ABSTRACT
Various formulas exist for determining the roles that revenue, cost savings, cash flow, return on investment, and assets should play in any mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal. Consequently, when the deal moves to the due diligence phase, the finance people have their choice of various formulas and myriad lenses to look through to examine the financial fit of the two organizations. But sometimes those lenses fog, which means the best-laid plans will cease to make sense.
