January 28, Ulrich Penzkofer was the privileged guest of the «Fusies en overnames » event which took place at BMW in Bornem. During this afternoon event on corporate fusions and acquisitions, the CEO of The NRB Group presented the case of the acquisition and integration of the Trasys group by NRB. The audience consisted of CFO’s and CHRO’s. Ulrich Penzkofer explained the current situation of the IT sector in Belgium which inspired to this acquisition.
More specifically, Mr Penzkofer explained how today ICT technology represents an essential element for any business. Technology is changing the rules of the market giving birth to new products and services. Every company is now obliged to look into the relevancy of its own digital transformation.
The objective of NRB was and still is to integrate Trasys Group activities into NRB in order to become the leading IT services and solutions provider in Belgium.
Assessing risks and opportunities related to this acquisition is fundamental. It is therefore important to clearly define the vision of the company and to identify the strategic options to achieve these goals.
The strategic fit is a key factor in the success of an acquisition. Indeed, enhancing solutions, software offerings and customer portfolio offers NRB expertise and an even higher quality. Buying Trasys Group offers opportunities for cross, up and down selling. As NRB is now able to offer a much broader series of additional services to all of its customers.
Moreover, next to the geographical extension, NRB has now an access to the market of European institutions, and to additional customers in industry. The acquisition has also created an opportunity in the banking sector in Luxembourg thanks to Trasys PSF certification, which helps to strengthen the competitive position of the company in this market.
In conclusion, it is necessary to comprehensively plan the integration, ensuring strict time management and justify the acquisition on the basis of a realistic business plan. You must have a global vision, manage risks, build a strong team by effectively communicating and information sharing between employees and by setting clear priorities to the top management.
