Download this IT due diligence report template

by Paul Baldwin | Jan 25, 2002 8:00:00 AM

Takeaway: Getting a thorough picture of your client's IT capabilities, including its staff and plans for the future, is no easy task. This sample IT due diligence report template can help consultants guide their clients' IT strategies.

Any relationship worth having will eventually involve the sharing of resources. When two companies merge or an organization is acquired by another business, everyone from accounting to the janitorial staff will be assessed to gauge their roles and contributions.

The same goes for IT. When two organizations come together, assessing the technological capabilities, processes, and goals of each entity through an IT due diligence allows the “new” company to see what it can keep and what it can cut.

Often, consultants are brought on to help organizations piece together the jigsaw puzzle of two businesses’ IT departments. One tool to help consultants sort through each IT department’s capabilities is an IT due diligence report template.

The template is a product of the experience IT consultant and TechRepublic contributor Mike Sisco gained by taking part in due diligence for more than 35 acquisitions during his tenure as a CIO. (He’s even written a book about the process, Acquisition—IT Due Diligence, which can be purchased through the Web site of Sisco's company, MDE Enterprises.)

Sisco suggests that consultants use the template for the following functions:

To understand the current technology status of the company(ies), including organization, hardware and systems software, applications software, and level of automation of the business(es)
To identify any issues related to a company’s ability to maintain its current technology and to meet its business plan
To assess the financial implications of a company’s technology plans
To identify opportunities for leveraging the technologies of the company’s operations
To identify the immediate transition initiatives necessary to accomplish a successful merger of the company(ies)' technologies

Download this report template now. If you’re a consultant, let us know how you plan to use it or tell us the kinds of templates and resources you need to do your job.

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