Creating and Managing Successful Strategic Alliances Seminar

Dr. Robert E. Spekman, PhD
Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business Administration
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
ISBM Research Fellow

Why, When, and How to Begin, Manage—and Gracefully Exit—Successful Business Alliances...

There is not a sector of the economy that has not witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of alliances used by its firms to improve their competitive positions. Despite the fact that an alliance is formed nearly every 90 seconds, failure rates appear to occur in nearly 60 percent of all alliances. In most instances, failure is not a function of the alliance being a bad strategic option; rather, failure is attributable to managerial error. These errors can occur at any phase in the development, nurturing, or management of the alliance. Alliances fail because managers do not understand the complex interplay of a number of factors that can cause even the most well intended alliance to experience problems. In this seminar, Professor Spekman, a leading authority on business alliances and the extended enterprise, shares insights, frameworks and best practices on how to form, build and sustain profitable business alliances.

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

Seminar participants build better understanding of:

• Whether an alliance is the right policy for their company
• Antecedents to success (and failure)
• How to identify potential partners
• The importance of alliance competence
• Tools for developing working alliances
• The role of the alliance manager
• Recognizing the importance of alliance management and governance

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This seminar can benefit anyone involved in the development of business relationships, including:

• General Managers
• Marketing Executives
• Sales Executives
• Purchasing Executives
• Managers of other strategic functions

SEMINAR CONTENT

Companies all over the world are looking at alliances with suppliers and customers to reduce costs, improve cycle time, and enable just-in-time delivery systems. This program explores how such relationships are formed, managed and developed into value creating networks. It covers the basic theory of relationship and business model development, and applies it to business scenarios through a series of case studies.

The program considers three main questions companies must ask:

• How do we build alliance competencies?
• Why is strategic alignment an essential ingredient of the process?
• How can alliances bring value to the marketplace?

FORMAT

Day One

This session begins with an outline of a strategic framework for relationship development. Participants will explore the forces behind the movement of relationships and alliances, and look at the dimensions of successful relationships. We will spend time on understanding strategic intent and alliance development, partner selection, and governance.

Day Two

We will emphasize the problems and best practices in alliance management, developing alliance managers, developing an alliance competence, and performance metrics. The program will conclude with an open forum on relevant issues discussed.

The seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. It combines lecture and discussion, real business and industrial examples, case studies, and exercises. With limited attendance, there is ample time for extensive discussion and interaction. Participants are invited to bring real examples and situations to the program for class discussion.

INSTRUCTOR

Robert E. Spekman is the Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business Administration at The Darden School of Business Administration, University of Virginia and is an ISBM Research Fellow. He is an internationally recognized authority on business-to-business marketing and strategic alliances. His consulting experiences and academic work ranges from strategic market planning, supply chain management, channels of distribution design and implementation, and strategic partnering. His consulting clients include a number of Fortune 100 companies as well as many international corporations.

For more information contact:

Paula Dorminy or Gary Holler
Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM)
Smeal College of Business
The Pennsylvania State University
484 Business Building
University Park PA 16802-3603

Phone: 814-863-2782
Fax: 814-863-0413
E-mail: isbm@psu.edu

To register: Online Registration