Financial consolidation is often the first workstream to go live—investors and boards want combined financials immediately. But rushing consolidation creates reporting chaos and audit risk. A systematic approach protects accuracy while meeting timeline pressure.

The foundation is chart of accounts alignment. Different companies code expenses differently—one company's "marketing" is another's "sales expense." Without alignment, combined reports are meaningless. Start mapping early, even before close.

Beyond consolidation, financial integration includes synergy tracking. The deal model promised $5M in cost savings—are you on track? An EBITDA waterfall tracks synergy realization against the baseline, making it visible whether integration is delivering the value that justified the deal.