In today's robust M&A climate, whether you're buying or selling, it's too easy to make a million-dollar mistake.

PSMJ's AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop helps you make smarter decisions and drive better deals...based on actual transactions that are happening right now in today's market conditions.

Register for AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop and get the latest insight on how the best deals come together, hear war stories about unexpected pitfalls, and get the guidance you need to execute a merger, firm sale, or acquisition with confidence.

More than a seminar, this workshop delivers an equal mix of learning and doing to keep you engaged from start to finish. It's packed with case studies, exercises, and data on valuations and structures from real M&A deals, and facilitated by seasoned experts who have advised both buyers and sellers in dozens of AEC transactions. No wonder it always fills up quickly.

Whether on the buy side or the sell side, entering into a merger or acquisition can be a very risky bet.

Even a seemingly small oversight or error in judgement can lead to a catastrophic mistake. That's why every minute of AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop focuses on the latest strategies for structuring win-win transactions… from assessing valuations and finding the right counter party all the way to implementing a successful integration strategy.

3 Metrics Behind Every Great AEC M&A Deal

If you are considering selling your firm or kicking the tires as a buyer, always look beyond the income statement to these three metrics:

1. Proposal activity. Long before it hits the income statement, cash starts out in the (very illiquid!) form of proposals going out the door. Even earlier than counting actual sold/won proposals, the volume of proposals produced provides you with an early-stage leading indicator on which way market demand is headed for your firm. Whether you measure it in dollars, volume, or some other relevant form, examine proposal activity trends over time closely and you’ll see when a dip may be coming.

2. Backlog. Of course, the cash starts getting more certain when we look at actual hard booked backlog. Don’t get confused by soft backlog that may be weighted based on probabilities and such. Backlog reports don’t get the love they deserve in M&A forecasting (and certainly not the action they deserve when they start showing signs of trouble!).

3. Cash Receipts. Before it hits the accrual statements, the harvested fruit starts to come in the door as unearned cash. When the unearned cash coffers start to decline, the accrual-basis financial statements will soon feel the hit. By this point, in the long sales cycle of architecture and engineering services, it is getting hard to change near-term revenue trends, but you can still take action on the cost-cutting side to preserve profits.

SELLERS: Don’t wait until declining revenue is inked in the financial statements before you develop a recovery plan. Stay in front of it and you can avoid costly and transaction-killing surprises. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression!

BUYERS: Don’t walk away from a potential acquisition simply because of a near-term dip in revenue. Dig deeper to see if the firm is down for now or down for good.