We are witnessing a steady increase in the number of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in the downstream industry. As they further pinpoint their businesses, the oil majors divest more and more assets: Refineries. Tank farms. Service station networks. And so on. These assets are picked up either by other oil majors or by upcoming indie players. As a consequence, the supply chain becomes increasingly fragmented. Business relations and partnerships constantly change. The demand for standardized solutions and open architectures grows.
New market entrants are attempting to use flexible business models as well as lean management and organizational structures. With technology becoming evermore pervasive, IT touches virtually all aspects of a company's operations, with many functions being mission-critical. For this reason, the success of any merger or acquisition project depends on efficient IT post-merger integration, a function which supports numerous important integration processes.
