When two international fitness organizations merged under private equity ownership, IT continuity was at risk. Coherent Solutions embedded long-term engineering and data teams to stabilize systems, integrate platforms, and mitigate disruption.
At a glance
-
Industry: Fitness & Wellness
-
Challenge: Support the technology integration of two leading international fitness organizations undergoing a private equity–driven merger.
-
Solution: Embedded software, data, and engineering teams providing long-term IT support, continuity, and transition management.
-
Outcome: Retained as one of two strategic vendors post-merger, recognized for deep expertise and stability across legacy organizations.
-
Coherent’s role: Trusted digital engineering partner enabling IT stability, data integration, and continuity throughout merger transitions.
The challenge: Vendor risk and IT disruption in a global merger
Coherent Solutions has partnered with a global fitness franchisor for over a decade, supporting their evolution from a single-brand organization into a multi-brand portfolio. As the client expanded through acquisitions, Coherent provided core IT delivery and integration services, growing to represent more than half of the company’s technology footprint.
The franchisor then entered a major merger with another global fitness brand, guided by shared private equity ownership. With leadership positions in IT filled by the merging partner’s executives, there was uncertainty about vendor continuity. Key challenges included:
-
Vendor risk: Potential displacement due to new IT leadership.
-
Integration complexity: Consolidating IT systems, data, and vendors across two mature organizations.
-
Trust gap: Demonstrating value to a new decision-making team with different vendor relationships.
Our approach: Continuity through embedded teams and data expansion
To mitigate risk and prove long-term value, Coherent:
-
Expanded into data engineering for the merged entity, ensuring relevance in high-priority functions.
-
Embedded teams with 10+ years of continuity, providing unmatched institutional knowledge.
-
Maintained low turnover and strong team integration, creating seamless collaboration with internal staff.
-
Drew on prior experience supporting brand acquisitions to stabilize IT delivery during transition periods.
The solution: Stabilizing IT delivery across two mature organizations
By focusing on stability and integration, Coherent Solutions provided continuity during a complex merger. Teams safeguarded operations, ensured data engineering support, and positioned themselves as critical partners during the transition period.
The impact: Retained as a strategic vendor through trust and performance
Post-merger, the new IT leadership endorsed Coherent Solutions as a retained vendor, citing both technical excellence and cultural alignment. Their feedback emphasized that:
-
Engineers were, in many instances, “more knowledgeable than internal staff”.
-
Retention and continuity created trust and reduced transition risk.
-
Coherent was not seen as an external vendor but as an embedded part of the IT team.
The merged organization streamlined to just two strategic IT vendors, with Coherent secured as one of them, reinforcing its position as a partner in digital value creation during organizational change.
Strategic takeaway
This engagement illustrates how digital engineering partnerships deliver value beyond day-to-day delivery:
-
Mergers & acquisitions create IT disruption risk. A stable, long-term partner reduces uncertainty.
-
Institutional knowledge matters. Continuity and retention make vendors indispensable.
-
Digital value creation is about resilience. The ability to thrive through transitions proves partnership strength.
What’s next: Continuing as a long-term partner
The merged fitness organization continues to rely on Coherent Solutions for ongoing data integration, platform modernization, and IT delivery. Future priorities include supporting digital products that unify member experiences across the multi-brand portfolio and enabling analytics-driven growth strategies.
.jpg)
.png)
