Perspectives on integration governance, synergy delivery and repeatable execution — drawn from real integration programmes.
The first month of an integration sets the tone for everything that follows. The IMO's job is to create a governance rhythm that drives decisions rather than just reporting progress — clear decision rights, a dependency map that connects workstreams, and reporting that tells executives what they need to decide, not everything that is happening.
Synergy targets in a deal model are promises. Delivering them requires converting each assumption into a named initiative with an owner, a baseline, milestones and financial validation. The discipline that separates delivered synergies from missed ones is accountability — every dollar traced to a person and a plan.
The first acquisition is custom. The third should be repeatable. By the fifth, a standardised integration playbook becomes a competitive advantage — faster mobilisation, fewer repeated mistakes and a team that gets sharper with every deal. The key is knowing which elements to standardise and which to leave flexible.