Much has been written about partnering. The U.S. government has
encouraged its agencies to work with private contractors actively so
seek the best solutions. Computer and technical partnering spawns
special problems of communicating in rapidly changing markets.
One website with excellent planning tools for technology partnering is
www.improvingpartnering.com This website has a number of diagnostic
tests that you can apply to maintaining a partnership. They site 6
basic "best practices" for operating a partnership:
1. Schedule partnering work as distinct and ongoing tasks.
2. Work at all four items on the partnering agenda. The 4 items are
open discussion of issues; clear and fully accepted shared goals;
detailed procedures for key information exchanges; and understanding
and trust.
3. Mobilize active senior management support.
4. Build partnering into everyday job responsibilities. Reward
employees at all levels for tasks that support partnering.
5. Develop communications skills to support the intention of
partnering. Successful partnering arrangements make a substantial
investment in training employees at all levels in collaborative
communications skills.
6. Use electronic communications tools.
Having been involved in personal computer industry partnering for 20
years, I'd start with a summary of your client's position. It's hard
to know where you want to go unless there's a clear understanding of
current position. The two most-popular and easily understood ways to
look at a company's competitive position is:
* a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) model. Each
sector will suggest certain other companies with which to partner and
which ones to avoid. Technical AND marketing considerations should be
examined because new developments still have to be sold, potentially
in conflict with the partner's channels.
Clearly partnering with firms that are classified as 'threats' is
risky. But even thinking about what those companies offer may open
your clients managers' eyes to ways to use -- or circumvent --
competition.
* Michael Porter's 5 forces model, which has a company examine the
following for each of its markets:
1. The relative bargaining power of buyers
2. Relative supplier bargaining power
3. Threat of new entrants into markets
4. The threat of substitute products
5. The intensity of rivalry among the current competitors
The risks and advantages of partnering have been well-documented, A
website, www.corporate-partnering.com has a succinct summary "The
Advantages and Disadvantages of Partnering and Alliances":
http://corporate-partnering.com/info/strategic-alliances-advantages-and-disadvantages.htm
It is important to put all of the planning for partnering in writing.
As you and the client go through the discussions with other firms,
you'll be surprised to see how much detailed information is collected
from other companies -- and how much it differs from your early
analysis!
Google search strategy:
partnering
partnering + "best practices"
"Michael Porter"
Best regards,
Omnivorous-GA |
