Following is a more detailed description of how Dean and Company can assist in a merger or acquisition effort:
Opportunity Evaluation/Target Identification: A merger or acquisition evaluation often starts as one element of a more global strategic review for a client. As Dean & Company works to quantify various strategic opportunities, M&A often emerges as a potentially attractive strategy to drive value creation. If this is a viable option, we work to understand the key characteristics required in a target company, to create a funnel to identify and filter these candidates, and then quantitatively evaluate each target potential as a partner.
Due Diligence: Once a target is established, we conduct hands-on and comprehensive due diligence of the target company. The centerpiece is a detailed financial model which based on the key drivers of the business. In order to understand the industry and company landscape (and populate the valuation model), we dig into the most granular data available to fully understand profit drivers. Where necessary, we go well beyond readily available data and work to understand the target from the field, via interviews with industry experts, competitive research, market research surveys, etc. The result is an objective, quantitative view of the M&A opportunity with the key business issues understood in great detail.
Execution of Actionable Solutions: A key offshoot of the due diligence process is our ability to recognize and evaluate potential profit levers within the newly integrated organization. Capturing these upside opportunities, whether they are cost synergies, untapped markets, or customer bonding strategies, can transform a solid investment into a highly profitable one. Dean and Company often sees an M&A opportunity through past the transaction, teaming with the management team to execute the strategic vision that initially drove the investment opportunity.
