Reveal the Break Points That Destroy M&A Value

Why Change Fails So Often

According to Deloitte, “people and culture issues are the most common reasons of failing integrations.” More broadly, a Bain & Company study shows that “88% of business transformations fail to achieve their original ambitions,” and that “the strongest predictor of success is how well the company retains, develops, and acquires the right talent and capabilities.”

People are clearly at the center of the challenge. But when change fails, the consequences go far beyond declining employee experience or well-being. Failed integrations and transformations are ultimately measured in lost value, missed synergies, and significant financial damage.

The Financial Impact of Failed Integrations Escalates in Layers

Almost every M&A integration triggers strong emotional responses among employees, which directly affect behavior. Even in otherwise well-managed integrations, this typically leads to declining productivity and increased attrition. The resulting cost leakage is immediate and measurable, commonly $10–50k per each employee, and significantly higher for critical roles. These are the visible, direct people-related costs most organizations recognize.

But these direct costs are often only the first layer of value erosion. People and culture friction frequently delays or prevents synergy realization, weakens operational momentum, and erodes goodwill – easily destroying 10-30% of deal value when it occurs. In more severe cases, integration failures undermine the standalone performance of the target. In rare but very real scenarios, they escalate into buyer repricing, where total value destruction meets or exceeds the original deal value.

Across these escalating risk levels, it is reasonable to assume that around half of the damage is fully or partially driven by people and culture factors, making them one of the most critical, and most preventable, sources of financial risk in M&A.

A Simple, Scalable Process for High-Stakes Change

People Impact Analytics® is not a one-off analysis or a heavy consulting project. It is a standardized, intelligent process designed to be easy to use, repeat, and scale across mergers, acquisitions, and transformations of different sizes.

The process follows three clear phases:

1. Asking only three intuitive questions from employees
2. Analyzing the data with AI and science-based algorithms
3. Delivering predictive insights and focused action recommendations

The goal is simple: see the break points early and act before problems escalate.

Three Questions That Matter

Collecting the data does not burden people. Traditional long surveys are not needed.

People Impact Analytics® is based on only three questions:

1. Emotions triggered by the integration or transformation (1-2 selections from a validated scientific model of 20 emotions)
2. Emotional intensity (mild, moderate, or strong)
3. The reasons behind those emotions (open-ended)

Optional background variables, such as unit or role, can be added.

The method is grounded in scientific research developed at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. No software installations are required. All responses are anonymous, and no personal data is collected or processed. The experience is short, intuitive, and consistent across every round of measurement.

From Analytics to Actionable Insight

People Impact Analytics® combines emotional and behavioral science with advanced AI to create exceptional explanatory power. Quantitative signals and qualitative explanations are analyzed together to reveal what truly drives success or failure.

The analytics surfaces not only people-related factors, but also structural, operational, and technical break points, as well as positive drivers of change.

Typical outputs include:

• A clear integration or transformation snapshot: what works and what doesn’t
• People-related risk levels and employee experiences
• Quantified root causes and predicted change impact
• Qualitative explanations behind the numbers
• Three concrete action focus areas to mitigate risks, engage people, and support successful execution

In integrations, the analytics is typically run in three rounds, creating a consistent, comparable view over time.

Business-Critical Value, Delivered Safely

The value of People Impact Analytics® scales with the value of your M&A deal or transformation. It functions like early-warning intelligence, predicting hidden risks, protecting your investment, and helping you avoid the most damaging scenarios.

At the same time, the process is deeply human. It gives people a voice from their own reality and enables leadership to guide change with empathy, clarity, and confidence. Barriers become visible—and manageable. Resistance turns into momentum.

You can focus on what truly matters, reduce uncertainty, and lead change toward your business goals with a standardized, scalable, and low-risk process.

Trusted by Clients and Partners

People Impact Analytics® has been developed in close collaboration with customers, partners, and leading innovation ecosystems, including Business Finland, the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, and Google. The M&A integration use case has been developed in collaboration with Deloitte.

Read how to partner with us.

Organizations that have used our analytics include, among others: Caverion, Mews, Sweco, Digia, Stora Enso, Rantalainen Group, Mehiläinen, Midagon, iQi, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, City of Helsinki, Ruohonjuuri, Kotipizza, Oomi Energia, Lassila & Tikanoja, Gofore, Finland’s Tax Administration, Helsinki Region Transport, MTV, Kalevala Jewelry, OP Financial Group, Medikumppani, and Media Group Keskisuomalainen.

Your Next Easy Step

Using People Impact Analytics® is easier than you may expect. We guide you through the process so you can move forward with confidence, without carrying the burden of not knowing where the real break points are.

We ask only three questions, and you gain clarity on where your M&A integration or transformation is most likely to break.

Let’s find those points together, early and safely.