M&As have become quite commonplace in nearly every industry now. From food industries to banks to even the gaming developing studios, today’s businesspersons consider mergers and acquisitions a key to their companies’ survival. And a very important part of any M&A is data analytics. Data analytics plays a crucial role in the decision-making and survival of the new entity. But to better understand data analytics and the role that it plays in a merger, you will first have to understand data processing systems.
What is Data Processing System?
A data processing system takes in raw data and brings out information that other software can use. Now, this information can be simple text, numerical, complex calculation, or even formulas. The data processing system also goes by other names such as an electronic data processing (EDP) unit and an automated data processing (ADP) unit.
It is a combination of machines and people that produces a defined set of outputs for a certain set of inputs. The inputs and outputs are interpreted as data, facts, information, depending on the interpreter’s relation to the system.
A system may involve some combination of:
- Conversion is converting data to another format.
- Validation – Ensuring that supplied data is “clean, correct and useful.”
- Sorting – “arranging items in some sequence and/or in different sets.”
- Summarization – reducing detail data to its main points.
- Aggregation – combining multiple pieces of data.
- Analysis – the “collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.”.
- Reporting – list detail or summary data or computed information.
- Presentation – data presentation is helpful in taking decisions
Simply put, raw data goes into a data processing system, and it generates a form of output. Now, this output can be either more data that goes into other programs and software or useful information for users to see. Depending on the following task, it may give out generated information on a monitor, printer, or save it in a disk drive.
Although raw data does go into the data processing system, the system does not collect data from a single source. In most cases, especially those of M&As, data processing systems collect information from various inputs and give one dedicated output. This not only makes it easier for users to keep track of the information, but it also helps analytics software help make educated decisions.
A data processing system works in a straightforward way as it transfers and transforms raw data into usable information. Throughout this process, an ADP will start by converting the data, validating the data – to see if it is usable – and sorting the data. Once it sorts the data, the ADP unit will summarize the data, analyze the data, and finally report the information. This is, in very brief, what happened throughout the data processing system.
Related: Cluster Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Mapping
Data Processing Systems and Its Connection to Data Analytics
Now that you understand more about data processing, you may be wondering how this works with data analytics. Data processing is the initial step towards data analytics, which means that for data analytics to be of any use, it requires data processing systems.
A good way to understand the relationship between data analytics and data processing is through cooking. Only after you cook food can you analyze the problems and shortcomings of the dish. By extension, data processing provides the data analytics software with clean data that it can use to make analytic decisions.
Most software comes with both data analytics and data processing, seeing how data processing can clean data and provide it for further analysis. Moreover, because data never comes clean for analysis, data processing is crucial to data analytics. While data processing is more concerned with cleaning the data, data analytics is responsible for analyzing and looking for solutions within that data.
Related: Data Management Best Practices, Information Processing Cycle, Data Processing Cycle
How Data Processing and Data Analytics Help M&As
Mergers very much rely on both data processing and data analytics for one simple reason: it is fast. With the help of algorithms and third-party software, the acquiring company will be able to find trends in the market and other information that will help them make better decisions.
Since productivity and employee morale tank immensely during an M&A, both companies will be spending a lot more. This spending makes a very difficult situation for both companies, as they need to close the merger fast, but without missing crucial information or making any mistakes. So to speed the process along, companies crucially depend on analytics software to help them make better decisions.
More importantly, the use of data processing and analytics software leaves any guessing games out of the door. Companies using transaction analytics ensure that all of the decisions made during the merger or acquisition are as data-driven as possible. With the help of data processing, companies can compile data from various sources and can analyze them effectively to their benefit.
Why Data Processing Systems Are Essential to Mergers
Before a merger, the buying company needs to do a full review of the company that it is buying to avoid a wrong decision. And to compile information about the company and the market that it operates in, they will need to use a data processing system.
A good data processing system can compile information about current market trends, future market trends, financial reliance of the acquiring company as well as other companies in that market, and finally, can check the growth of that market. After compiling this information, the system can summarize it and send it to the reader in an easy to read format, or to the analytics software, which will show how viable the selling company might be.
Furthermore, M&As are always a race where a company has to merge or acquire the other in the shortest amount of time. Since the management of both buying and selling companies are split between running the company and the merger, companies are rarely operating at full capacity. So to get back to full capacity, they have to complete the merger fast, and the only way that they can do that effectively is by using good data processing and analytics software.
Related: Data presentation and analysis, Data Processing & Data Processing Methods
Conclusion
Technology-driven data analysis is the future of m&a virtual data room and is completely changing the way companies now make deals. Companies can now make much better deals at a faster pace, without making risky decisions. Moreover, if done right, these analytics can show potential customers in the market. The buying company is truly at a significant advantage with data processing systems, as they can make crucial decisions in a matter of months.
Author’s Bio: Lori Wade is a writer who is interested in a wide range of spheres from business to entrepreneurship and new technologies. If you are interested in M&A or virtual data room industry, you can find her on Twitter & LinkedIn or find her on other social media. Read and take over Lori’s useful insights!
