Program command & control for PE-backed buy-and-build
The deal closes in
weeks. Command
takes 100 days.
Centrum Integration gives private equity sponsors and buy-and-build operators command of the integration program — a resourced, accountable owner for every workstream across IT, HR, Finance, Sales and Operations, and a reporting rhythm that surfaces risk before it reaches the investment committee as a surprise.
standard delivery window per acquisition
run in parallel, not in sequence
named and resourced per workstream from day one
RAG status and risk register to the sponsor
Why this exists
Most buy-and-build strategies are proven at the deal stage and improvised at program control. The sponsor signs off an integration thesis, but no one is running the program day to day — no resourcing plan naming who each workstream actually needs, no consistent reporting cadence up to the investment committee, and no early warning before a slipping workstream becomes a board surprise.
Centrum Integration exists to close that gap on a schedule the board can plan around. We bring command and control of the program itself — a named, resourced owner for every workstream, and a reporting rhythm that runs both ways: visibility up to the sponsor and investment committee, clear direction and unblocked decisions back down to the people delivering the work, across the same five functions every time — IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Operations.
The 100-day model
Three phases, one fixed end date, agreed before the deal closes.
Days 1–20
Diagnose & mobilize
Map both entities as they actually run — not as the data room said they ran. Freeze risk, agree the target operating model, and name a single resourced owner per workstream before anything moves.
- Systems and process audit across IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Operations
- Workstream resourcing plan: named leads, capacity, and sponsor sign-off
- Reporting cadence and risk/issue register agreed with the steering group
Days 21–65
Deliver & control
The heavy lifting happens here, run against a single program plan: back-office systems get consolidated, reporting lines get redrawn, and every workstream reports status against the same weekly cadence.
- ERP, CRM and HRIS consolidation or bridging
- Weekly RAG status and risk/issue log reviewed with the steering group
- Resource reallocation the moment a workstream shows amber
Days 66–100
Cutover & handover
Legacy systems are switched off on a fixed date, not "when everyone is comfortable." The program hands a running operation back to the sponsor, with the playbook updated for the next acquisition.
- Legacy system decommissioning and data archival
- Handover pack: process maps, SLAs, and owner list
- Closing report to the investment committee, feeding the playbook for deal number two
Command and control of the program
The resourcing and reporting layer that runs underneath every workstream, both ways, every week.
Resourcing plan
Every workstream opens with a named lead and a costed resourcing plan — who is required, from where, and for how long — agreed with the sponsor before day one, not discovered mid-workstream.
Reporting cadence
One weekly rhythm running in both directions: a consolidated status rolls up to the sponsor and investment committee, and clear direction and unblocked decisions come back down to workstream owners.
Risk & issue register
Every risk and issue is logged, owned and dated the moment it is raised, with a single register the sponsor can open at any time — not a surprise in the monthly board pack.
Steering & escalation
A standing steering session with sponsor and portfolio company leadership, so anything off track gets escalated and resourced inside the week it is found, not the quarter.
Five functions, one model
Every acquisition is different. The five functions we run integration through — and what we deliver in each — stay consistent.
IT
One identity, one email domain, one set of security controls — before the 100 days are up, not eighteen months later.
- Identity and access consolidation
- ERP / core systems integration or bridge
- Data migration with a rollback plan
HR
Contracts, payroll and benefits reconciled fast, so the acquired team feels like part of the group rather than a subsidiary waiting for news.
- Payroll and benefits harmonization
- Contract and policy alignment
- Retention plan for key people
Finance
A group can’t consolidate what it can’t see. Chart of accounts, reporting cadence and controls get aligned in the first month.
- Chart of accounts and reporting alignment
- Cash, banking and treasury consolidation
- Group-consistent month-end close
Sales
Pipeline, quoting and customer records move onto shared infrastructure without a single deal getting lost in the handover.
- CRM and pipeline migration
- Pricing and quoting alignment
- Customer continuity plan
Operations
Suppliers, SLAs and delivery processes get mapped and, where it helps the group, standardized — without breaking what the business was bought for.
- Supplier and contract consolidation
- Process and SLA mapping
- Facilities and procurement alignment
How an engagement runs
Pre-close readiness
Before signature, we review the data room for integration risk the deal team isn’t pricing in — systems debt, key-person dependency, contract landmines.
Day-1 plan & resourcing
A named plan for the first Monday: who has access to what, who signs off what, what absolutely cannot break in week one, and the resource each workstream needs to hit its dates.
Workstream delivery
Five parallel workstreams — IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Operations — each with a single accountable owner, an assigned resource plan, and a weekly checkpoint against the 100-day plan.
Reporting & escalation
A standing steering cadence with the sponsor: consolidated progress, a live risk and issue register, and any workstream running amber escalated and resourced before it turns red.
Bring us in before the ink dries.
The earlier Centrum Integration is looped in — ideally before signature — the more of the 100 days we get to use for building and reporting rather than untangling.