The scale of the integration was considerable and needed to be aligned and coordinated across multiple functional lines. New digital systems across a range of requirements were central to the changes. Sites needed closing, brands integrating, the workforce rebalanced and all this across 27 countries.
The key to the success of this monumental integration was the time spent in planning and preparation. The plan was practical, clearly communicated and understood by the team tasked with its delivery ‘everyone knew what had to be done and when’. IT solutions were at the heart of unlocking the integration and an ambitious creative and flexible approach proved successful. The integration was conducted with a sense of urgency and a judicious use of delegation and risk built up excellent momentum. The matrix of meetings and reporting was an optimal balance of freedom and control which enabled steady and well-monitored progress. The identification of key players and a build-up of trust across the team combined with a good communications flow led to a happy, capable and motivated group of people.
Profits were very quickly realised by the new division with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 15% over an 8 year period. This was as a result of the integration taking a firm hold and the delivery team being fully committed to the task in hand.