Why Acquisitions Fail

by Denzil Rankine

Published 5 July 2001
 When acquisitions go disastrously wrong they can bring down the entire company. Equally, astute acquirers can achieve excellent growth or even transform their businesses through successful acquisition.  This briefing is a definitive guide to avoiding the pitfalls of acquisition. It is based on practical experience and is also backed by an independent survey of over 350 transactions and over 70 case studies.  The briefing highlights the 20 main reasons for failure. These are grouped in the five phases of any acquisition; starting from initial planning through to the completion of integration.  Contents include:

Executive summary
Flawed business logic
Flawed understanding of the new business
Flawed deal management
Flawed integration management
Flawed corporate development
Checklist for success

 A mistake in any one of these areas can be enough to turn a potentially successful acquisition into a disaster. Denzil Rankine is founder and chief executive of AMR International, a London-based strategy consultancy specialising in acquisition; over the past 20 years he has advised on 500 acquisitions in 32 countries.