Timeline: Multi year Focus: M&A Integration Tools Integrated: HubSpot, Salesforce, Workfront and Many Time Tracking Systems, aswell as Finance, HR and Legal Platforms.

Over a few years a fast growing media company acquired six specialist agencies, each with their own ways of working and unique tech stack.

Our job was to bring everyone into centralised systems without disrupting client delivery or support teams.

Some groups were operating out of spreadsheets and shared inboxes, others had invested in tools that didn't talk to each other. Everyone had client relationships that couldn't afford interruption, broken financials, or lost data.

The goal was to consolidate systems as quickly as possible, without anyone having their day ruined.

Basically this..

Each integration gets the same basic logic applied: put in the time needed to understand how the teams actually work, what does "BAU" look like for everyone. You have to learn the business, and what everyone needs to deliver.

From there I draft plans for every team in the company. A simple, top level plan that acts as a storyboard, with detailed plans available to those who need it.

Map the systems; how do they connect? How don't they connect? What are the pain points, what are the risks? Make these maps easy for everyone to view and understand.

Specify timelines and what success looks like, and demonstrate what can be improved along the way. What can be automated, where are the inefficiencies? By making someone's life at work genuinely easier, change management becomes easier.

With proper planning, clear comms, simple checklists and milestones, change can be made incrementally and seamlessly.

The secret to success isn't an expensive tool or elaborate processes, it's about keeping accurate records visible and being personable (someone that isn't a pain to spend time with). Take this chance to improve people's day to day operations. Queue up all the things that need doing into a list, and take it one task at a time.

Six agencies, all operational on a shared global system. Finance could consolidate revenue and cost reporting across the group. Leadership had a single view of resourcing, pipeline, and delivery. Client teams benefited from better processes.

The order of operations, intelligent planning and love for the game is what makes the difference.

There's always pressure to move fast after an acquisition, but moving with intention means nothing breaks along the way.