# Integration Planning

> Post-merger integration (PMI) planning and cultural diagnostics. Generates Day 1 readiness checklists, 100-day functional workstream plans, governance structures, systems migration roadmaps, and change management communications. Includes cultural compatibility assessment using behavioral mapping. Use when user asks to "plan post-merger integration", "PMI plan", "integration workstream", or mentions Day 1 readiness, synergy capture, or integration management.

- Skill: `lauraflorentin/integration-planning` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add lauraflorentin/integration-planning`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/lauraflorentin/integration-planning/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Integrations & APIs
- Author: lauraflorentin (https://skillmd.com/u/lauraflorentin)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/lauraflorentin/integration-planning

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# Integration Planning

Post-merger integration is where deal value is either captured or destroyed. Cultural mismatch is the leading cause of integration failure, and poorly planned Day 1 transitions create lasting organizational damage. This skill covers both the analytical (culture diagnostics) and operational (PMI planning) dimensions.

## When to Use

- Assessing cultural compatibility between acquirer and target
- Building a PMI Target Operating Model
- Creating Day 1 readiness checklists
- Designing functional workstream plans (HR, IT, Finance, Operations)
- Developing employee communications and change management plans

## The /culture-diag Protocol

### How It Works

Shifts cultural assessment from subjective interviews to **objective behavioral mapping**:

1. **Analyze** unstructured organizational data (where legally permissible and anonymized):
   - Decision-making velocity and approval hierarchies
   - Meeting cadences and cross-departmental communication patterns
   - Budget authority levels and spending approval chains
2. **Identify** operational friction points between organizations
3. **Flag** fundamental behavioral incompatibilities
4. **Recommend** targeted change-management interventions

### Output Format

```
## Cultural Compatibility Assessment

### Decision-Making Style
| Dimension | Acquirer | Target | Friction Level |
|-----------|---------|--------|----------------|
| Decision speed | Agile / decentralized | Committee-driven | 🔴 HIGH |
| Risk tolerance | High | Conservative | 🟡 MEDIUM |
| Innovation approach | Bottom-up | Top-down directive | 🔴 HIGH |
| Communication | Informal / Slack-first | Formal / email chain | 🟡 MEDIUM |

### Key Friction Points
1. [Specific incompatibility with recommended intervention]
2. [...]

### Change Management Priorities
1. [Most critical cultural bridge to build]
2. [...]
```

**Time saved**: Replaces days of subjective interviewing with objective behavioral mapping, enabling proactive change-management planning before Day 1.

## PMI Target Operating Model

### Key Sections

| Section | Focus |
|---------|-------|
| Integration Governance | Steering committee, escalation protocols, IMO roles |
| Day 1 Readiness | Payroll continuity, legal entity transfer, systems access, communications |
| Functional Workstreams | 100-day plans for HR, IT, Finance, Operations, Legal, Go-to-Market |
| Systems & IT Architecture | Application rationalization, data migration, infrastructure |
| Cultural Integration & Change Mgmt | Retention strategies, benefit rationalization, communications sequencing |

### AI-Assisted Workflow

1. **Prompt** with deal parameters (e.g., "carve-out acquisition in regulated manufacturing")
2. **Generate** workstream charters with standard timelines and risk registers
3. **Populate** cross-functional dependency maps
4. **Auto-generate** from HR DD findings:
   - Employee onboarding communications
   - Talent retention bonus agreements
   - Benefit transition summaries
5. **Create** Day 1 readiness checklist with owner assignments

### Day 1 Readiness Template

```
## Day 1 Readiness Checklist

### Legal & Corporate
- [ ] Legal entity transfer completed
- [ ] Board resolutions filed
- [ ] Regulatory notifications submitted

### HR & People
- [ ] Payroll continuity confirmed
- [ ] Benefits enrollment communicated
- [ ] Organization chart published
- [ ] Welcome communications sent

### IT & Systems
- [ ] Email and SSO access provisioned
- [ ] Critical systems access granted
- [ ] Data migration verified

### Operations
- [ ] Customer notification letters sent
- [ ] Vendor notification letters sent
- [ ] Banking and treasury transitioned

### Communications
- [ ] All-hands meeting scheduled
- [ ] External press release approved
- [ ] Customer FAQ distributed to front-line teams
```

## Operating Guidelines

- Cultural diagnostics must use only legally permissible, anonymized data
- Day 1 plans must be jurisdiction-specific (labor laws vary dramatically)
- Employee communications should be empathetic, transparent, and legally reviewed
- Retention bonuses should target key personnel identified in HR diligence
- Always include a "first 100 days" milestone tracker with clear accountability
- Integration governance should have weekly cadence minimum for the first 90 days
- Flag any synergy that requires involuntary headcount reduction — needs sensitive handling