M&A transactions have been on the rise in recent years. In order to take advantage of market opportunities, your company needs to be able to act quickly and efficiently. One way to do this is by implementing new tools and processes. Here are a few things to consider when doing so.
Determine what tools you need :
The first step is to determine what type of tool or process you need in order to facilitate M&A activity. Is it a software application? A cloud-based solution? Something else entirely? Once you’ve determined the type of tool you need, you can start researching options. Make sure to evaluate the features of each option and how they would benefit your company specifically. You should also consider the price tag and whether or not the tool is scalable. After all, you don’t want to have to reinvest in a new tool every time your company grows.
Get buy-in from stakeholders :
Once you’ve decided on a tool, it’s important to get buy-in from all stakeholders. This includes upper management, members of the M&A team, IT, and anyone else who will be using the tool on a regular basis. The last thing you want is for there to be resistance to using the new tool because it wasn’t properly vetted beforehand. By getting buy-in from all stakeholders, you can ensure that everyone is on board with using the new tool from day one.
Train employees on how to use the new tool :
After everything has been approved and implemented, it’s time to train employees on how to use the new tool. This step is often overlooked but it’s crucial for ensuring that everyone knows how to use the new tool efficiently and effectively. The last thing you want is for the new tool to cause more problems than it solves. By taking the time to train employees properly, you can avoid any headaches down the road.
Collaboration and integration :
Operations usually involve a lot of different stakeholders : the buy-side company, the sell-side company, advisors, lawyers… For this reason, it is better if your tool enables users to collaborate together.
Furthermore, the use of integrations and API is critical to ensure that all tools and solutions are connected together, creating efficient workflows. Examples of integrations can be emails, online signature, Virtual Data Rooms, financial databases… the more integrations are available, the more useful your tool will be.
Usually, solutions offer both native integrations, directly available, and custom integrations made on demand. For instance, Collaboration Capital offers both.
Select automation first :
The digitization of M&A processes goes with AI and the use of automated workflows.
To choose the best solutions, make sure to access time-saving features : this will allow you to focus on high value-tasks.
In M&A operations, examples of automations can be the sourcing of potential targets, the enrichment of the data, the collect of personal contact information, online signature, Virtual Data Rooms, automatic notifications and reminders, etc.
At Collaboration Capital, you access a digital investment bank designed for M&A workflows.
Conclusion:
Implementing new tools and processes can be a great way to improve your company’s M&A activity. By taking the time to determine what type of tool you need, getting buy-in from all stakeholders, and training employees on how to use it properly, you can set your company up for success.
