A New Acquisition to Compliment Offerings Posed Difficulties with Operating Model Integration

A medium-sized enterprise in the Professional & Business Services industry aimed to acquire a Fintech company with an industry-leading SaaS platform that complemented its existing service offerings. However, integrating two organizations with distinct operational models, cultures, and technologies presented significant challenges:

Time and Resource Constraints: With a tight 6-12 month timeline, the client required rapid due diligence and a structured approach to manage the complexity of the integration.

Operational Compatibility: The firm needed to assess the compatibility of both organizations’ processes, systems, and cultures to ensure a cohesive integration.

Complex Integration Needs: The acquisition required a detailed roadmap to align in-flight projects, prioritize initiatives, and address capability gaps without disrupting existing operations.

Member Experience Continuity: Ensuring a seamless transition for members to the new digital service offering was critical to maintaining trust and market leadership.

Employee Retention: The merger risked voluntary staff attrition due to uncertainty and cultural misalignment, threatening operational stability.

Go-to-Market Strategy: The combined entity needed a unified strategy to capitalize on new capabilities and maintain its competitive edge in the market.

Solutions

Conducted Comprehenisve Assessment of Firms
Identified Best Practices and Capability Gaps
Established Baseline for Integration Success

The organization sought The Abaco Group’s support to conduct due diligence, develop an integration roadmap, establish an IMO, and define a go-to-market strategy that would ensure long-term success.

  • Conducted a comprehensive current-state assessment of both organizations, analyzing processes, systems, organizational structures, and cultural dynamics.
  • Identified internal best practices from each entity to serve as the foundation for the future-state operating model, ensuring the retention of high-value capabilities.
  • Pinpointed critical capability gaps, such as outdated legacy systems and skill shortages, that needed to be addressed to support the combined entities.
  • Documented and tracked performance metrics to establish a baseline for integration success, including member satisfaction, system uptime, and employee retention rates.

Solutions

Assessed Future-State Operating Model Alignment
Prioritized High-Impact Initiatives
Developed Integration Roadmap

  • Reviewed all in-flight projects across both organizations to assess their alignment with the future-state operating model.
  • Prioritized high-impact initiatives, such as platform integration and member onboarding, while eliminating or deferring low-value projects to optimize resource allocation.
  • Proposed new initiatives, including system upgrades and training programs, to address capability gaps and support the combined entity’s strategic objectives.
  • Developed a detailed integration roadmap with clear milestones, dependencies, and resource requirements, segmented into 30-, 60-, and 100-day phases for execution.

Solutions

Drafted IMO Charter
Established Routines to Track Performance
Developed Change Management Plan

  • Created a 100-day plan to guide the initial integration phase, outlining key activities, deliverables, and accountability structures.
  • Drafted an IMO charter defining the office’s purpose, scope, and governance model to ensure alignment across stakeholders.
  • Established standardized management routines, including weekly status meetings, risk assessments, and performance dashboards, to track progress and resolve issues.
  • Developed a comprehensive change management plan to address employee concerns, foster cultural alignment, and communicate transparently with members about the transition.

Solutions

Identified Competitive Differentiators
Designed New GTM Strategy
Unified Cross-Functional Teams

  • Analyzed the combined entity’s capabilities to identify competitive differentiators, such as enhanced digital features and expanded service offerings.
  • Designed a go-to-market strategy that leveraged the FinTech’s SaaS platform to attract new members while retaining existing ones through targeted marketing and personalized onboarding.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align sales, marketing, and customer success functions under a unified brand identity.

Solutions

Held Workshops and Town Halls for Buy-In
Provided Training and Support
Monitored Integration Process

  • Engaged leadership, employees, and member representatives through workshops and town halls to build buy-in and address concerns.
  • Provided training and support to ensure staff were equipped to adopt new processes and technologies.
  • Monitored integration progress through regular checkpoints, adjusting plans as needed to mitigate risks and maintain momentum.

01

Captured Market Share

Achieved full operational integration of new company within the 6-12 month timeline with projected revenue growth of 12-15% over the next two years.

02

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

Increased member satisfaction scores by 15% due to enhanced platform functionality, faster response times, and personalized support.

03

Grew Customer Base

Launched new GTM strategy that increased new member sign-ups by 10% within 6-months while retaining 98% of existing members.