--- name: integration-workstream-prioritizer description: "Scores and sequences post-merger integration workstreams using value-at-stake and complexity ratings, then delivers a prioritized wave-based roadmap with resource loading, interdependency flags, and a first-90-day focus list. Use when sequencing integration activities, building an IMO roadmap, resolving competing integration priorities, or deciding what to tackle in Day 1, first 100 days, and beyond." argument-hint: "[activity-list] [deal-context]" allowed-tools: ["Read"] --- # Integration Workstream Prioritizer ## Purpose Turn an unstructured list of integration activities into a defensible, wave-sequenced roadmap — scored by value-at-stake and execution complexity, loaded against available resources, and flagged for the dependencies that most often derail integrations. Solves the IMO's core problem: too many activities, finite bandwidth, and no objective basis for what goes first. ## When to Use Invoke this skill when the user asks to: - Prioritize or sequence a list of integration workstreams or activities - Build an IMO roadmap or integration wave plan - Decide what to do in Day 1, the first 100 days, and later phases - Resolve competing priorities between functional integration teams - Identify integration dependencies and critical-path bottlenecks - Assess whether the integration plan is over-loading a specific function or quarter ## Inputs Required Before starting, collect: - **Activity list**: The integration activities to prioritize (any format — raw list, function-grouped, or export) - **Deal thesis / value drivers**: Where the deal value comes from (cost synergies, revenue synergies, capability acquisition, market access) - **Synergy targets**: Dollar value and timing of expected synergies, if quantified - **Resource capacity**: Available integration team size, key functional leads, and any capacity constraints - **Hard deadlines / constraints**: TSA expiration dates, regulatory milestones, Day 1 requirements, board commitments - **Risk tolerance**: Speed-first (accept disruption) vs. stability-first (protect the base business) - **Known blockers**: Systems, contracts, approvals, or people dependencies already surfaced If synergy values are unquantified, score value-at-stake qualitatively (High/Medium/Low) and note the assumption. If resource capacity is unknown, assume 3 concurrent major workstreams per wave and flag it. ## Instructions ### Step 1: Normalize and Cluster Activities Group the raw activities into standard integration workstreams so scoring is comparable: - Standard workstreams: **Legal/Entity**, **Finance & Controlling**, **HR/Org & Talent**, **IT/Systems & Data**, **Operations/Supply Chain**, **Commercial/GTM & Customers**, **Facilities/Real Estate**, **Governance/PMO** - Split any bundled activity into discrete, ownable units of work (each with one clear outcome) - Flag activities that are actually Day 1 legal/regulatory *must-dos* — these bypass scoring and are sequenced first by obligation ### Step 2: Score Value-at-Stake (1–5) Rate each activity on the value it protects or creates: - **5 — Deal-critical**: Directly enables the core value thesis or synergy target; without it, the deal underperforms - **4 — High**: Meaningful synergy capture or major risk mitigation - **3 — Moderate**: Contributes to synergy or stability but not thesis-defining - **2 — Low**: Nice-to-have efficiency or tidiness - **1 — Minimal**: Housekeeping with negligible value impact Anchor each score to the stated value drivers and synergy timing. Where a dollar figure exists, note it (e.g., "protects ~$4M annual procurement synergy"). ### Step 3: Score Complexity (1–5) Rate execution difficulty across four factors, then take the highest-weight signal: - **Cross-functional dependency**: How many teams/systems must coordinate - **Change/people impact**: Org changes, culture friction, retention risk - **Technical/data difficulty**: System migrations, data cleansing, integration debt - **External dependency**: Regulators, customers, vendors, TSA providers Score 1 (contained, single-team, low risk) to 5 (multi-team, high people impact, external gating). Note the dominant complexity driver. ### Step 4: Plot the Priority Matrix Place every activity on a value × complexity grid and assign a priority band: - **Quick Wins** (High value, Low complexity): Do first — build momentum and early proof - **Strategic Bets** (High value, High complexity): Sequence carefully, staff heavily, start dependency work early - **Fill-Ins** (Low value, Low complexity): Batch or delegate; do only with spare capacity - **Money Pits** (Low value, High complexity): Defer, descope, or kill — challenge whether they belong at all Day 1 legal must-dos sit above the matrix as non-negotiable. ### Step 5: Map Interdependencies For each Strategic Bet and high-value activity, identify: - **Predecessors**: What must complete first (flag with →) - **Successors**: What is blocked until this finishes - **Critical path**: The longest chain of dependent activities that gates synergy realization Explicitly flag any high-value activity buried behind a low-priority predecessor — these are hidden bottlenecks. ### Step 6: Sequence into Waves Assign activities to waves against resource capacity: - **Day 1**: Legal/regulatory must-dos and business-continuity essentials only - **Wave 1 (0–30 days)**: Quick Wins + first predecessors on the critical path - **Wave 2 (30–100 days)**: Highest-value Strategic Bets whose predecessors clear in Wave 1 - **Wave 3 (100+ days)**: Remaining Strategic Bets, sequenced Fill-Ins, and deferred items Cap concurrent major workstreams per wave to the available capacity. If a wave is overloaded, push the lowest value-at-stake items and note the trade-off. ### Step 7: Resource Loading Check For each wave, state: - Which functions are most heavily loaded and where a single lead is a bottleneck - Where capacity is exceeded and which activity slips as a result - One resourcing recommendation per over-loaded wave (add capacity, reprioritize, or extend timeline) ## Output Format - **Structure**: Scoring table → priority matrix → interdependency map → wave roadmap → resource loading → first-90-day focus list - **Length**: 1,000–1,400 words - **Format**: Structured document with a scored table, a text-rendered 2×2 matrix, and wave-organized lists - **Sections**: (1) Scored Activity Table — activity, workstream, value-at-stake, complexity, priority band; (2) Priority Matrix; (3) Interdependency & Critical-Path Flags; (4) Wave Roadmap (Day 1 / Wave 1 / Wave 2 / Wave 3); (5) Resource Loading by Wave; (6) First 90-Day Focus List (top 5–7 activities); (7) Key Risks & Recommendations - **Tone**: IMO director — decisive, trade-off-explicit, oriented to sequencing calls rather than restating the activity list ## Quality Checklist Before delivering output, verify: - [ ] Every input activity appears in the scored table with both a value-at-stake and complexity rating - [ ] Value scores are anchored to the stated deal thesis or synergy targets — not scored in a vacuum - [ ] At least one hidden bottleneck (high-value activity behind a low-priority predecessor) is checked for and flagged - [ ] Each wave respects the resource capacity cap, with any overload and its trade-off named explicitly - [ ] Day 1 legal/regulatory must-dos are sequenced first regardless of their matrix position - [ ] The First 90-Day Focus List contains 5–7 specific activities, not workstream categories ## Notes - Money Pits are the highest-leverage conversation in most integrations — surfacing "high complexity, low value" work that teams pursue out of habit saves more capacity than any resequencing - Critical-path dependency work should almost always start earlier than its value score alone would suggest — a Strategic Bet with a 60-day predecessor cannot wait for Wave 2 to begin the predecessor - When synergy timing is aggressive, bias the matrix toward Quick Wins in Wave 1 to fund credibility with the board before tackling Strategic Bets - If the activity list is very long (40+ items), prioritize the scoring table for the top-two priority bands and summarize Fill-Ins/Money Pits in aggregate --- ## How to use this skill This file is a Claude Code skill in [Anthropic's standard format](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills) — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top. **Installing in Claude Code:** - `~/.claude/skills//SKILL.md` — auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects) - `/.claude/skills//SKILL.md` — auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills) Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register. **Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:** 1. 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