Post-Merger Integration Decision Log
This is a practical guide to building a decision log for a post-merger integration project — a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why, adapted to the realities of integrating two organisations after a deal.
What a Decision Log is
A decision log is a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Decision Log. On a post-merger integration project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Post-Merger Integration project
Post-Merger Integration projects live or die on integrating two organisations after a deal. A well-built decision log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how post-merger integration projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Decision
- Date and owner
- Rationale
- Alternatives considered
- Impact
Post-Merger Integration-specific considerations
Tailor the decision log to the risks that most often derail post-merger integration projects:
- Systems and process consolidation
- People and culture
- Realising synergies
Example
On a real post-merger integration project, the decision log would be shaped by integrating two organisations after a deal. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — systems and process consolidation, people and culture, realising synergies — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.