Effective M&A in the age of austerity
In a depressed economy, the rules relating to M&A integration can change. Paul J Siegenthaler outlines some of the main factors for consideration.
For many people, the main impact a period of austerity has on business is the need for particular scrutiny on costs. I don’t subscribe to that view, because seeking cost efficiencies should be part of normal everyday discipline.
Businesses are like the human body: you can choose to grow fat and subsequently endure the pain of a crash diet, or take regular exercise and remain fit. The latter is almost certainly the way shareholders would like companies to behave. In that sense, cost control and measurement of the benefits case realisation must be conducted rigorously during an M&A integration, regardless of the state of the economy.
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