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integration-planning

Post-merger integration (PMI) planning and cultural diagnostics. Generates Day 1 readiness checklists, 100-day functional workstream plans, governance structures, systems migration roadmaps, and change management communications. Includes cultural compatibility assessment using behavioral mapping. Use when user asks to 'plan post-merger integration', 'PMI plan', 'integration workstream', or mentions Day 1 readiness, synergy capture, or integration management.

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
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Integration Planning

Post-merger integration is where deal value is either captured or destroyed. Cultural mismatch is the leading cause of integration failure, and poorly planned Day 1 transitions create lasting organizational damage. This skill covers both the analytical (culture diagnostics) and operational (PMI planning) dimensions.

When to Use

  • Assessing cultural compatibility between acquirer and target
  • Building a PMI Target Operating Model
  • Creating Day 1 readiness checklists
  • Designing functional workstream plans (HR, IT, Finance, Operations)
  • Developing employee communications and change management plans

The /culture-diag Protocol

How It Works

Shifts cultural assessment from subjective interviews to objective behavioral mapping:

  1. Analyze unstructured organizational data (where legally permissible and anonymized):
    • Decision-making velocity and approval hierarchies
    • Meeting cadences and cross-departmental communication patterns
    • Budget authority levels and spending approval chains
  2. Identify operational friction points between organizations
  3. Flag fundamental behavioral incompatibilities
  4. Recommend targeted change-management interventions

Output Format

## Cultural Compatibility Assessment

### Decision-Making Style
| Dimension | Acquirer | Target | Friction Level |
|-----------|---------|--------|----------------|
| Decision speed | Agile / decentralized | Committee-driven | 🔴 HIGH |
| Risk tolerance | High | Conservative | 🟡 MEDIUM |
| Innovation approach | Bottom-up | Top-down directive | 🔴 HIGH |
| Communication | Informal / Slack-first | Formal / email chain | 🟡 MEDIUM |

### Key Friction Points
1. [Specific incompatibility with recommended intervention]
2. [...]

### Change Management Priorities
1. [Most critical cultural bridge to build]
2. [...]

Time saved: Replaces days of subjective interviewing with objective behavioral mapping, enabling proactive change-management planning before Day 1.

PMI Target Operating Model

Key Sections

| Section | Focus | |---------|-------| | Integration Governance | Steering committee, escalation protocols, IMO roles | | Day 1 Readiness | Payroll continuity, legal entity transfer, systems access, communications | | Functional Workstreams | 100-day plans for HR, IT, Finance, Operations, Legal, Go-to-Market | | Systems & IT Architecture | Application rationalization, data migration, infrastructure | | Cultural Integration & Change Mgmt | Retention strategies, benefit rationalization, communications sequencing |

AI-Assisted Workflow

  1. Prompt with deal parameters (e.g., "carve-out acquisition in regulated manufacturing")
  2. Generate workstream charters with standard timelines and risk registers
  3. Populate cross-functional dependency maps
  4. Auto-generate from HR DD findings:
    • Employee onboarding communications
    • Talent retention bonus agreements
    • Benefit transition summaries
  5. Create Day 1 readiness checklist with owner assignments

Day 1 Readiness Template

## Day 1 Readiness Checklist

### Legal & Corporate
- [ ] Legal entity transfer completed
- [ ] Board resolutions filed
- [ ] Regulatory notifications submitted

### HR & People
- [ ] Payroll continuity confirmed
- [ ] Benefits enrollment communicated
- [ ] Organization chart published
- [ ] Welcome communications sent

### IT & Systems
- [ ] Email and SSO access provisioned
- [ ] Critical systems access granted
- [ ] Data migration verified

### Operations
- [ ] Customer notification letters sent
- [ ] Vendor notification letters sent
- [ ] Banking and treasury transitioned

### Communications
- [ ] All-hands meeting scheduled
- [ ] External press release approved
- [ ] Customer FAQ distributed to front-line teams

Operating Guidelines

  • Cultural diagnostics must use only legally permissible, anonymized data
  • Day 1 plans must be jurisdiction-specific (labor laws vary dramatically)
  • Employee communications should be empathetic, transparent, and legally reviewed
  • Retention bonuses should target key personnel identified in HR diligence
  • Always include a "first 100 days" milestone tracker with clear accountability
  • Integration governance should have weekly cadence minimum for the first 90 days
  • Flag any synergy that requires involuntary headcount reduction — needs sensitive handling