Case Study: Executing a 90-Day Acquisition Integration

For organizations pursuing an aggressive acquisition strategy, integrating newly acquired businesses efficiently is essential to realizing the value of each transaction. A manufacturing and distribution company needed a repeatable approach to acquisition integration as it expanded its regional market share. Following a $28 million tuck-in acquisition, the company engaged Smith + Howard to implement a structured integration playbook and bring the acquired business’s management, accounting functions and systems into the existing platform within 90 days.

The Challenge

The company needed to integrate an acquired business within 90 days while establishing a repeatable process for future acquisitions.

The client maintained an aggressive acquisition strategy focused on expanding its regional market share. To support continued growth, leadership wanted a consistent integration playbook that could be applied across transactions rather than developing a new approach for each acquisition.

The immediate engagement involved a $28 million tuck-in acquisition of a manufacturing and distribution business. The acquired operation needed to be integrated into the buyer’s management structure, financial processes and platform systems within a 90-day window.

Critical priorities included establishing cash controls, aligning financial close and reporting processes, preparing net working capital and purchase price allocation information, transitioning controller responsibilities and completing the systems migration. The acquired team also needed training to operate effectively within the new platform.

Our Approach

Smith + Howard executed a structured integration playbook focused on financial controls, reporting, accounting responsibilities and systems transition.

During the first 30 days, the team implemented cash controls over collections and disbursements, along with cash forecasting processes to strengthen financial visibility and oversight.

Smith + Howard also established financial close and reconciliation procedures aligned with the acquiring organization. Flash reporting was implemented during days three through five of the first close cycle under interim management, providing leadership with timely financial information.

Throughout the integration, the team maintained net working capital tracking to support purchase price settlement and coordinated the transition of controller responsibilities to the acquirer’s accounting team.

The engagement also included supporting the transition to the platform’s systems, preparing the acquired business for go-live and coordinating the integration of its accounting functions into the broader organization.