations within technology as well as traditional industries. Besides, a glut of global liquidity due to ultra-loose monetary policies of multiple developed market central banks supports M&A financing potentials. Given this highly dynamic macro-view, a robust E2E M&A Process Design is mandatory to assure successful mergers and acquisitions. This M&A Process Design is built upon 5 modules, the Embedded M&A Strategy, the Transaction Management, the Integration Management, the Synergy Management and the M&A Project Management & Governance. The E2E M&A Process Design not only addresses these five modules, but also takes care of the crucial linkages within and between those modules. This mission-critical interdependencies of modules demand an E2E architecture. The M&A Process Design integrates also digital challenges and opportunities: Digital tools and processes might be used to increase the efficiency, speed, quality and robustness of M&A processes. Additionally, M&A could be used as a corporate development tool to design robust digital business models, resilient innovation strategies and to reshape corporate portfolios for the needs of the 20s.