The set-up process begins with two to four requirements discussions. Your EKNOW Analyst will walk you through a series of questions and decisions, and ask for samples of your existing reports, trackers, checklists, and so on. This process often begins prior to signing (under mutual NDA) in order to "hit the ground running."
EKNOW will then set up your dedicated M&A Tools server in your primary geographic location. The system is set up with your default currency, date format, time zone, and other parameters, and with user accounts ready to go for your key user(s). This process takes from two to four hours.
Next, your M&A Tools workspaces and modules will be configured per your core requirements: Showing only the tools, fields, and reports etc. that your users need. And hiding the ones they don’t. This process takes from hours to a few business days, depending on clarifications needed. At that point, your system will be ready for initial users and data.
The next steps will to be translate your M&A organization, deal execution process, and task lists and plans, into EKNOW M&A Tools data and project templates.
Simple import spreadsheet templates are used to load your existing data. For example, your initial user list, lists of functional teams, diligence checklists, integration work plans, deal playbooks, current project pipeline, and so on.
As part of your on-boarding support, Senior EKNOW Analysts will walk you through these templates, where to download them, and how to upload your data.
After this session, you’ll be able to upload or download just about any type of data in M&A Tools. And of course, your EKNOW team is there for additional guidance if needed.
Once your system is configured, your EKNOW team will immediately train your tool administrator(s) or key users.
Following an overall orientation, these key users will learn to create and administer User accounts, new deals/projects, project teams, actionable data types, and work flows. Note that this training is absolutely unnecessary for non-administrator users.
When you’re ready to try something new with M&A Tools, additional training can be scheduled.
Key user training is further supported by the built-in Video Help library.
Release 25 and later provides access to the EKNOW video help library via a button in the universal toolbar. This is the horizontal button bar on almost every page.
New users can quickly get up to speed by watching the Quick Start overview video (approximately 10 minutes).
More detail is provided in 1- to 3-minute how-to's, such as generating reports, import / export, mass changes, user administration, and other useful topics.
Over time you will develop new requirements and challenges for your M&A Tools: Your workflows may need to change. You may add team members in new roles. And you will certainly have new ideas and applications for your M&A Tools.
This is why EKNOW includes not just tech support, but ongoing, hands-on support and guidance.
When it matters, your EKNOW Analyst can show your key user(s) how best to leverage the tool for your newest challenge. Or to activate a module or feature that you haven’t tried before. Or to customize your tools — in ways you may not have thought possible — to perfectly fit your process or reporting requirements.
Unlike the hands-on guidance and support discussed above, Technical Support is in response to client- or user-reported issues, such as system errors, bugs, or outages.
When an issue is reported, your EKNOW team creates a support ticket, tracks it through resolution, and keeps you apprised.
Any critical issues are addressed within strict SLA parameters. Even non-critical user-reported issues are escalated to high priority and typically resolved within one to three business days.
There are no separate support fees for tech support, and no incident caps or similar limits.
Contact EKNOW for full details.
M&A Tools is provided as purely web-based, “single-tenant” Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
Each client’s M&A Tools system is hosted on a separate, dedicated server. All servers are fully managed by EKNOW. Users need only a Web browser — there is no app to download.
EKNOW performs or manages all M&A Tools system support for the life of the system. This includes server set-up, configuration, security & access control, daily back-ups, password policy configuration, maintenance, critical security patches, bug fixes, file scanning, anti-virus updates, 24×7 system monitoring, intrusion monitoring, daily vulnerability testing, outage detection & response, remote site disaster recovery, recovery testing, and more.
During set-up, your IT team will collaborate with EKNOW to enable single sign-on (SSO), and to conduct a security review or evaluation. But after deployment, your IT resources have no support burden related to your M&A Tools.
Contact EKNOW for additional details.
Management consulting partners can depend on M&A Tools to multiply their client value proposition. M&A Tools must make the consulting team look good.
That’s why consulting partner teams enjoy outstanding additional support benefits, unique to the EKNOW partner relationship.
These include special, zero-friction business terms, early deployment of anticipated client systems, high-level access to EKNOW operations management, a dedicated support tracking platform, support status dashboards, an expanding video help library accessible to partner users, the ability to integrate proprietary consultant media in their clients' EKNOW systems, and up to twice-weekly status meetings and collaboration sessions.
In these working sessions we jointly review change requests, new system starts, client pitches, and development roadmap priorities. Sessions may also be devoted to training the partner team, workshopping new solutions, tool customization, and more.
Contact EKNOW for full details.