Published on February 12th, 2020 | by Bibhuranjan

Which M&A Tools and Software can You Use for M&A Transactions?

Mergers and acquisition transactions are genuinely becoming more complex, more valuable, and more significant than ever before. As the race in M&A activity continues, most organisations will need state-of-the-art M&A tools and software solutions to execute M&A transactions successfully. Technology can make a huge impact on the efficiency and success of M&A, from facilitating an accelerated and better-informed deal process to improved post-merger integration. The rate of acquisitions also demands that technical leadership should pay close attention to the things happening around the market.

What are Mergers & Acquisitions Tools and Software?

M&A tools and software are basically platforms utilised by experts during a merger and acquisition transaction. This can incorporate platforms that perform various functions like project management, data storage, organisation, and deal tracking. When carrying out multiple functionalities throughout a deal process, it is possible to come across users that utilise different tools and software for different functions. In contrast, others use a single software platform for all things.

Types of Merger & Acquisition Tools and Software

In the present technical world, the M&A teams possess the chance of using various software platforms and tools to help them solve complex transactions. Indeed, most of these tools came into existence a couple of years ago, but they have certainly altered the way deals are managed and organised.

Project Management Tools

Although project management software and tools have existed for several years now, the M&A world has only accepted them lately. Project management tools in mergers and acquisitions aren’t founded upon a particular aspect of a deal, but they are based on a team’s business processes and general workflows. An M&A system does not only help a team to be as efficient as possible, but it also helps it recognise and develop repeatable and continuous workflows. For instance, you may come across various project management systems being used in a bank to manage the intern’s assignments and tasks.

Virtual Data Rooms

Also widely known as VDRs, Virtual data rooms is one of the most recognised M&A tools. It has been in the market for a couple of decades, and there are endless providers f VDR across the globe. The VDRs are best known for their capability of storing the data collected and shared throughout the due diligence process safely and securely. For instance, banks can take advantage of virtual data rooms to share critical info between sellers, buyers, and third parties, while they stay in total control of what every party can view. As a matter of fact, the info shared and stored through virtual data rooms is a 100 % secure.

Pipeline Management Software

This is a new system geared towards the corporate development merger and acquisition experts. Other professionals also know it as corporate development software. The concept behind this useful management system is to assist the corporate development teams in organising and managing their prospective and ongoing deals in a much better way. Inside the software, the deals are categorised in terms of their current stage, such as integration and due diligence. Popular pipeline management systems include Firmex, Eknow, and Midaxo.

Collaboration Tools

Besides the systems developed precisely for M&A, there are also other systems utilised daily by the M&A specialists. Currently, most teams depend on Skype, Slack, as well as email for communication purposes. Skype primarily focuses on voice calls and video chats between various types of devices. With collaboration tools, users can share messages that incorporate video, audio, and texts. The good thing about a collaboration tool like Slack is that it can be integrated with various apps like Twitter, Dropbox, Salesforce, and Zoom.

Excel

Excel is a standard M&A tool utilised by the experts to track the due diligence needs. The excel trackers usually incorporate common due diligence column groupings like description, title, status, priority, start date, labels, as well as the due date. Each time something has been updated or adjusted in an excel tracker, the master list should also be updated and shared with all users.

Final Words

The list of M&A tools and software to choose from is endless. Selecting the right tool for the right purpose basically depends on your team’s specific needs. The team that does not like modern things can opt for the old school Excel and VDR tools. The innovators and tech gurus can opt for advanced tools and software like the Firmex.

Tags: acquisition, business software, data, merger, Salesforce, software, tools

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.