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Free practical guide · Version 3.2, September 2026

Auditing the information system of a business you plan to acquire

Before buying an SME, you scrutinize the EBITDA, the cash position and the customers. Rarely the IT. This 73-page guide gives you the method to assess the target's ERP and information system, put a figure on the technical debt and build it into your business plan.

Did you know? When you take over a company, you also take over its GDPR breaches. The fine can reach 4% of annual worldwide revenue.

Source: GDPR, Article 83 (CNIL)

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    The 8 documents to request from the seller before signing
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    The 5 blocks of an IS audit, with the question to ask the seller for each one
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    The 3-extract test to put the numbers to the test in a single meeting
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    Ballpark figures to budget for IS in your business plan
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    The first 100 days plan: take back the keys, secure, decide
Access the guide and the audit ↓
One-page information system audit report: findings, score and cost by block

What's inside the guide

1.Why IS is a strategic asset: IS as the company's nervous system, SMEs and large groups, the 3 major risks, the 5-category assessment grid.

2.In-depth auditing: the documents to obtain, the 5 audit blocks, the 3-extract test, the one-page report, the clauses of the sale agreement.

3.Budgeting IS in the business plan: the cost of doing nothing, the three budget envelopes, whether to change ERP, the forgotten costs, what can be negotiated on the price.

4.The first 100 days: become admin of everything, secure, understand the field, decide on a 3-year roadmap, the mistakes to avoid.

Start with the self-assessment

The guide relies on a 5-category grid. You can apply it right away to your target with our online information system audit : a few minutes, with a report at the end.

Free tool in partnership with the C.R.A (French association of business sellers and buyers). And if the audit reveals an ERP project, our page on Odoo pricing and development gives budget ranges by project type.

Who is it for?

A shared framework for discussing digital matters during an acquisition, whatever your role.

Buyers

You're studying a target and want to know what you're really buying, beyond the balance sheet.

Sellers

You're preparing the sale and want to present an information system that reassures and can be handed over.

Advisors

Accountant, lawyer, banker: you're supporting an acquisition and want a simple framework for the digital side.

Access the guide and the audit

Instant access to the PDF slide deck (73 pages, version 3.2, September 2026) and to the online information system audit.

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Frequently asked questions

Because the ERP, files and access rights carry the entire business: orders, invoicing, inventory, payroll. A poorly maintained IS hides upgrade costs, dependence on a single person and legal risks that the buyer inherits on signing day.
The list of software and licenses, vendor and service provider contracts with their renewal dates, IT invoices from the last 3 years, the list of admin accounts, the domain name holder, proof of a backup restore, the GDPR record of processing activities and documentation of custom development.
For an SME with 10 to 50 people, expect roughly €3,000 to €15,000 in upgrades in the first year (backups, security, hardware, compliance), excluding any ERP project. Only an audit of the target gives the real figure.
Not necessarily. Old software that does its job well is worth keeping. A replacement becomes likely when the data is no longer reliable, backups are missing, the vendor has abandoned the technology, or the system is blocking your acquisition plan.
Yes. It takes a few minutes and covers the 5 categories of the grid: organization, access, infrastructure, security and data. Free tool in partnership with the C.R.A, open to buyers and business owners alike.