Get Into the M&A Game

IT leaders need a playbook to make sure corporate mergers and acquisitions reap the intended benefits.

By Mary K. Pratt, Computerworld
May 23, 2011 10:38 AM ET

. What's this?

CIO Ken Piddington says business mergers and acquisitions are a bit like football games. Unfortunately, for years his company kept him on the bench for much of the action.

So Piddington set out to change that. He spent a few months last year developing a playbook that describes how the company's IT department can help M&A deals succeed. It covers everything from the pregame meetings through the post-game commentary.

The strategy worked. "I've gone from not being included to having [a role] fairly early in the deal," says Piddington, the IT leader at oil distributor Global Partners in Waltham, Mass.

To continue reading, register here to become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.