Phase 1: Attraction

Is collaboration worthwhile for my business?

Collaboration is a growth option worth giving consideration in order to determine whether it is a viable solution for your business.  It may not seem to be an intuitive response to opportunities in your businesses, but in many cases it could produce the optimal results.

Partner to Succeed can help you make this assessment by answering the following questions:

• What is your attitude to collaboration and what is your business’s attitude to working with partners?
• Will it result in business growth?
• What is the risk, time, cost and/or resource involved in pursuing collaboration?
• Are you ready to collaborate?

Phase 2: Identification

At the end of the Identification phase, you and your partners will know what you want to do and with whom you want to do it:

• Identify suitable collaborative partners (matchmaking)
• Identify a suitable business opportunity if one doesn’t already exist
• Establish capabilities of individual partners
• Identify additional partners if certain competencies are lacking
• Appoint the collaboration project manager to drive it forward

Phase 3: Formation

The Formation phase binds the collaboration partners together into a team with common objectives and defined roles:

• Agree and formulate the working arrangements for the collaboration
• Agree roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of each partner
• Agree allocation of resources
• Draw up confidentiality agreements
• Draw up IP (intellectual property) agreements – if required
• Develop a collaborative strategy
• Set targets
• Write down agreed objectives
• Sign collaboration agreement

Phase 4: Implementation

This phase involves carrying out the agreed tasks and activities to deliver the goals of your project and is the core of your collaboration.  It will only be successful if due consideration has been given to both the identification and formation phases. Close attention must also be paid to the ongoing progress of the collaboration ensuring:

Sharing of information

Prompt resolution of any problems arising

Monitoring of progress

Phase 5: Evaluation

As your collaboration progresses, a periodic evaluation of its performance should be undertaken to determine its overall effectiveness in delivering the projected benefits to each partner. The evaluation should focus on three things:

• The effectiveness of your collaboration project
• The effectiveness of your collaboration process
• The quality and coherence of your partnership
• The Partner to Succeed team will help you plan and carry out this evaluation.