At Wednesday's The Deal's Healthcare Dealmaking Symposium in New York, panelist Christine Arakelian, vice president, business development for Omnicare Inc., said she puts integration into two buckets.
The first she calls "step-out acquisitions" that immediately get folded into an existing facility. The procedures for these quick integrations are standardized and include a "SWAT team" that trains regional teams on the ground to get companies integrated efficiently.
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Then there are the larger acquisitions, where Arakelian plays a more active role. On those deals, integration is shaped during the initial negotiations. "It's part and parcel of the entire process," said Arakelian. These big integrations take patience, a tremendous amount of discipline and what Arakelian calls an "even tone throughout the company." It's that last point that gives many companies fits. There are frequently too many communication points, says Arakelian, leading to inconsistent messaging following the deal. - Suzanne Stevens
