Integrating an Acquired Manufacturer’s IT

Acquisitions look clean on the org chart and messy in the server room. Two of everything, two ways of working, and a deadline to make them one business — while both keep shipping product. That integration needs an owner, or it quietly stalls.

When the multi-site manufacturer where I served as IT Director acquired a door manufacturer, I owned the technology side of bringing the two companies together.

The work

Integration meant reconciling core business systems — including ERP on the Sage / MAS 90 / MAS 200 platforms manufacturers actually run on — unifying identity and access, and folding the acquired site into a coherent multi-site infrastructure. The goal was one way of operating, not two systems wearing the same logo.

Where M&A IT integrations go wrong

The common failure isn’t technical — it’s unmade decisions. Nobody rules on which system wins, so both limp along in parallel. Security gaps open up during the transition, when accounts and access are in flux. And the integration drags on past the point anyone is paying attention, leaving permanent duplication and cost. Someone has to own the call on what stays, what goes, and by when.

What this means for your business

If you are acquiring, being acquired, or consolidating sites, the IT integration deserves a strategic owner from day one — not an afterthought once the deal closes. That is fractional-CIO work: setting the integration roadmap, holding vendors accountable, and protecting the business through the transition. It is a natural fit for manufacturers and distributors, where the systems run deep and the cost of getting it wrong is measured in downtime.

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