The Partnering Wizard - Online Help for Alliance Success

The Partnering Wizard Bids You Welcome!

Thinking about partnering (or how to do it better) but not exactly sure what you need from an alliance or how to meet your needs?

The all-knowing Partnering Wizard will conjure up customized advice based on your response to the following 43 statements. Instantly revealing some of the best ways to fulfill your needs through an alliance, he will also point out some typical gremlins to watch for along the way. Keep in mind that the Wizard's magical advice only works for strategic alliances with other organizations (such as mergers, joint ventures or P3s) and comes with no guarantees!

Rank the statements below to help the Wizard divine the most critical factors for your organization. (Click here if you're concerned about confidentiality). Select the High or Low button depending on each statement's importance to your organization. Try to keep the number of Highs to a minimum for best results.

Strategic Action

HIGH	LOW
		Our company (or division) needs to respond quickly to trends in our industry.
		We need to expand, but don't have the ability to do so on our own.
		New opportunities have presented themselves and need to be seized soon.
		Our corporate image could use a boost.
		Our mission has changed, but our organization has not yet adapted.

Competition

HIGH	LOW
		We are competing in an area where our competitors have a distinct advantage.
		Our share of the market is, or may soon be threatened by the competition.
		Our competitors have become an increased threat by forming alliances.
		Our market is saturated by too many competitors.
		There is little differentiation between our products/services and the competition.

Markets and Marketing

HIGH	LOW
		There are significant gaps between our marketing strategies and our current abilities and resources.
		We wish to penetrate new markets, but lack the full ability to do so.
		We need to ensure rapid customer acceptance of our entry into a new market.
		We would benefit by expanding our product line.
		We have not been able to successfully capitalize on our past innovations.
		Our marketing efforts would benefit from better name recognition.
		We need to decrease marketing costs.

Asset Base

HIGH	LOW
		We would benefit greatly from using someone else's proprietary technology.
		We need to improve our Research and Development capabilities, or find a way to access the latest research.
		Our equipment and technology is becoming outdated or inadequate.
		The nature of our business involves a high level of risk.
		The nature of a project we are contemplating involves a devastating level of risk.

Financial

HIGH	LOW
		We don't have the cash to achieve our goals, and borrowing would be too risky, difficult or expensive.
		Our revenues are affected by unstable market factors, and need to be diversified.
		Our revenues are derived from a single product/service or a narrow sector of the market, and need to be diversified.
		We would like to improve or speed up cash flow.
		We need to decrease overhead costs or leverage fixed costs.
		We need to improve our return on equity and assets.

Human Capital

HIGH	LOW
		We are planning a project that requires close, ongoing cooperation between stakeholders to achieve success.
		Our people don't seem to be able to generate new and better ways of doing things.
		Our people lack knowledge and expertise in some areas of our business.
		Our leaders lack some of the skills they need for the future.
		Our people would take more pride in the company if we were allied with a well-respected partner.

Services

HIGH	LOW
		Integrating some of our systems with customers would strengthen our sales and service relationships.
		The value of our products/services would be increased by a closer connection to our customers.
		We could use better connections and channels to distribute our products more fully (or more effectively).
		We need to improve our delivery times, or the speed of our service to customers.
		Our customers would appreciate a broader range of services.

Production

HIGH	LOW
		We pay significant upstream costs to some of our suppliers and subcontractors.
		Our productivity and work systems need to improve dramatically (e.g. speed, cost of production, quality).
		We are not operating to our full capacity.
		Our production capability is inadequate to meet our strategic objectives.
		We need to speed up our cycle of product development.

If you're ready to consult the Wizard and take a glimpse into your partnering future, hit the tally button. (If you'd prefer a more accurate assessment of your partnerships and expert guidance, contact Crossroads to discuss an in-depth analysis by clicking on email )

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