Partnering and alliances are increasingly common both within and between the business, public and 'not-for-profit' sectors. They create greater value by harnessing each other’s core competencies to e.g. extend product range, improve speed to market, or lower the cost base. They should be all about win-win outcomes.

Between 60% and 80% of the business of many public bodies and large companies is transacted through partnering. Companies are finding that partners can help them extend customer offers by creating added-value services, or alliances with technology suppliers can help them innovate faster. Public bodies see benefits in co-operating with each other to drive initiatives that cannot be delivered by one organisation alone.

If defined, established and managed well, alliances can:

• Achieve faster results through synergy between the parties

• Adapt readily to changing circumstances

• Spread risk and offer potential gains in both efficiency and effectiveness

• Enable organisations that would never merge to co-operate in areas of mutual interest

• Improve the organisation's bottom line

• What is meant by partnering as opposed to other forms of collaboration

• Preparing your own organisation for partnering

• The six stages of selecting and building a successful alliance

• Delivering sustainable benefits for all parties

• Shifting mindsets to those more effective for partnering

• Building trust and credibility

• Mastering the art of influencing

• Creating shared objectives

• Developing and implementing an influence plan

• Defining a balanced set of metrics

• Aligning processes, supporting roles and accountabilities

• Recognising and managing differences in working styles, values and cultures

• Managing changing expectations and revitalising established partnerships

• Exchanging knowledge, new insights and innovation with partners

• Strong sponsor in each organisation with clear roles

• Evaluating an alliance and facing up to difficulties

Our services are of particular value to those managing existing external/internal partnerships, selecting and developing new partners, or up-grading suppliers/customers to partner status.

We have worked with a global technology company helping them improve the effectiveness of their external alliances throughout Europe and in India, China, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, North America, Mexico and Brazil. We have also worked with local authorities and have spoken at public seminars.

We are members of the Association of Strategic Alliance Partners.