Two Companies, One System: The Secret to Unlocking Acquisition Value
Hidden Costs of Acquisitions
Most of the time, it isn’t the deal itself that causes problems, it’s the messy integration afterwards. According to most studies, between 70% and 90% of acquisitions fail (Kenny, G.2020). Furthermore, “The Big Idea: The New M&A Playbook” (Christensen, Alton, Rising & Waldeck) similarly quotes the 70-90% failure rate. One big reason for this is the slow, complicated job of bringing systems and processes together.
Every time your finance teams rely on spreadsheets to close month-end, every time operations are stuck with manual workarounds, every time sales leaders pull reports that don’t line up, you push the value of the deal further down the road.
It’s like buying a new house but keeping two kitchens, two boilers and two front doors. Instead of enjoying your new home, you spend all your time trying to figure out how to live together.
Why speed matters so much
After an acquisition, there’s a critical window where leaders need to prove the deal was worth it to the board, investors and employees.
The longer it takes to align systems, the harder it is to keep confidence high. Teams get frustrated, customers notice when things slip, and leaders end up firefighting IT problems instead of driving the strategy forward.
This is why IT integration isn’t just back-office work. It’s the foundation that determines whether the business case actually delivers.
How String helps you unlock value faster
At String, we help organisations move from “two companies, two systems” to “one company, one platform” in a way that’s smooth and practical.
Using Microsoft solutions like Dynamics 365 Business Central and the Power Platform, we make it possible to:
01
Bring finance and operations together so there’s one set of numbers you can trust
02
Automate repetitive, manual processes so your people can focus on higher-value work
03
Create one clear source of truth that leaders can use to make confident, timely decisions
04
Build systems that are scalable and flexible as the new business grows
This isn’t just about technology.
It’s about giving your people the tools to work together seamlessly, without the distractions of mismatched systems.
Turning strangers into one team
Imagine this: within weeks of an acquisition, both businesses are sharing the same dashboards, processes and workflows. Finance is closing the books in days instead of weeks. Operations are working across sites without duplication. Sales teams are looking at the same customer data and agreeing on the same opportunities.
Instead of wrestling with clunky tools, your people are free to focus on the future and build it together.
That’s the difference between a deal that creates growth and one that gets stuck in integration limbo.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, an acquisition should be about growth, not about getting stuck in gridlock. The faster you bring your systems together, the sooner you unlock the value you set out to achieve.
With String and Microsoft solutions, you don’t just merge two companies. You create one stronger, smarter, more agile organisation.