Post-acquisition operational assessment for manufacturers

You have bought a factory. Find out what you actually own, and what it will take to deliver the value-creation plan, within the first weeks.

What is a post-acquisition operational assessment?

A post-acquisition operational assessment is an independent, on-site review of a newly acquired manufacturing business. It tests the operating assumptions behind the deal, measures real performance on the floor, and turns the findings into a prioritised 100-day plan with costed opportunities and risks.

Operational due diligence before completion usually works from management information and a short site visit. After completion, you can see how the factory runs across a full cycle. Differences between the plan and the floor are common, and finding them early protects the investment thesis.

Our consultant has worked inside private-equity-backed manufacturing businesses, so the assessment is built around what investors and boards need: credible baselines, quantified upside, and clear owners.

A 100-day framework

The assessment sits at the front of the first 100 days. Improvement and system work then follows the findings.

100-day plan after an acquisition: assess to day 30, stabilise to day 60, plan to day 100 Assess Stabilise Plan Day 0Completion Day 30Baseline agreed Day 60Quick wins landed Day 100Board plan Illustrative framework
The assessment sits at the front of the first 100 days. Improvement and system work follow its findings.
  1. Days 1 to 30: assess

    On-site diagnostic. Baselines for OEE, right-first-time, lead time, labour productivity and inventory. Risk register covering safety, quality and key-person dependency.

  2. Days 31 to 60: stabilise

    Quick wins that do not need capital. Standard work, scheduling fixes, quality containment and a daily management rhythm for the new leadership team.

  3. Days 61 to 100: plan

    Costed improvement and capex plan, systems and digital roadmap, and an operating model the board can track monthly.

What we test

  • Whether stated capacity and throughput hold up on the floor
  • Cost of poor quality, scrap and rework the accounts do not show
  • Dependence on a few key people and undocumented know-how
  • Fitness of ERP and MRP data for planning and costing
  • Deferred maintenance and capex needs
  • Safety, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 compliance posture

What the board receives

  • Scored operations scorecard and evidence pack
  • Quantified opportunity register with payback and effort
  • Risk register with owners and mitigation
  • 100-day plan and monthly KPI set
  • Optional interim operations leadership during transition

Experience inside PE-backed manufacturers

  • £700Kcost of poor quality eliminated at a PE-backed manufacturer
  • 4+ sitestransformed in one portfolio business
  • 99.8%right-first-time achieved across the sites
  • 3xassembly throughput in modular construction

Post-acquisition assessment: your questions

What is the difference between operational due diligence and a post-acquisition assessment?

Operational due diligence happens before completion and relies mostly on management information and limited site access. A post-acquisition assessment happens after completion with full access, so it can measure actual performance and build the 100-day plan.

When should the assessment start?

As early as possible after completion, ideally in the first two weeks, so findings shape the 100-day plan rather than arriving after decisions are made.

Can you provide interim operations leadership?

Yes. We can support or provide interim operations leadership during the transition, so improvement continues while you recruit or confirm the permanent team.

Do you work with investors outside the South East?

Yes. We assess acquired manufacturing sites across the UK, including Wales.

Protect the investment thesis from day one

Talk through your acquisition in confidence.