M&A integration
M&A integration services for growing businesses
Most acquisitions don’t fail at the negotiating table. They fail in the 180 days after. We turn two companies into one coherent, high-performing operation.
Built for$1M–$40M acquirers
TimelinePre-close to Day 180
Typical fee$10,000–$20,000 / month
Reviewed by Calvin Wu, CPA (inactive) · Updated October 2026
In short
We run your post-acquisition integration from pre-close to Day 180, so the deal delivers its value.
PhasesPre-close · Day 1–30 · Day 31–90 · Day 91–180
Key deliverableOne consolidated dashboard within 60 days
Already closed?Rapid assessment and plan in two weeks
Led byCalvin Wu, CPA (inactive)
Why acquisitions underperform
Integration isn’t a post-deal task. It’s the deal.
Research consistently shows that 50–70% of M&A transactions fail to deliver their expected value. Smaller companies feel it most: no dedicated integration team, no PMO, no consultants on retainer.
- No integration plan existed before the deal closed
- Finance systems never unified, creating reporting blind spots
- Key employees left within 90 days
- No visibility into the acquired company’s true cost structure
- Two tech stacks still running six months post-close
- Revenue synergies assumed but never operationalized
What we do
Your integration management office
The structure, financial oversight and operational rigor that turn a closed deal into a functioning, profitable business unit.
01
Financial integration and reporting
Chart of accounts mapping, system migration (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite), the first 90 days of reporting and purchase price allocation coordination.
02
Cash flow and working capital
A 13-week combined cash model, working capital true-up monitoring, AR/AP unification and Day 1 treasury setup.
03
Diligence validation
Revenue and margin checked against QoE findings, concentration review, and earnout and escrow tracking.
04
Planning and milestone tracking
A cross-functional master plan, weekly integration meetings and dashboards, and dependency and risk escalation.
05
Vendor, contract and entity consolidation
Vendor spend analysis, contract assignment tracking and legal-entity clean-up.
06
KPI framework and consolidated reporting
Consolidated P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, a combined KPI dashboard, and board reporting for the combined entity.
Methodology
A phased plan built for owner-operated businesses
| Phase | Timing | Key deliverables |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-close | 30–60 days before close | Integration master plan, Day 1 checklist, org chart, systems inventory |
| Day 1–30 | First 30 days | Cash flow model, financial systems access, vendor inventory, staff communications |
| Day 31–90 | Core integration sprint | Consolidated financials, synergy tracking, systems consolidation, KPI dashboard live |
| Day 91–180 | Value realization | Full entity consolidation, vendor savings realized, unified board and investor reporting |
Cost optimization and synergies
Synergies don’t capture themselves
They need a workstream, a financial owner and a timeline. We provide all three, surfacing tangible savings within the first 90 days.
Cost baseline
A line-by-line combined cost map, normalized for one-time items, owner perks and deal costs.
- Expense normalization and add-backs
- Benchmarking against peers
Vendor and procurement
An overlap audit across both entities, prioritized by savings and switching cost.
- Duplicate subscription audit
- Contract renegotiation support
Headcount and overhead
A financial framework for overlap. Personnel decisions stay with your leadership.
- Role-by-role cost mapping
- Severance and transition modeling
Revenue synergies
Cross-sell, new segments and pricing power, modeled realistically.
- Whitespace analysis
- Probability-weighted synergy model
Synergy tracking dashboard
Each initiative tracked against target, with owner, timeline and cumulative realization.
- Monthly actual vs. target
- Board-ready scorecard
Why us
CFO-led, not consultant-led. Frameworks built for $1M–$40M deals, with continuity into fractional CFO support.
FAQ
M&A integration questions
How long does M&A integration take for a small business?
For most SMB acquisitions in the $2M–$20M range, the core integration sprint runs 90–180 days, with systems and cultural alignment continuing for up to 12 months. The first 30 days are the most critical: employee uncertainty peaks, cash management is most complex and operational gaps are most visible. An integration plan should be in place before Day 1.
What is the difference between M&A integration and due diligence?
Due diligence happens before the deal closes and verifies what you are buying. Integration happens after closing and combines the two companies. Many SMB buyers invest heavily in diligence but have no integration plan; we support both and use diligence findings to set integration priorities.
Do we need integration support for a small acquisition?
The smaller the deal, the more critical integration expertise is. Large companies can absorb integration failures through scale. A $3M acquisition that goes sideways can materially damage a $10M business.
Can you help if we already closed and are struggling?
Yes, and it is one of the most common situations we see. If you are 30–90 days post-close and feeling friction, we run a rapid integration assessment, identify the highest-risk gaps and deliver a prioritized remediation plan within two weeks.
How much do M&A integration services cost?
Most SMB integration engagements run $10,000–$20,000 per month for the duration of the integration sprint, depending on deal complexity, company size and the number of active workstreams. Project-based and monthly retainer structures are available.
Related services
Where this work often leads
Next step
You closed the deal. Now let’s make sure it works.
Book a free 30-minute integration assessment. We’ll review your timeline, identify your highest-risk gaps and outline what structured support looks like.
