Day 1 Finance M&A Plan

Of the more than 90 tasks in this Finance plan, here are 10 of the more critical ones focused on Day 1 readiness and executing Day 1 / Week 1:

1. Confirm bank account signatories and wire transfer authorities are active on Day 1 — so the combined company can actually move money the moment the deal closes.
2. Confirm spend approval controls and revenue/billing processes will be operational on Day 1 — purchasing controls live and billing running, so nothing stalls at cutover.
3. Ensure closing funds are committed and available — validate the acquisition financing structure so the deal can actually fund and close.
4. Establish the interim finance org, delegation of authority, and approval thresholds — clear reporting lines and spending limits in place before Day 1.
5. Clear the Finance Day 1 Readiness Gate — the formal checkpoint confirming systems are tested, controls are ready, and no unresolved blockers remain.
6. Confirm the accounts payable payment run executes on schedule — no vendor payment disrupted by the system cutover, protecting supplier relationships from the first day.
7. Confirm billing and invoicing continuity — no interruption to cash collection, so money keeps coming in without a gap.
8. Apply the financial controls framework to the acquired entity immediately — bring the acquired company under the combined control environment on Day 1, before transactions start posting.
9. Finalize treasury centralization — unify cash pooling, FX management, and banking so the combined entity operates as one from the start.
10. Brief the acquired finance team and submit post-close tax notifications — walk the acquired team through the acquirer's systems, reporting tools, and T&E policies, and file required tax notifications with the relevant authorities.

For Finance, Day 1 success is measured by what doesn't happen — no unpaid vendor, no gap in cash collection, no invoicing issues — the quiet reliability that keeps the combined company running.