Case Study: IT Integration That Delivers Results—Post-M&A Optimization

Discover how a leading brand and research agency unified IT operations post-merger—cutting security risk by 30%, saving $110K annually, and reducing capital expenditures by 50% through vendor consolidation and modernization.

🧭 Overview

A fast-growing brand and research agency based in Chicago needed to integrate two organizations following a recent merger. With 200 employees and a complex mix of legacy systems and vendors, leadership sought to unify operations, reduce costs, and strengthen security across the combined business.

Handled IT Partners was engaged to assess, consolidate, and optimize IT—transforming post-M&A complexity into a streamlined, scalable foundation for future growth.

Client: Brand & Research Agency, Chicago, IL
Service Level: End-to-End Fully Managed IT
Users: 200
Timeline: 3 months

⚠️ The Challenge: Turning M&A Complexity Into Strategic Advantage

Mergers bring tremendous opportunity—but also operational complexity. When this agency merged with another firm, the leadership team faced disconnected IT systems, overlapping vendors, and inconsistent security practices across the newly combined organization.

IT operations had become inefficient and difficult to scale, creating real barriers to performance and security:

• Multiple vendors and overlapping tools driving unnecessary costs

• Inconsistent security policies across departments

• Limited visibility into IT and employee-linked spending

• Lack of standardized onboarding, provisioning, and device management

Leadership needed a clear, unified IT strategy that would reduce risk, improve financial oversight, and create a foundation for continued growth.

Handled IT Partners was engaged to modernize, consolidate, and optimize IT operations with one goal in mind: unify two fast-moving organizations under a secure, scalable, and financially efficient IT framework.

Our team conducted a comprehensive IT assessment that included:

• Mapping all existing systems, tools, and service providers

• Analyzing IT-related expenses across departments and employee-linked cards

• Identifying redundant software, licenses, and infrastructure

• Evaluating security policies, access controls, and endpoint visibility across both companies

✅ The Solution: A Strategic IT Deep Dive

In close collaboration with leadership and department heads, Handled IT Partners led a structured post-M&A integration plan focused on security, efficiency, and scalability.

Key initiatives included:
🔐 Strengthened security — implemented MFA, endpoint visibility, and standardized security policies across the organization.
💸 Reduced spend — consolidated vendors, licenses, and redundant services to eliminate inefficiencies and cut over $110K in annual costs.
📊 Improved oversight — built visibility into IT expenses down to the employee level, aligning financial and operational accountability.
⚙️ Standardized processes — unified onboarding, provisioning, and workstation management for faster deployment and consistent setup across teams.
☁️ Modernized infrastructure — migrated from on-premise servers to a secure, scalable cloud environment, reducing capital expenditures by 50%.

This strategic approach not only streamlined operations and improved visibility but also created a stable, scalable IT foundation ready to support future M&A integrations.

🚀 The Impact: Results That Matter

Within three months, the organization achieved measurable improvements across security, cost, and operational performance:

• 30% reduction in security risk exposure

• $110K+ in annualized savings through vendor consolidation

• 50% reduction in capital expenditures via cloud modernization

• Unified, standardized IT environment across merged entities

• Improved financial visibility and operational control

Handled IT transformed a complex IT environment into a streamlined, transparent, and scalable operation—enabling leadership to focus on business growth rather than system maintenance.

🎨 Brand Alignment: Strengthening Identity Across the Organization

As part of the integration, Handled IT also supported the client in reinforcing a consistent brand identity across both legacy and acquired entities—essential during times of organizational change.

Key initiatives included:
🌐 Domain and email consolidation for a single, unified brand presence
✉️ Standardized professional email signatures across all employees within a single email system
💻 Aligned collaboration tools and systems to reflect the client’s updated brand architecture

These initiatives strengthened internal communication, boosted brand credibility, and reinforced trust during the post-M&A transition.

🎯 Conclusion

By partnering with Handled IT Partners, this Chicago-based brand and research agency transformed post-merger IT challenges into measurable business results. The organization now has a secure, scalable, and efficient IT foundation that supports continued growth, future acquisitions, and a unified brand identity.

By optimizing systems, reducing risk, and aligning technology with business goals, Handled IT Partners delivered both immediate ROI and a long-term foundation for growth.