Private Equity Due Diligence Playbook
You’ve decided to either invest in or buy a privately held company. In this template you'll find the list of areas that every business buyer and investor should investigate before signing a deal. Minimize and allocate risks while maximizing value with our PE template.
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What Tasks does the
Private Equity Due Diligence Playbook
Include
Company/Business Model
- Gather general company information -- Name, Mission, Values, etc.
- Examine corporate bylaws
- Identify corporate identity and culture
- Evaluate business model
- Pinpoint and assess key internal processes
Legal/IP
- Review labor/unionization relations and general employee contracts
- Examine and assess applicable intellectual property (IP) documentation -- patents, copyrights, trade secrets, etc.
- Review lease and property agreements
- Assess supply and distribution contracts
- Scrutinize current collateral pledges, security agreements, indentures, and mortgages
- Investigate current/past disputes and litigations
- Identify governmental regulatory or administrative orders
- Assess governmental licenses & permits
Finance
- Audit audited/unaudited financial statements
- Comprehensive audit of tax statements and practices
- Inspect historic and projected sales
- Scrutinize financial projections
- Assess debts and asset liquidity
- Inspect promissory notes and loan agreements
HR
- Evaluate the organizational structure and upper management
- Audit and evaluate HR policies and practices
- Evaluate HR metrics and statistics
- Scrutinize benefits and compensation packages
- Scrutinize pension and retirement plan options
- Review employee agreements and contracts -- employee, compensation, collective bargaining, severance
- Assess Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
- Review performance appraisals
- Pinpoint key personnel
- Create an organizational restructuring strategy
Property, Plant, & Equipment
- Evaluate ICT infrastructure and processes
- Assess fixed asset policies and depriciation methods
- Appraise current machinery and equipment
Environmental
- Review safety hazards and on the job employee accident history
- Inspect Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
- Appraise the overall environmental impact of the company
Market/Competition
- Identify and evaluate current market
- Conduct SWOT analysis
- Catalogue key competitors
- Pinpoint market trends and risks
FAQ
What Is Due Diligence?
Due diligence is a critical aspect of any deal that begins very early in the process and can continue right up until closing. During due diligence, the potential buyer asks questions and requests documentation from the seller that helps the buyer understand the target company and its business. These requests are usually general to start and become more specific as the buyer develops a greater understanding of the target. Buyers use the information provided by the seller to evaluate the opportunities and risks associated with the potential transaction. It is important for sellers to stay organized throughout the process. Buyers often submit thorough, detailed request lists that require input from numerous members of the seller’s deal team.
What is a due diligence checklist?
As the name implies, a due diligence request list is a list of questions and requests for information and documentation that a buyer submits to a seller in order to learn about the target company, its business and its operations. The initial diligence request list tends to be broad and typically includes an extensive list of questions covering a wide range of subjects. This allows the buyer to gain a broad understanding of the target company and identify key issues that can be investigated and considered more closely. Because every deal is different, due diligence request lists have to be tailored to meet the needs of the buyer and address the unique circumstances of your transaction.
However, there is a variety of fundamental requests that are relevant in most deals. These are the types of requests that our templates are designed to address.
What Questions Does the Master Due Diligence Questionnaire Include?
As the name implies, a due diligence request list is a list of questions and requests for information and documentation that a buyer submits to a seller in order to learn about the target company, its business and its operations. The initial diligence request list tends to be broad and typically includes an extensive list of questions covering a wide range of subjects. This allows the buyer to gain a broad understanding of the target company and identify key issues that can be investigated and considered more closely. Because every deal is different, due diligence request lists have to be tailored to meet the needs of the buyer and address the unique circumstances of your transaction.
However, there is a variety of fundamental requests that are relevant in most deals. These are the types of requests that our templates are designed to address.
Key considerations when using our m&a due diligence template
Our templates are drafted to provide an inclusive and wide-ranging list of initial due diligence requests. However, the templates, as well as the information contained therein, are not legal advice. They are not complete, and they are not specific to your transaction. The templates are designed to elicit general information from the seller that will provide the buyer with a broad overview of the target and it’s business and operations. You should review any template before using it, and it may need to be modified to ensure that it is suitable and relevant to your circumstances. Information provided by the seller will likely trigger additional questions that focus on specific aspects of the target’s business and issues identified during the due diligence process.
Are the requests in the template comprehensive?
No. Our Due Diligence Checklist is drafted to include typical requests that are relevant in most transactions. However, every deal and every target company is unique. Before utilizing any template, it is important that you review it with the help of your legal and other professional advisors to ensure that the requests are complete and tailored to the specific circumstances of your deal.
How to use the template with Dealroom
- Start 14-day Free Trial of DealRoom and sign-up
- Select a Master Due Diligence Template while creating a new room
- Start assigning, adding to, and completing due diligence requests with needed documents by uploading them into the built-in virtual data room. The Requests tab is automatically populated with the requests from the due diligence template.
Can I change requests in this checklist or add new?
Every M&A process is different. Downloaders are urged to make these checklists their own by changing the providing information to better fit their needs.
Does this questionnaire provide all the necessary integration information?
This checklist was created by and for M&A professionals. It includes a comprehensive starting point for the integration process. However, every deal is different and may require additional requirements and tasks.
How to use this template with DealRoom?
- Start 14-day Free Trial of DealRoom and sign-up
- Select an Integration Template while creating a new workspace
- Start planning, assigning, adding to, and completing integration tasks. The Requests tab is automatically populated with the tasks from the integration template.
Key considerations when using our m&a due diligence template
Our templates are drafted to provide an inclusive and wide-ranging list of initial due diligence requests. However, the templates, as well as the information contained therein, are not legal advice. They are not complete, and they are not specific to your transaction. The templates are designed to elicit general information from the seller that will provide the buyer with a broad overview of the target and it’s business and operations. You should review any template before using it, and it may need to be modified to ensure that it is suitable and relevant to your circumstances. Information provided by the seller will likely trigger additional questions that focus on specific aspects of the target’s business and issues identified during the due diligence process.
Are the requests in the template comprehensive?
No. Our Due Diligence Checklist is drafted to include typical requests that are relevant in most transactions. However, every deal and every target company is unique. Before utilizing any template, it is important that you review it with the help of your legal and other professional advisors to ensure that the requests are complete and tailored to the specific circumstances of your deal.
How to use the template with Dealroom
- Start 14-day Free Trial of DealRoom and sign-up
- Select a Master Due Diligence Template while creating a new room
- Start assigning, adding to, and completing due diligence requests with needed documents by uploading them into the built-in virtual data room. The Requests tab is automatically populated with the requests from the due diligence template.
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