Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can pose a challenge to businesses in the industrials sector that implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. While moving multiple companies with various ERP systems onto a single NetSuite instance requires thorough analysis and design planning, the system can be leveraged to unify entities, to enhance sales and purchasing processes, and to streamline supply chain and manufacturing operations.
RSM US LLP’s discovery process includes understanding and documenting each business’s unique requirements, and then identifying gaps. We help our clients successfully migrate to a single NetSuite instance to achieve a maximized, efficient ERP environment. RSM’s experienced NetSuite team supports both current NetSuite users going through M&A as well as future NetSuite users who have multiple businesses in their portfolio.
RSM’s NetSuite team’s in-depth approach makes sure that the right questions are asked during the discovery process so that your organization’s requirements are captured and analyzed for a successful optimization and/or implementation.
Common M&A challenges faced by industrials
M&A poses challenges for the people, processes and technologies on both sides of the deal. Decentralized processes in warehouse operations and technology systems exacerbate these challenges, but moving to centralized processes can help to enhance operations and gain efficiency. Another challenge? Companies involved in M&A often have a variety of legacy systems and data. Demand planning and inventory management rely on accurate, integrated inventory data for better forecasting, costing and valuation.
Preparing your people with effective change management can set up the business for success when implementing new processes and technologies. Training is also important to prepare employees across entities. Not only should training be provided for technology, but also for any new processes or tools to prevent misalignment between warehouse, operations and finance teams. It is important to outline future-state processes to enable a more seamless transition for teams that have different current-state methods. Selecting which technologies will be used requires an understanding of the business goals and requirements. Following a detail-oriented approach to discovery can help ensure your business makes the right technology decisions.
M&A with NetSuite
NetSuite is flexible and can support multiple business operations in the same instance. The scalability of NetSuite allows for integration with outside systems, which is crucial during M&A. NetSuite also enhances supply chain visibility, providing the means for effective inventory management, improved supplier relationships and reduced costs. Product development tools allow for a streamlined quality control process and a reduced time to market. Demand planning functionality in NetSuite allows for accurate adjustments in production schedules and inventory levels. Financial data can also be easily analyzed with NetSuite, providing businesses with visibility across the portfolio.
Asset management in NetSuite
Organizations can leverage NetSuite’s fixed asset management solution to record and manage assets across the businesses involved in an M&A. This module allows for automated fixed asset processes such as automated fixed asset creation from source transactions, automatic updates to financial statements from asset transactions and automated depreciation calculations. M&A can bring forward challenges in organizing and maintaining a large amount of fixed asset data for clients in the industrials sector. NetSuite’s fixed asset management can help alleviate these challenges by providing a centralized and customizable solution for maintaining fixed assets.
Regulatory compliance with NetSuite
NetSuite can also help manage regulatory compliance with an abundance of offerings that can help track compliance. Using NetSuite’s access controls, reporting functionality, audit trails and workflows can help your business gather and track data as well as automate and improve efficiencies in compliance efforts. NetSuite also offers quality control features, which are essential to companies who are required to meet industry quality standards. When it comes to M&A, scalability is crucial. NetSuite is a cloud-based solution that provides the ability to adapt to ever-changing compliance needs in the industrial space with frequent updates and customizability.
RSM’s discovery strategy
RSM’s discovery process includes comparing each company involved in the M&A to find similarities and differences in business processes, accounting practices and system requirements. RSM provides a scalable solution that can accommodate the needs and goals of the business.
Understanding business challenges and goals is key to the discovery process. RSM's team will review key considerations for the business’s NetSuite environment as well as familiar challenges we know are faced in M&A. During information gathering, we document business goals so that NetSuite can be configured to help accomplish those goals. It is important to understand the data, processes and systems that are going to be maintained in the future-state NetSuite environment.
The RSM team helps clients implement NetSuite by designing, configuring, testing and deploying the system according to specifications. RSM ensures that the NetSuite system is aligned with the client’s business strategy and supports growth before, during and after the implementation.
3 steps for a successful M&A discovery process
- Discover: The RSM team will meet with stakeholders from each business to understand objectives, goals and existing processes.
- Analyze: RSM’s NetSuite team will conduct gap analyses and evaluate current systems and processes.
- Design: Deliverables from the design stage include requirements documentation, timelines and estimates. Documentation will identify the required NetSuite features and bundles and any call-outs specific to certain entities in the portfolio.
Results
RSM’s NetSuite team provides process flows and documentation to outline your business requirements and goals. RSM also develops a plan for the companies moving to the new NetSuite system. NetSuite features and capabilities are identified for each business included in the implementation. Evaluation of requirements is completed to compare each business sharing the new NetSuite environment and to help your business understand the structure of the shared system.
The RSM advantage
RSM is a leading national provider of industry-focused services for the middle market. We have a dedicated team of business intelligence advisors who understand how important your data is to your business and how you can utilize it to make more informed decisions. The right data strategy can transform the way you do business, and through our comprehensive services and timely advice, we are prepared to help.
Ready to streamline your M&A with NetSuite?
Schedule a free consultation and see how RSM's tailored solutions can transform your business operations.
