TDD Deliverables and Reports
What you receive from a technical due diligence assessment
A comprehensive technical due diligence engagement produces multiple deliverables designed to inform deal decisions and guide post-acquisition activities. The quality and actionability of these deliverables directly determines the value of the TDD investment.
Primary Deliverables
1. Executive Summary (2-5 pages)
The most critical document—this is what the investment committee and deal principals will read. It must be concise yet comprehensive:
Essential Elements:
- Overall Technology Rating: Clear assessment (e.g., "Technology is fundamentally sound with moderate remediation needs" or "Significant risks requiring substantial post-acquisition investment")
- Investment Thesis Validation: Does technology support or undermine the deal rationale?
- Top 5 Risks: Prioritized list with financial impact ranges
- Top 5 Strengths: Technology assets and capabilities that add value
- Deal Recommendation: Proceed as-is, proceed with adjustments, or walk away
- Financial Summary: Total estimated remediation costs, integration costs, ongoing cost implications
- Critical Path Items: Must-haves before closing (e.g., security fixes, IP confirmation)
Example Executive Summary Structure:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Overall Assessment | 1-paragraph verdict with technology health score |
| Investment Thesis Alignment | How technology supports/undermines deal rationale |
| Key Risks Summary | Top 5 risks with $ impact and mitigation |
| Key Strengths | Technology differentiators and value drivers |
| Financial Impact | Remediation, integration, and ongoing costs |
| Recommendations | Deal terms, price adjustments, conditions |
2. Detailed Technical Report (50-150 pages)
The comprehensive analysis supporting all conclusions:
Standard Sections:
- Architecture Assessment: System diagrams, component inventory, integration map, scalability analysis
- Code Quality Analysis: Static analysis results, code review findings, test coverage metrics, technical debt inventory
- Security Assessment: Vulnerability scan results, security control evaluation, compliance status, penetration test findings (if conducted)
- Infrastructure Evaluation: Cloud architecture, cost analysis, operational maturity, disaster recovery capability
- Data Assessment: Data architecture, quality evaluation, privacy compliance, analytics capabilities
- Team Assessment: Organization structure, capability evaluation, key person dependencies, culture observations
- Process Assessment: SDLC maturity, DevOps practices, incident management, change control
3. Risk Register
A structured catalog enabling systematic risk management:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Risk ID | Unique identifier | TECH-SEC-001 |
| Category | Risk type | Security |
| Description | Clear statement of risk | Unpatched critical vulnerabilities in production servers |
| Likelihood | Probability (1-5) | 4 - Likely |
| Impact | Consequence (1-5) | 5 - Critical |
| Risk Score | Likelihood × Impact | 20 |
| Financial Impact | $ range | $500K - $2M (breach cost) |
| Remediation | Recommended action | Emergency patching, vulnerability management program |
| Timeline | When to address | Pre-close or Day 1 |
| Owner | Responsible party | Target CISO / Acquirer IT Security |
4. Integration Roadmap
A practical plan for post-acquisition technology activities:
Day 1 Requirements:
- Access and identity integration (SSO, directory services)
- Security controls (VPN access, endpoint protection)
- Communication systems (email, Slack/Teams)
- Financial system access for cost tracking
- Critical business continuity items
First 30 Days:
- Security remediation for critical vulnerabilities
- Key person retention execution
- Baseline operational metrics
- Detailed integration planning kickoff
30-90 Days:
- High-priority technical debt remediation
- Initial system integrations
- Process alignment
- Quick win synergy capture
90+ Days:
- Major platform initiatives
- Organizational integration
- Long-term modernization
- Full synergy realization
Supplementary Deliverables
Financial Impact Analysis
Bridges technical findings to deal economics:
- Immediate Costs (0-6 months): Critical remediation, security fixes, Day 1 integration
- Short-term Costs (6-18 months): Technical debt reduction, platform upgrades
- Long-term Costs (18+ months): Major modernization, strategic investments
- Ongoing Cost Deltas: Changes to run-rate technology spend
- Purchase Price Adjustment: Recommended reduction with supporting rationale
Management Presentation Deck (15-25 slides)
Visual summary for stakeholder presentations:
- Technology scorecard with visual ratings
- Architecture diagrams (simplified for non-technical audience)
- Risk heat map
- Financial impact waterfall
- Integration timeline Gantt chart
- Key talking points for Q&A
Data Room Findings Index
- Complete inventory of documents reviewed
- Information gaps and materiality assessment
- Outstanding questions for management
- Documents requested but not provided
Report Quality Standards
The difference between valuable TDD and waste of money:
| Poor Quality | High Quality |
|---|---|
| "Code quality needs improvement" | "Test coverage is 23% vs. 60% target. Estimated 800 hours ($120K) to reach acceptable coverage for critical paths." |
| "Security concerns identified" | "17 critical CVEs in production, including CVE-2024-XXXX affecting payment processing. $250K-$500K breach risk. Pre-close remediation recommended." |
| "Technical debt is high" | "$1.8M in technical debt identified: $600K architecture refactoring, $450K legacy migration, $400K automation gaps, $350K documentation." |
| "Key person risk exists" | "CTO and 2 senior architects control 70% of critical system knowledge. Retention packages of $300K total recommended. Bus factor of 3 is critical risk." |
What Makes a TDD Report Actionable
- Specific over General: Name exact systems, files, vulnerabilities—not vague categories
- Quantified over Qualified: Dollar amounts and time estimates, not just "high/medium/low"
- Prioritized: Clear distinction between must-fix, should-fix, and nice-to-fix
- Owner-Assigned: Every finding has a recommended owner and timeline
- Evidence-Based: Screenshots, code snippets, tool outputs supporting each finding
- Balanced: Acknowledges strengths, not just problems
Key Takeaway: The value of TDD is in actionable intelligence, not documentation volume. A 30-page report with specific, quantified findings is worth more than a 200-page report of generic observations. Ask your TDD provider for sample reports before engaging—quality varies significantly across the market.