Model the True Cost of Integration Before You Commit
Technology integration costs are routinely underestimated in M&A transactions. RLM builds detailed cost models that capture migration expenses, ongoing run-rate changes, contract penalties, licensing implications, and the timeline to synergy realization — giving deal teams the financial clarity they need.
Cost Modeling
RLM provides independent, vendor-neutral advisory that gives deal teams and integration leaders the technology clarity they need to make informed decisions and execute with confidence.
Current-State Cost Mapping
We build a complete view of technology spend across both entities — cloud consumption, carrier contracts, software licenses, managed services, and internal labor — normalized into comparable categories for accurate analysis.
Savings & Synergy Identification
We identify specific cost reduction opportunities — platform consolidation, license optimization, carrier renegotiation, headcount efficiency, and vendor leverage — with realistic timelines and confidence levels for each savings category.
Integration Cost Estimation
We estimate the one-time costs required to achieve synergies — migration labor, professional services, hardware refresh, contract termination fees, and the temporary cost of running parallel environments during transition.
Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis
We model multiple integration scenarios with different timelines, platform choices, and migration sequences — showing how each variable affects total cost, time to synergy, and net present value of the technology integration.
Synergy Realization Schedule
We build a month-by-month projection of when savings begin, when integration costs peak, and when the combined technology spend reaches its optimized run-rate — aligned to the deal's financial model and board reporting requirements.
Post-Close Cost Monitoring
We establish the tracking framework for monitoring actual versus projected costs post-close — dashboards, variance triggers, and the governance model that keeps integration spend on track and synergy targets accountable.
Where This Matters Most
Sector-specific considerations we see repeatedly in manda advisory engagements.
A Sample of the M&A Advisory Providers We Evaluate
RLM is vendor neutral. These are among 600+ providers in our evaluation set — inclusion here is not an endorsement, and we are paid by the provider you choose, not by any provider in particular. How that works →
Ready to Model Your Integration Costs?
Start with a no-cost assessment — we'll map both organizations' technology spend and build the cost model that gives your deal team financial clarity.
Talk to an M&A Advisor