Post-Acquisition Integration
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Post-Acquisition Integration
Our client executed a strategic acquisition, purchasing two distinct legacy product portfolios from two top-tier pharmaceutical companies. This significant deal was valued at over £700 million, with projected annual sales of approximately £200 million.
The combined assets were highly complex, involving 185 unique formulations across 80 global markets, resulting in 2,300 finished SKUs. The transition required managing two distinct supply chain strategies:
One product block involved a simple market ownership transfer while retaining the existing site of manufacture.
The second, more complex block required a transfer of market ownership coupled with identifying and migrating to a new manufacturing site.
Challenge
Six months into the integration, the programme was severely constrained by a lack of progress and poor transparency. Leadership lacked the necessary visibility to monitor execution, track critical actions, and ensure timely delivery. This lack of control presented a significant risk, as missing key transfer deadlines would directly impact the financial realization milestones in the P&Ls of both our client and the two sellers.
Our initial assessment revealed a foundational issue: team members largely lacked formal project management experience, struggling to translate strategic goals into actionable daily tasks. The absence of formal programme planning and governance structures was the root cause of the lack of visibility and stalled progress.
Our Solution
To address this, we instituted a comprehensive Programme Management Office (PMO) framework designed to be pragmatic and fit-for-purpose.
- Methodology & Training: We began by training the teams in a project management methodology suited to the business’s structure and existing skill sets.
- Detailed Planning: Collaboratively, we established detailed, multi-layered work breakdown structures, creating timelines segmented by product Block, active ingredient (Molecule), Market, and phase of work.
- Accountability & Control: We prioritized tasks into weekly sprints, performed Critical Path Analysis (CPA) to identify dependencies, and assigned clear task ownership to drive individual accountability and delivery.
- Resource Management: We conducted a thorough resource audit, leading to recommendations and the successful deployment of additional, targeted resources to understaffed and high-risk workstreams.
- Governance: This granular planning rolled up into a robust reporting cadence, including weekly working sessions, monthly programme reviews, and ultimate reporting to the Steering Committee and the Executive Board.
Finally, we provided continuous on-the-job mentoring and direct project support to the team members, ensuring they could execute the work plan accurately and achieve timely completion of milestones.