Does this sound familiar?
On paper the logic was clear. In practice each side carries on the way it always did. There are two systems, two ways to build a quote and two views on how to deal with customers.
People wait. Nobody says no openly, but little changes either. Meanwhile the clock on the expected synergy keeps running.
Where it usually stalls
Two ways of working
Both sides think their own method is the better one, and usually both are right somewhere. Without a decision they simply coexist.
People holding back
Anyone who does not know what the acquisition means for their job takes no initiative. That costs you more than any system.
Synergy that never arrives
The savings were in the calculation, not in the operation. Without decisions about who does what, they never show up.
What we then do
We first map how the work really runs on both sides, by talking to the people who do it. That almost always produces a different picture than the org charts.
Then we make the choices concrete: which method becomes the shared one, who takes which responsibility, what happens with duplicate roles. And then we help carry it out, because this is exactly the kind of decision that keeps waiting when everyone is already busy.
How it works
A first conversation
We discuss what the acquisition was meant to deliver and what is materialising today. Free and without obligation.
Agreeing what we do
We decide which part of the integration we take on and in what order. Time and fee are fixed beforehand.
Getting to work
We work with people from both sides. At agreed moments we check whether it is really moving.
What we bring
We have acquired businesses ourselves, including staffing company Staffing through a management buy-out. We know the difference between an acquisition that works on paper and a company that afterwards genuinely runs as one.
Practical questions
How soon after the deal can we start?
The sooner the better. The first months decide which habits stick; after that every change gets heavier.
Do you take on a management role?
Usually we take on a bounded assignment and final responsibility stays with you. If the integration calls for someone to carry full responsibility temporarily, we agree beforehand which decisions sit with us and how the handover works.
Do you also talk to the acquired team?
Yes, and that is usually the most important part. Without their view of the work, any integration plan is only half right.
Get in touch
Is the integration after your acquisition stalling?
Tell us briefly what the acquisition was meant to deliver and where it is stalling today. We will look together at what is needed first.
Ilona or Wim will contact you personally.
The introductory meeting is free and takes place at your own premises.