Today’s data-heavy business landscape makes information governance crucial, especially during mergers and acquisitions. Poorly maintained records, inconsistent data classification, or unstructured digital assets filling up share drives can impede due diligence, raise compliance red flags, and reduce valuation. Buyers expect a clear picture of the current state of the business when reviewing its data. If your organization cannot quickly produce clean, accurate, and complete documentation, it may signal deeper operational issues, eroding buyer confidence or generating leverage for the buyer to negotiate a more favorable deal.

Unmanaged data has legal implications too, these shortcomings can lead to misrepresentation of information critical to the M&A, breaches of confidentiality obligations or breaches of user licenses. To prepare for a successful M&A process, companies should assess and strengthen their information governance practices well in advance. Proactively organizing digital records, standardizing data retention policies, and ensuring secure access protocols can not only expedite due diligence but also enhance your company’s value and marketability to potential buyers.

If your organization is seeking support with data mapping or any other information governance initiative, our team has solutions to assist clients in their efforts to maximize the usefulness of information assets while minimizing the cost and risk associated with their use. At CODISCOVR, we deliver client-focused, defensible, and solutions that are tailored to each organization’s specific needs. Reach out to Nicholas Berenato, Information Governance Principal, CODISCOVR. Nick is an attorney that collaborates with clients to address legal and financial exposure from their information assets through information governance. He develops strategies and policies to enable clients to effectively manage their data in a manner that minimizes costs and allow clients to leverage their data to support their business processes.