This article will briefly discuss:
- common red flags during due diligence;
- types of due diligence checklists;
- what are due diligence documents?;
- due diligence report example;
- powerful mobile tool for due diligence; and
- free digital due diligence templates.
Due Diligence Red Flags
Investors and consultants need to review key aspects of a business to determine if it will be worth the investment and find red flags that may negatively impact profitability. Here are some of the key aspects to look into and some key due diligence questions to ask:
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Organization
Is the business in compliance with legal requirements? Is the company open to sharing requested company information or were there reservations?
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Products and services offered
What is the business selling? Do the products and services meet required certification and legal criteria? How about the product development and manufacturing processes?
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Finances
Review all financial records, including all debts acquired and taxes paid. Check for compelling reasons to investigate further and be wary of how the company manages its finances. Does the company exhibit transparency in providing access to financial records?
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People
How are employees treated? How competitive is the employee benefit package? Is there a history of legal action initiated by or against employees? What is the professional history and reputation of the key executives?
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Reputation
Public perception can impact profitability. Find out what the media, competitors, and the target market has to say about the business. How is the business’ corporate social responsibility? Any legal issues or environmental concerns raised against the company? What is the company’s overall reputation in the industry?
3 Major Types of Due Diligence Checklists
There are three main types of due diligence, these are: 1) Legal, 2) Financial, and 3) Commercial. All three types help contribute in providing the right information thoroughly assessing the company of interest’s business, assets, capabilities, and financial performance.
Legal Due Diligence Checklist
Legal due diligence is the examination and review of legal documents and contracts. A legal due diligence checklist includes exploring areas such as:
- Legal structure
- Contracts
- Loans
- Properties
- Employment
- Pending litigations
Financial Due Diligence Checklist
Financial due diligence focuses on verifying and evaluation of financial records of the target company. A financial due diligence checklist covers areas such as:
- Earnings
- Assets
- Liabilities
- Cash flow
- Debt
- Management
Commercial due diligence checklist
Commercial due diligence is the thorough understanding and examination of the market that the target company operates in. A commercial due diligence checklist involves activities such as conversing with customers, assessment of competitors and an analysis of the business plan.
What are Due Diligence Documents?
Due diligence documents, or due diligence forms, are records, reports, or other documents that helps verify and corroborate the due diligence process. Below are selected documents from each type of due diligence according to a non-exhaustive list made by an industry leader on research, benchmarking, and performance:
- Corporate by-laws and any amendments
- Records surrounding issuances or grants of stock, options and warrants
- List of all business locations where the company owns/leases property, maintains employees and/or conducts business
- Three years of annual and quarterly audited financial statements, with the auditor’s reports and unaudited financial statements for comparison (click here to view the complete financial due diligence checklist)
- Copies of any audit and revenue agency reports
- Employee handbook covering policies, benefits, procedures and training
- Information around sales and marketing procedures, including research, messaging, CRM systems and processes, and lead generation practices (click here to view the complete operational due diligence checklist)
- List of all owned or leased properties and applicable details
- Documents detailing the company’s approach to IP protection and enforcement
- Agreements with distributors, value-added resellers and dealers
- All active litigation files (click here to view the complete legal due diligence checklist)
- Copies of any violations, complaints or requests for information regarding environmental, workplace safety and health
- Any material reports to government entities and agencies, including EPA and OSHA
- Documentation around IT processes including applications development, IT operations, disaster recovery, IT security, and cost management (click here to view the complete technical due diligence checklist)
- Documents covering company values, mission, vision and shared beliefs
- Assessment of strategic fit within the larger buyer organization
Click here to view the complete Due Diligence Documents Checklist
Example of a Due Diligence Report
A due diligence report is a summary of the findings from the entire due diligence process completed by the company’s internal team or a paid third-party group. Reporting about due diligence can seem a daunting task, but it can help to do a breakdown of the reports according to the type of due diligence or highlight red flags like the due diligence report example below:
Due Diligence Sample Report
Click here to view the complete Due Diligence PDF
iAuditor as a Company Due Diligence Tool
Conducting due diligence to assess the viability of businesses for investment, mergers, and acquisitions entails going through a lot of company records in as little time as possible. iAuditor by SafetyCulture can help business owners and consultants conduct effective due diligence by providing the following benefits.
Convenient highlighting of findings
- Take photos using your mobile device to highlight findings during due diligence
- Make quick notes referenced to specific points on your checklist that you can easily review while creating the due diligence report
Digital record-keeping
- No more dealing with paper-based checklists and illegible handwritten notes that can get lost or damaged
- Paperless records can be shared via weblink or as a PDF or Word document
Secure information
- iAuditor uses secure cloud storage so there is no fear of leakage or unauthorized access to data
- Only designated or authorized person/s can access information
Continuity
- One go-to app for the duration of conducting due diligence
- Continue where you last left off and make updates based on findings
- Integrate iAuditor with other platforms as needed
Featured Due Diligence Templates
Due Diligence Documents Checklist
A due diligence documents checklist is a tool used to make sure that the company’s internal due diligence team or a paid third-party group can look into the required and relevant records to help investors come up with an evidence-based decision for acquisitions or mergers. This checklist is converted into a digital template which you can easily customize with the iAuditor drag-and-drop template editor to fit your business needs.
Legal Due Diligence Checklist
A legal due diligence checklist is used by lawyers or legal advisors as a guide to check all legal documents and contracts for risks that may be hidden in legalese and uncover possible legal obligations.
Financial Due Diligence Checklist
A financial due diligence checklist is used as a guide to review the assets & liabilities and financial risks of a business. This financial due diligence checklist can be used by accountants or financial advisors to assess the financial standing of a business.
Operational Due Diligence Template
An operational due diligence template is used to review the operations of a business: customer patterns, competitors, marketing, and perception. This converted operational due diligence checklist uses the response set Done-In Progress-Not Applicable for each item.
Technical Due Diligence Checklist
A technical due diligence, sometimes called an IT due diligence, helps IT managers check all essential Information Technology assets of a business during mergers and acquisitions. This is crucial for streamlining the management of IT assets and processes. iAuditor digital checklists can be customized to fit business needs.
