IT Integration and Its Role in the M&A World

Guest Profile

Uma Nidmarty is a certified Project Management Professional with over 25 years of experience in M&A acquisitions. Uma is a specialist in IT integration with her own M&A consulting firm, working with leading large multinational companies through the mergers and acquisition process. She is a seasoned expert in managing IT and PMO-related global M&A transactions, transition services, and divestitures for a variety of Fortune 100 companies in the areas of manufacturing, tech, pharma, chemicals, tobacco, CPG, and food & beverage. Uma has extensive transaction advisory experience from the due diligence process, transition services agreements, and deal execution.

Uma received an M.S. in Computer Science from Pace University and has a Certificate in Project Management and a Master’s Certificate in Program Management from George Washington University.

• Company: Nidmarty Consulting, Inc.
• Location:  Richmond, Virginia
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/umanidmarty
• Phone:      (804) 386-9997
• Email:       unidmarty@gmail.com

Topics Covered

• What is a Project Management Office or Program Management Office (PMO)? [2:45]
• Why would a PMO manage a project as opposed to a division? [6:19]
• Is there a primary industry-accepted certification for project management? [7:13]
• What size companies typically have a PMO? [9:45]
• What is the first step to an acquisition? When does the PMO begin to become involved in a potential acquisition? [11:22]
• How important is integration, and what impact can it have on value? [13:21]
• What are the major components of integration planning? [15:26]
• What are the deal killers that influence a no-go decision in integration? [17:50]
• What can lead to a lack of proper integration planning, even in large acquisitions? [21:30]
• Why do most people in a PMO come from an IT background? [27:50]
• What does IT integration consist of? [29:42]
• What is an IT portfolio, and what components of a company are included in an IT portfolio inventory? [32:00]
• What is the next step in IT integration after looking at the IT portfolio? [36:06]
• What is reverse IT integration? [37:46]
• Does there tend to be much resistance to change among the employees at companies involved with a merger, acquisition, or divestiture? [41:31]
• What are the most significant costs involved with IT integration? [43:32]
• How long does IT integration typically take? [ 46:20]
• What is a carve-out factory? [48:54]
• From an IT integration standpoint, what is the most difficult element, software, or process to integrate? [52:27]
• What is the most important takeaway when it comes to IT integration? [55:58]

Learn More

• Most Common Deal Killers When Selling Your Business
• Tech & Software M&A Dynamics

Resources Mentioned

• Contact MAD Advisory at info@madadvisory.com or (804) 277-9111 to learn more about Uma Nidmarty’s course on IT Integration in Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures (MAD), titled “Project Management in the World of MAD,” which explores the differences between MAD program/project management and conventional program/project management.

Listen to Other Episodes

• The Highs and Lows of Growing A Business Through Acquisitions with Orrin Klopper
• The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of Growth by Acquisition with Elizabeth Cholawsky & Taylor Viens
• An Introduction to Corporate Carve-Outs with Eric Jones
• Mid-Market Integration with Tony Benedict

Acronyms or Terms Used in This Episode

• PMO – program management office or project management office
• PMP and PgMP – industry-accepted certifications for Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP) issued by the Project Management Institute
• Lean management – a business management approach that focuses on continual improvement
• Divest co – refers to the components of an acquisition that will be divested
• Remain co – refers to components of an acquisition that will remain after an integration
• TSA – transition services agreement
• SAP – an enterprise resource planning system
• Carve-out factory – a term referring to when an acquiring company carves out certain systems from the company they are acquiring and puts those systems into a temporary location in order to facilitate their integration or to decommission those systems during the integration process
• ERP – enterprise resource planning system

To suggest guests, topics, or questions for future podcast episodes, contact Morgan & Westfield.