- 24 | 02 | 2026
Let’s face it, behind the joyful merger or acquisition press release hides a lot of work for IT, finance, legal and compliance teams to get everything working smoothly.
You’ll need to audit and consolidate the IT estate to make sure it’s cost-efficient and works for everyone. You’ll need to find and review business-critical documents to check for risk or compliance problems. And all this, when – nine times out of ten – you’re dealing with less-than-perfect legacy file storage systems and hardcopy documents squirrelled away in dusty filing cabinets.
To make sure your newly-expanded organisation can hit the ground running when it comes to document management, check out our 5 top tips.
1. Delve into the details
What
The due diligence process will have given your senior team insight into the big picture – now it’s time to delve into the details. The only way to do that is with full visibility of files, contracts and data across both organisations. This is where IT can become the heroes, cutting out months and months of manual processes which would open the business up to unnecessary risk.
How?
OASIS FileSmart slashes integration time by making documents searchable, accessible and secure. Because it’s built on your existing SharePoint instance, it’s quick and cost-effective to deploy as a new, cross-organisation records management system.
2. Centralise all contracts
What
Your legal and compliance teams will naturally want to manage all contracts centrally so they can keep a tight control on risk and identify revenue opportunities. No one wants unpleasant surprises popping up in the form of data protection failures, missed deadlines or inconsistent clauses in contracts.
How?
Our Contract IQ system lets you mine your whole contract database against any search word or data point, so you can extract critical information in seconds. You can set up alerts against key terms like SLAs, to get notified of deadlines, or quickly scan contracts to spot duplications, conflicts or hidden risk.
3. Standardise document management
What
Company A saves employment contracts in Workday, while Company B has a dedicated SharePoint. What happens when you need to work across both sets of employees, now you’re one big organisation? Bringing in consistent procedures can be a struggle – but the right technology can make the process smoother.
How?
OASIS FileSmart brings together both teams to work on an enhanced version of SharePoint; you can quickly capture, consolidate and categorise records from both businesses. Everyone will have the same system to work from and be able to find everything they need, with your pre-determined permissions and workflows built in.
4. Digitise physical records
What
haring information across an organisation is always easier when it’s digital – and that’s particularly true in an M&A situation. When files are kept locked in cabinets, lost in a storage cupboard, or are in an office miles away, collaboration is impossible
How?
We’ll bulk scan, index, catalogue and upload your documents into FileSmart or another in-house records management system, so everyone can access what they need at the touch of a button. Hardcopy documents that you need to hold onto for compliance or other reasons can be stored at one of our 70+ secure facilities. Our security-vetted team will securely destroy papers that are no longer needed.
5. Build a single source of truth
What
Now that you’re one team, you’ll want one, single source of truth. Everyone, from any part of the organisation, should be able to access accurate, up-to-date information (in line with internal permissions) so they can work as effectively as possible.
How?
Our document management specialists have years of experience supporting organisations through mergers and acquisitions. From checking what information you hold and where, to advising on what should be digitised, stored or destroyed, to bringing in transformative systems like FileSmart and ContractIQ, we can get your documents in the best possible shape. So you can focus on everything else that goes into making a merger a success.
