Where has technology really improved the M&A process?

It’s hard to pick just one area, but I think, first and foremost, it comes down to speed, so in this environment — which remains competitive for attractive assets — it’s really trying to gain an edge. There are generally multiple bidders looking at attractive assets right now, so how can they try to leverage technology to hopefully get the inside track on some of these attractive assets and maybe get exclusivity wrapped up sooner?

The other pieces are around transparency for both buyers and sellers. Sellers want to understand buyer activity and behaviour better. On the buy-side, they want to understand the progress that their deal teams are making.

Lastly, but certainly not least, it comes down to security; protecting the information flows in this environment where everything is done digitally, making sure that everything is protected, is of paramount importance. So, I think it really is the combination of those three.

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