eGaming Review April 2013 | Page 7

[C O L U M N I S T ] P E T E R M A R C U S Consultant true the cycle will turn and your metrics will all go the wrong way. In essence, does the company’s valuation have any resemblance to future reality? What’s the M&A strategy? Do you want to grow in a speci?c market? Do you need a product you don’t have? Do you need marketing expertise and what’s your brand strategy going to be? More importantly, can you cut costs and make the company more efficient and increase bottom line revenue? If so, how? Will buying a company ?x your company’s problems or is it more of a quick Band Aid job? Can you integrate and if so how long will it take? It all starts with technology. Be realistic if, how and when you can merge IT, then add another year. Staff and process integration is slightly easier but still fraught with problems and can only really start after the technology has been fully integrated. You must pre-plan a staff retention strategy on both sides. If not, then you will lose the good ones ?rst. Don’t try and integrate by yourself – bring an expert in The COO, CTO, CEO or a project manager are not best placed to manage integration. Core revenue will be impacted and they don’t have the time, they don’t have the expertise and they are biased to one side of the deal. Use the services of a gaming integration director and team. They have done it befor ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????$???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????A???5????????????????????????????????????Q???5?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????]???????!????=??????????U,??????????????????? ?????()Q????????????????????????4?(???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????4????????????????????????????? ????????????????U,??????????????????? ?????A???5??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????4??????)??????????????????????4???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????4???????????????????????UL????????????]???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%???????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????????]???????!????????Y ?!?????????????????????M??????????]???????!????e??????????????????????????????????????A???????e?????????????????????????????????????????????A????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????]?????????????U,?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????UL????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????%?e??????????????4????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q????????$???????????????q9???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t?=????????????????????????????????????????????????????4???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!?????????????????????????????????????????????????'?e??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????4????????-?????????????????e??e???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????]????????????????????????????????????????????????????]???e????????????????????????????????????%????????????????????????????????%?????????e???????????e????!??????????????????????????????????]????????????????????????????????I??????H?????????????9??????????????????q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e???????????????????????????????????????t??%?e????()()???????????????((?((0