Free, no sign-up to start: the plan opens as a live, editable Gantt chart. 14 tasks across 4 phases, about 28 weeks if every task runs in sequence.
What's in the template
| Phase | Task | Example duration |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare | Set up integration office and workstream leads | 5 days |
| Prepare | Day-one readiness checklist | 14 days |
| Prepare | Employee and customer communications drafted | 7 days |
| Prepare | Payroll and benefits continuity check | 3 days |
| Prepare | Essential system access for new staff | 5 days |
| Day one | Deal close and announcement | 1 day |
| Day one | Day-one support desk | 5 days |
| Integrate | Organization design and role mapping | 21 days |
| Integrate | Finance and reporting alignment | 30 days |
| Integrate | IT systems and email consolidation | 45 days |
| Integrate | Customer and vendor contract transition | 30 days |
| Stabilize | Policy and process harmonization | 21 days |
| Stabilize | Synergy tracking review | 5 days |
| Stabilize | Integration close-out and lessons learned | 3 days |
Durations are examples to replace with your own estimates, not benchmarks.
About this merger integration plan
Integration work splits into two phases: what must be ready on the day the deal closes, and what can be merged over the months after. This plan puts day-one readiness first — communications, payroll continuity, access to essential systems — and then sequences the longer workstreams.
It fits a small or mid-sized acquisition. Larger deals usually run each workstream as its own plan; use this as the integration office's summary view.
Who it's for: Integration leads, operations executives, corporate development teams and advisors.
How to use it
- Open the plan. Click Open in the editor. The integration plan loads as a live Gantt chart.
- Name workstream owners. Put a single owner on each row; integration stalls when workstreams are owned by committees.
- Flag risks early. Set a task's status to At risk when a dependency such as a data export or contract consent is late.
- Share with leadership. Send a read-only link for steering meetings instead of rebuilding slides each week.
Planning tips
- Keep day-one scope small: continuity first, optimization later.
- Plan communications for employees before customers hear about the deal elsewhere.
- Track synergy targets against the dates they depend on.
Frequently asked questions
- What is day-one readiness?
- The minimum set of things that must work when the deal closes, such as payroll, communications and access to essential systems.
- How long does integration take?
- It varies widely with deal size. This template totals a little over six months if every task runs in sequence; workstreams usually overlap.
- Is the plan confidential?
- Share links are read-only and only people with the link can open them. Don't share deal details beyond the people who need them.
Related templates
The free plan saves one project. Downloads (PDF, CSV) and more projects are on Solo, $12/month.