The other interesting thing that I have witnessed during these integrations

　　The second company is an airline. These two business units who were both under performing, (in fact one of them was in bankruptcy court), were merged in an effort to construct a business unit that was viable. Again the integration was I believe not thought through due to the current climate within the two companies'. It is important to note that in this instance both companies were having financial difficulties and were grasping at straws I would imagine given the circumstances. The challenge for this business unit will be in forging a business alliance with the unions that will allow for the transition. If we were to take a historical view of this Disposable plastic tableware then it's safe to say that there will be major hurdles to overcome and success or failure will be the direct result of how these issues are handled. At the time of this article there is a significant amount of turmoil within these business units and the fight has begun. If not properly managed then the end result will be to the detriment of all. That should be an interesting share holders meeting as well.

　　First and foremost if you are part of the transition team during a merger then you may wish to consider a few things. If the business unit that you are acquiring is currently operating at a profitable level then before you rush into make changes I might suggest that you first evaluate what it is specifically that made the business unit a success. Evaluate the key components to see what it is that makes them work and why. Based on that then formulate a strategy to integrate the two units into one profitable entity. Often times during these evaluation periods you may well discover procedures or systems that operate more effectively and want to implement those practices within the parent group.

The other interesting thing that I have witnessed during these integrations is that often in an attempt to consolidate operations the parent will move or transfer personnel that are going to be retained to other locations in an effort to "save money". More times than not it will actually have the reverse affect if the time is taken to measure this event. That is not even taking into account the effect on productivity due to employee unrest. This is one of the most important considerations during a merger. Never under estimate the importance of getting the employees at all levels on the train heading the right direction, the success of your endeavor might well depend on it! The other factor you should consider is what the residual effects of the integration are going to be, and there will be some. The question is will you recognize them as such and formulate plans to mitigate the damage or will you take the ostrich approach? Remember hope is not a business strategy.