Case Study: Cogent Communication, Intel, and Others: Mergers Go More Smoothly When Your Data Are Ready
1. Place yourself in the role of a manager at a company undergoing a merger or acquisition. What would be the most important things customers would expect from you while still in that process? What role would IT play in meeting those expectations? Provide at least three examples.
2. Focus on what Andi Alanti in the case calls "tribal knowledge: M'hat do you think is meant by that, and why is it so important to this process? What strategies would you suggest for companies that are faced with the extensive presence of this issue in an acquired organization? Develop some specific recommendations.
3. Most of the discussion on the case focused on hardware and software issues. However, these are essentially ena¬blers for underlying business processes developed by each of the companies involved. What different alterna¬tives do companies have for merging their business processes, and what role would IT play in supporting those activities? Pay particular attention to data management and governance issues.