Unify support and strategy for successful post-M&A integrations
In the wake of a merger or acquisition (M&A), organizations face dual pressures: maintaining operational stability while driving targeted transformation. Nowhere is this tension more visible than in IT. The acquired entity’s infrastructure, workflows, and systems must be supported continuously—while simultaneously being modernized, integrated, or retired.
Traditionally, these responsibilities fall to separate teams. Service desk and support functions maintain continuity, while consultants and transformation leaders focus on future-state design. But in complex, digitally enabled environments, this divide often becomes a drag on speed, clarity, and effectiveness of integration.
Leading organizations are moving toward a unified operating model, where IT support and service desk functions are intentionally aligned with transformation and consulting services. This model accelerates collaboration, builds institutional awareness, and creates a real-time feedback loop between operational realities and strategic objectives.
An integrated model can bridge the gap between stability and change
The post-M&A integration process demands both reliability and agility. Yet, in many organizations, operational support remains siloed from strategic IT planning. The result is a fragmented experience. Users face inconsistent support, transformation teams lack operational context, and integration efforts fall short of expectations. Bridging this operational-strategic gap is essential not only to protect business continuity but also to accelerate post-close value realization.
By aligning IT support with transformation teams under a common framework, organizations unlock 4 critical advantages that improve both near-term stability and long-term success.
Faster issue-to-innovation feedback loops
Service desk teams often identify the first signs of post-M&A integration friction; workflow confusion, low tool adoption, or poor data quality. When integrated with transformation teams, these signals can be rapidly fed into design efforts and used to refine roadmaps in real time, closing the loop between insight and action.
Improved employee experience during change
In the thick of post-M&A integrations and transitions, employees rely on timely, empathetic support to navigate new tools and systems. Aligning support with strategic IT teams ensures that help desk staff have the context to deliver high-quality assistance—and that transformation efforts are built with frontline input in mind.
Streamlined vendor governance and accountability
Organizations that consolidate service and transformation efforts (often under a single shared services model or external partner) benefit from unified governance, consolidated service level agreements (SLAs), and greater visibility across support and change initiatives. This eliminates fragmentation, accelerates performance tracking, and simplifies escalation paths.
Shared knowledge accelerates the post-M&A integration process
Support teams often possess deep, undocumented knowledge of systems, workarounds, and user pain points. Transformation teams bring a future-facing lens. When these groups collaborate, integration strategies are more grounded, actionable, and aligned with day-to-day realities.
Designing a unified IT delivery model for post-M&A integration
Creating this cohesion doesn't require a complete overhaul, it requires intentional coordination. Organizations pursuing M&A should consider the following practical steps:
- Embed transformation architects within support teams, especially in the first 6–12 months post-close
- Leverage shared IT systems management (ITSM) tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira) for both incident tracking and transformation workstreams
- Establish joint governance forums to align service delivery with evolving enterprise architecture
- Engage hybrid partners or managed service providers with a proven ability to deliver both “run” and “change” services
This follows a “run-meets-transform” model, which highlights the importance of maintaining daily operations (run) while ensuring that the experts and end users also get dedicated time to implement new solutions (transform).1 This model is particularly helpful in organizations where digital operations are both critical and complex, like logistics or healthcare.
Support as a strategic lever during the integration process
IT support teams shouldn’t just fix yesterday’s problems; they should help build tomorrow’s platform. When engaged early and integrated intentionally, service desk and IT support functions become more than reactive problem-solvers, they evolve into strategic partners. Their frontline connection to users and systems allows them to highlight early warning signs, flag adoption gaps, and provide actionable insight into what’s working—and what isn’t.
By elevating support within the broader post-M&A integration and transformation framework, organizations don’t just protect continuity, they build smarter, faster, and more resilient digital futures. In a post-M&A world defined by complexity and urgency, the convergence of “run” and “transform” is no longer optional; it’s a competitive advantage.
Partner with CAI to accelerate post-M&A integration
Successfully merging IT support and transformation capabilities requires more than coordination, it requires a partner with experience, vision, and operational discipline.
CAI brings a proven track record of helping organizations bridge the gap between IT operations and strategic change, ensuring continuity today while building the digital foundation for tomorrow.
Whether you're navigating post-merger complexity, consolidating systems, or reimagining service delivery, CAI offers:
- Integrated service desk and transformation delivery models
- Flexible engagement options tailored to both Day One readiness and long-term scale
- A commitment to client outcomes that balance stability, speed, and innovation
Don’t let siloed teams or reactive service models delay your integration success. Partner with CAI to turn IT support into a strategic lever—powering smarter, faster, and more resilient growth. To learn more, fill out the form below.
Endnotes
- Patrick Lemoine. “Scaling for Success: Transformation Insights from HPE’s Joanna Kostecka.” 09 Solutions. March 11, 2024. https://o9solutions.com/articles/scaling-for-success-transformation-insights-from-hpes-joanna-kostecka/. ↩
