Data strategy insights for PE-backed companies. Practical guides on data diligence, exit readiness, and portfolio data operations.https://crawfordmcmillan.com/en-ushttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/pe-exit-backlog-32000-companies/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/pe-exit-backlog-32000-companies/The unrealized PE portfolio has hit $3.8 trillion. Average holds stretch to seven years. And every additional year of holding erodes the return. Data readiness in year one compounds through exit. Waiting until year five is too late.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/credit-accountability-gap-pe-operating-model/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/credit-accountability-gap-pe-operating-model/PE firms that advise from a distance and claim credit selectively are running out of runway. The math demands shared accountability between sponsors and management teams.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/12-is-the-new-5-financial-engineering-dead/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/12-is-the-new-5-financial-engineering-dead/Required EBITDA growth doubled in a decade while leverage dropped and rates rose. The math now demands operational value creation, and data infrastructure is how you deliver it.Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/two-integrity-gaps-portfolio-value/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/two-integrity-gaps-portfolio-value/Data integrity and leadership integrity are twin blind spots that erode PE portfolio company value long before diligence. Why they travel together, and how to diagnose and fix both in 90 days.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/carve-out-data-separation-playbook/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/carve-out-data-separation-playbook/Data separation is the hardest technical problem in any carve-out transaction. This playbook covers the five phases from inventory to standalone infrastructure, with the common traps that derail timelines.Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/dpi-pressure-and-the-data-gap/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/dpi-pressure-and-the-data-gap/DPI has become the most scrutinized LP metric, creating exit urgency that flows directly to portfolio companies. Clean data operations are now the difference between transacting and waiting.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/the-hidden-half-turn-how-data-errors-leak-value/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/the-hidden-half-turn-how-data-errors-leak-value/Most data-and-valuation conversations focus on pre-close diligence. But data errors continue to destroy value after the close through revenue leakage, procurement waste, and delayed value creation.Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/portfolio-data-operations-repeatable-playbook/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/portfolio-data-operations-repeatable-playbook/Operating partners managing multiple portfolio companies need a repeatable data playbook, not bespoke strategies for each acquisition. This guide covers what to standardize, what to leave alone, and how to deploy in 90 days.Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/rollover-equity-and-data-risk/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/rollover-equity-and-data-risk/Rollover equity has risen from 14% to nearly 17% of TEV. When sellers keep skin in the game post-close, data quality matters beyond the close date.Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-governance-that-raises-valuation/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-governance-that-raises-valuation/Data governance protects EBITDA and preserves exit multiples. The four-layer framework, five controls buyers look for in diligence, and a 90-day implementation plan for PE portfolio companies.Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/cfo-guide-to-data-driven-exit-preparation/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/cfo-guide-to-data-driven-exit-preparation/Five things every CFO at a PE-backed company should have locked down six months before exit. Revenue reconciliation, flash reports, retention metrics, and more.Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/how-to-build-business-case-for-data-quality/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/how-to-build-business-case-for-data-quality/A practical framework for operating partners to justify data quality investments to investment committees. Three value drivers, one-page template, and the cost-of-inaction math.Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/why-your-portfolio-company-ai-initiative-is-stalling/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/why-your-portfolio-company-ai-initiative-is-stalling/Most PE portfolio company AI initiatives stall not because of the technology, but because of the data underneath. Five root causes and what to do about each one.Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-integration-after-add-on-acquisition/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-integration-after-add-on-acquisition/A 90-day framework for integrating data after an add-on acquisition. Covers customer master deduplication, chart of accounts harmonization, KPI alignment, and reporting consolidation.Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/the-bifurcation-why-some-companies-exit-at-premium/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/the-bifurcation-why-some-companies-exit-at-premium/PE deal volume fell to a 2017 low last year. A-assets still close fast at premium multiples. Five characteristics that separate the companies that sell from the ones that stall in diligence.Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/reverse-due-diligence-audit-your-data/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/reverse-due-diligence-audit-your-data/Five areas to self-audit before a buyer gets into your data room. A practical framework for running reverse due diligence on your own data, with specific questions and 2-week fixes.Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/what-operating-partners-get-wrong-about-data-governance/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/what-operating-partners-get-wrong-about-data-governance/65% of PE firms struggle to reflect value creation in exit EBITDA. Three governance mistakes explain most of the gap, and all three are fixable.Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/ai-readiness-starts-with-data-readiness/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/ai-readiness-starts-with-data-readiness/80% of PE firms deployed AI by 2025. Only 20% got operational value. The five-prerequisite data framework for portfolio companies that actually produces measurable AI returns.Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/one-page-data-value-creation-plan/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/one-page-data-value-creation-plan/Most value creation plans have a vague line for data. Here is a concrete one-page framework that turns the data component into a real operating plan.Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/why-record-multiples-make-data-your-edge/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/why-record-multiples-make-data-your-edge/EBITDA multiples hit 11.8x. Financial engineering alone cannot deliver returns at these prices. Data is the operational lever that separates winners from the rest.Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/post-acquisition-data-playbook/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/post-acquisition-data-playbook/What to do with data in the first 100 days after acquiring a company. A phased playbook for operating partners and portfolio company leaders.Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-diligence-diy-vs-help/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-diligence-diy-vs-help/When to handle data diligence preparation yourself and when to bring in outside help. An honest comparison of cost, timeline, and outcomes.Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/qoe-data-problems/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/qoe-data-problems/QoE reports expose data infrastructure failures most teams never see coming. Here's why numbers break, what triggers adjustments, and how to fix it early.Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/fix-data-before-diligence-timeline/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/fix-data-before-diligence-timeline/Realistic timelines for fixing data before diligence. The 12-month ideal, 6-month sprint, and 3-month emergency paths with specific deliverables at each phase.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-problems-cost-half-turn/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/data-problems-cost-half-turn/An anonymized case study showing how data issues led to QoE adjustments, buyer repricing, and a $20M valuation haircut on a mid-market PE exit.Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/pe-exit-data-checklist/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/pe-exit-data-checklist/The data readiness checklist PE-backed teams miss before an exit. Covers financial, operational, and customer data with timelines and real benchmarks.Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/48-hour-diligence-test/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/48-hour-diligence-test/Ten questions your team should answer in 48 hours or less. A practical readiness test for PE-backed companies approaching an exit.Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/7-data-red-flags-kill-deals/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/7-data-red-flags-kill-deals/Seven specific data problems that make buyers walk away or reprice. What each red flag signals, why it matters, and how to fix it before diligence starts.Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/complete-data-diligence-guide/https://crawfordmcmillan.com/blog/complete-data-diligence-guide/What buyers actually look for in data diligence. 15 questions, what good answers look like, common red flags, and how to prepare before the clock starts.Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT