Knowledge Transfer
Source: Playbook v2 EN — Ch. 9
Note: This is a stub skill. The v2 EN charter template is generalized and good enough for planning. Real operational lessons from Melers are in knowledge/portfolio/melers/learnings/. Revisit and expand after ~10 acquisitions.
Project Charter Template
First step: Copy the Trello Scrum KanBan wall for this acquisition and assign all tasks.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Theme | Knowledge Transfer & Recruitment × 3 |
| Project scope | [X] person-days / [Y] work hours |
| Deliverables | [list key deliverables] |
| Stakeholders | New owners | Seller | Key staff | Bank contact | Accountant |
| Constraints | Distance to business | Team technical skills | Time pressure | Budget |
| SMART Goal | By [DATE], we have created for the portfolio company one (1) systematic and documented Operations Management Platform / Source of Truth that allows roles to be clearly defined and easily trained. Three (3) key roles recruited by [DATE] and onboarded by [DATE]. |
P.E.S.T. Risks: - Political: regulatory changes - Economic: fuel costs, FX exposure - Social: staff retention, culture fit - Technical: system migration, software adoption
Roles to recruit:
| Role | Responsibilities | KPIs | Hire by date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role 1 — Operator | [tbd] | [tbd] | [date] |
| Role 2 — Driver/Field | [tbd] | [tbd] | [date] |
| Role 3 — [tbd] | [tbd] | [tbd] | [date] |
Budget: Tracking sheet to be created — estimated under €1,000.
Lessons Learned (from v2 EN)
- "Boots on the ground" is non-negotiable. Book accommodation for 3–6 weeks near the business.
- Set up the Charter document immediately — assign every task to Trello. No email management.
- File for expedited PRH owner documentation — unblocks bank credit limit faster.
- Share your roadmap with old owners early. They need to know WHEN things happen.
- Set Mon/Wed/Fri as standing planning meetings.
- You have to map key role workflows. Old owners couldn't systemise — that's why you're buying.
For Melers-specific learnings (the "I wish I had known" table, killer skills stack), see knowledge/portfolio/melers/learnings/.
Mapping Key Role Workflows
- Create a workflow/process mapping system for every key role
- Capture KPIs that measure role success
- Record video walkthroughs by phone or Loom.com
- Add all instructions to company Drive OR Connectteam.com
- Assign each workflow to a named owner