How to execute a flawless Day 1

By Global PMI Partners

The term “Day 1 planning” gets a lot of emphasis in any integration planning discussion, as it should.

A flawlessly executed Day 1 can be a powerful catalyst for achieving integration objectives, and can help set a positive tone for the execution phase of an acquisition or merger.

Here’s a quick summary of what I consider the key common denominators of a well-planned and flawlessly executed Day 1.

While there are always some additional tasks you may need to do based on the specific requirements of a transaction, these are the basics:

Integration Planning

The Integration Management Office (IMO) is fully mobilized, and all project governance has been fully operationalized (e.g. the Steering Committee has been formed)
All workstream leads have been identified, and joint teams have been working on non-sensitive integration planning initiatives for at least several weeks or more
All “day 1 mandatory” initiatives have been identified, and status tracking has been established to confirm completion by or on Day 1 (the list is typically dominated by IT, Finance and HR initiatives)
Processes & protocols for the requesting and sharing of data has been formalized so workstream leads can use it to inform integration planning
All IMO collaboration tools, templates and processes have been defined, trained and “stood up”
Robust tracking for issues, risks and decision needs has started to help identify any problematic topics that need to be addressed
Initial workplans and year 1 roadmaps have been started to allow for a quick pivot to the execution phase after close (while these are certainly not complete at this stage, having them stubbed out by Day 1 drives momentum into the overall planning effort)

Day 1 Communications Planning

Key messages and talking points to support Day 1 communications have been drafted and vetted thru the senior management team
All key stakeholder groups and key contacts have been identified
Materials for customers & suppliers have been developed, and a plan for contacting key contacts is in place (e.g. some key customers may require a personal call ahead of the formal announcement)
Materials for employees (FAQs, resource guides etc.) have been developed to support Day 1 employee events
Materials have been translated into native languages where needed
Logistical planning (who is where) along with a specific Day 1 schedule of events and any week 1 visits at key locations has been formalized
Feedback mechanisms have been established to solicit customer and employee questions or concerns
Public facing branding related changes & announcements (e.g. websites, social platforms, signage) has been prepared & staged for execution as soon as the deal is announced
All of the above has been reviewed and where needed, rehearsed ahead of Day 1

Completing these basics will allow for a quick transition to the execution phase, and will ensure all key stakeholders are informed, engaged and on board.

Good luck with your integration!