M&A transactions are complex and meticulous. Merger & Acquisition teams often are working on more than one project at a time. Teams need to use the latest M&A tools and software to help them complete their transactions more efficiently.
Learn more about the latest M&A tools and software below.
M&A Tools and Software Overview
In our advanced technology world, M&A teams have a variety of tools and software platforms to help them during complex M&A transactions. While many of these exciting tools are new, they are revolutionizing how deals are managed and organized.
Virtual Data Rooms
One of the most popular M&A tools is called a virtual data room (VDR). These tools have been available for almost 20 years, and there are hundreds of products available. They are renowned for their ability to store confidential information that an M&A team collects and shares during due diligence performance.
For instance, with a virtual data room, an investment bank can share vital information between sellers, buyers, and third parties. At the same time, the team can stay in control of who is allowed to see what. The typical VDR has strict security standards that are regulated by the SEC and FINRA. So, you know that all data in a VDR is entirely secure.
Excel
Another excellent M&A tool is Excel. M&A professionals use Excel trackers to follow the status of their due diligence requests. Excel trackers usually have a due diligence column category, such as description, priority, type, labels, status, start date, and due date.
Any time something is changed or updated with the tracker, the master list should be updated and shared to include all team members. Excel trackers are used with VDRs during the M&A due diligence process. For instance, when a document is uploaded into the VDR, a line item request is updated and marked as complete. The use of a VDR and an Excel tracker is a reliable and traditional approach to due diligence.
Project Management Tools
Project management has been in use for years, but it only recently has been used for Mergers & Acquisitions. Project management with an M&A is not intended to be used with one specific part of the deal, but rather for the team’s processes and workflows overall. M&A software helps members find and create consistent, repeatable workflows, then strive to be as efficient as they can be.
For instance, investment banks regularly have new interns throughout the year. Some banks utilize project management software to manage the assignments and tasks of the interns.
Pipeline Management Software
This is a newer software option and is designed towards corporate development Merger & Acquisition professionals. Corporate teams usually work on several M & A deals at once and are always looking for new opportunities.
Pipeline management software assists corporate management teams to organize and manage their potential and ongoing deals more efficiently. Inside the pipeline management software, deals may be grouped by stages, such as integration or due diligence.
Each deal features a ‘deal card’ that stresses vital information about that particular deal. This allows the corporate development team to manage every deal in one area and compare and track all their outstanding deals.
Diligence Management
This is another new M&A tool and software that is making waves. The use of diligence management allows the group to organize its due diligence process in a modern methodology compared to Excel trackers and VDRs. But when used properly, diligence management software can increase due diligence process speed by an impressive 40%.
The Bottom Line
The wide availability of advanced M&A technology tools means that M&A professionals have many helpful tools at their disposal to complete their deals more efficiently, track multiple deals accurately, and maintain maximum deal security.
