Aligning business and technology in a high-stakes merge

When online estate agency Strike acquired Purplebricks in 2023 for a nominal £1, the challenge wasn’t simply about brand continuity. The merger brought together two fundamentally different operating models and a decision to adopt one company’s technology stack before fully aligning on strategy.

Strike turned to Answer Digital to help navigate this complex landscape, ensuring the new business could operate with clarity, compliance, and a forward-looking roadmap.

The merger created an early disconnect:

• Operating model vs. technology stack — Strike’s operating model was chosen, but Purplebricks’ technology stack had already been adopted.
• Conflicting influences — While Strike was the acquiring business, strong voices within Purplebricks began to drive technical decision-making.
• High regulation — With mortgage sales central to the revenue model, FCA regulation meant the merger had to deliver seamless, compliant processes.

The risk was clear: without alignment between business operations and technology, the combined entity could lose efficiency, struggle with compliance, and undermine customer experience.

Answer Digital was brought in by Strike to provide clarity and direction. Our team of business analysts, architects, and researchers:

• Audited both technology stacks — Assessing infrastructure, security, and integration points across Strike and Purplebricks.
• Mapped the operating model — Conducting workshops with frontline staff and leadership to document the processes that would underpin the combined business.
• Created a service blueprint — Demonstrating how Strike’s operating model could be supported (or hindered) by the Purplebricks technology stack.
• Produced a robust report — Outlining risks, gaps, and recommendations to guide decision-making and ensure the business model and tech platform were aligned.

Mergers and acquisitions are rarely straightforward. In regulated industries like financial services and property, success depends on more than branding or systems. It requires clear thinking about operating models, compliance obligations, and how technology enables, rather than dictates, business strategy.

Answer Digital brought structure and clarity at a time of ambiguity. By aligning the operating model with the technology stack, we gave Strike (now operating under the Purplebricks brand) the foundation to integrate, stabilise, and grow.