EMC Benchmark – Alliance Best Practice

	Score 0	Score 25	Score 50	Score 75	Score 100
Co1 Do you have one or more identified business value propositions for the relationship? If so can you describe them in the comments box? Score 0 if - Haven't got one Score 25 if - Got one on one side only Score 50 if - Got one on both sides Score 75 if - Jointly agreed by alliance teams on both sides Score 100 if - Jointly agreed by key stakeholders on both sides
Co10 What is the expected cost / value ratio of this relationship? Score 0 if - Unknown Score 25 if - We have a general idea of the payback we are looking for Score 50 if - We have a detailed view of the payback we are looking for Score 75 if - Both partners have an agreed general view of the payback they are looking for Score 100 if - Both partners have a detailed and accurate cost / value payback ratio that they are both expecting from the relationship.
Co2 Have you conducted due diligence to identify suitable candidate partners? If so can you identify in the Comments box the criteria that were used? Score 0 if - None conducted Score 25 if - We assessed Financial aspects only Score 50 if - We assessed both financial and strategic aspects Score 75 if - We assessed a range of dimensions consistent with our risk mitigation and control strategies. Score 100 if - We conducted a full and complete due diligence with the full support of the partner concerned.
Co5 Do you have an alliance balanced scorecard? Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - Commercial Score 50 if - Commercial and some others Score 75 if - Cause and effect metrics Score 100 if - Fully balanced best practice scorecard
Co6 Do you have a relationship reward system linked to key metrics? Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - Ad hoc to one side Score 50 if - Formal to one or either side but not shared Score 75 if - Ad Hoc shared Score 100 if - Fully costed in all alliance and partnership relationships. Rules are clear and applied consistently. Money is paid into pot available to BOTH sides equally.
Cu31 What is the degree of trust in the relationship and how is this evidenced? (Please place score in Score Box and Evidence in Comments box. Score 0 if - None. I would not be in this relationship unless I absolutely had to be. Their behaviours and actions are deeply questionable. Score 25 if - OK. They let us down sometimes but they are getting better. Score 50 if - Good. They rarely let us down and they usually do what they say they will regardless of rank or function. Score 75 if - Very good. They have good behaviours and almost always do what they say they will do. I would share anything but the most sensitive information with them. Score 100 if - Absolute. We are close to being the same organisation. I would trust the other side with all and any information. They have never let us down. They always keep their promises
Cu32 What is the level of maturity of alliance thinking in your organisation? Score 0 if - Non existent. We did not know about Alliances until recently. Score 25 if - Low. We know alliances exist but we treat them as a means to a commercial end. Score 50 if - Good We use alliances regularly in an ad hoc fashion. Score 75 if - Very Good we use alliances regularly as part of a formal programme supported by a best practices centre of excellence.. Score 100 if - Outstanding we are global leaders and alliances pervade everything we do.
Cu33 What degree of collaboration skills exist in this relationship on both sides and how have these skills been applied in your organisation? (Please place score in Score box and Evidence in Comments box). Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - Some but very little. Based on individual experiences. Score 50 if - Good we have some formal training to help senior alliance managers develop their collaborative skills. Score 75 if - Excellent we use collaboration as a key measure in the individual's annual assessment. Score 100 if - Outstanding we are recognised as best in class. We teach other departments and/or organisations.
Cu38 What degree of Business to Business cultural alignment exists and what measures were used to ascertain this? (Please score in Score box and evidence in the Comments box). Score 0 if - We do not recognise culture as a factor in the relationship. Score 25 if - We recognise that some cultural factors exist but we expect individuals to work through the issues. Score 50 if - We recognise the existence of business cultures as a factor in strategic alliance relationships and have just begun to think how we may develop a common language to express this. Score 75 if - We are advanced in our thinking on the issue of cultural alignment and we have a number of robust behavioural factors which we measure regularly to assess alignment. Score 100 if - We have commissioned an external cultural alignment expert to help us define the differences in culture and to bridge the gaps.
O42 Do you have a formal joint business plan for the relationship? Score 0 if - No Score 25 if - Yes on one side unknown by other side. Score 50 if - Known by both but only paid lip service by one or other. Incompatible goals. Score 75 if - Yes in place and mostly subscribed to by both sides. Score 100 if - Yes fulsome and complete and agreed and actioned by both sides.
O43 What levels of communication are present? (e.g. Strategic, Managerial and Operational) Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - Minimal exists at one level only. Score 50 if - Good exists at two levels in both partners. Score 75 if - Very good exists at two levels in both partners and is fully integrated. Score 100 if - Excellent exists at three levels in both partners and is fully integrated.
O45 Does a relationship charter or Memorandum of Understanding and Principles (MOUP) exist? Score 0 if - No Score 25 if - Yes but it is ad hoc. Score 50 if - Yes and it was put together by both in series. Score 75 if - Yes and it was put together by both, in parallel (i.e .in workshop) Score 100 if - Yes and it was put together by both, in parallel (i.e. in workshop) using best practice template.
O47 What operational alliance metrics do you use? (As opposed to strategic or scorecard metrics?) Score 0 if - None. Score 25 if - Same as strategic metrics. Score 50 if - Similar but slightly different from strategic metrics. Score 75 if - Different but no clear link to strategic metrics. Score 100 if - Different and clear and linking supporting role. (i.e. one leads to the other).
O50 What degree of internal alignment exists? Score 0 if - Unknown Score 25 if - minimal. Some key stakeholders identified but not all. Score 50 if - Reasonable. Some Key Stakeholders identified but very little co-ordination of views. Score 75 if - Good quite comprehensive and good integration of views. But some key stakeholders still not fully aligned. Score 100 if - Excellent. All key stakeholders identified and fully aligned.
O51 Do you have a formal relationship project plan written down? Score 0 if - No Score 25 if - We have a broad idea but no details. Score 50 if - We have a detailed plan known to very few. Score 75 if - We have a detailed plan known to those that ned to execute. Score 100 if - We have a detailed plan known to all with appropriate role clarification and acceptance.
How are issues escalated? Score 0 if - Unknown Score 25 if - They aren't we avoid issues. Score 50 if - They are escalated formally and a blame culture is created. Score 75 if - They are escalated and we try not to develop a blame culture. Score 100 if - They are escalted openly and we have no blame culture. We learn from our mistakes in the realtionship.
S20 Are there common and shared specific objectives for the relationship? If so can you briefly describe them in the comments box? Score 0 if - There are none Score 25 if - We have strategic objectives and so does our partner. Each side knows what the other partners are but there is no integration. Score 50 if - We have agreed a number of strategic objectives with our partner in a joint session/s. We also have some extra strategic objectives ourselves. Score 75 if - We have a set of jointly agreed strategic objectives which are clear to the alliance teams on both sides. Score 100 if - We have a set of jointly agreed strategic objectives which are clear to the alliance teams and the operational teams on both sides.
S21 What is the scope of the relationship and how has this been arrived at? Please place your score in the Score box and your comments in the Comments box. Score 0 if - There is no defintion of the scope of the relationship. It is ad hoc and opportunistic. We go where the deals take us. Score 25 if - We have broadly mapped some areas for interaction with our partner but they are used purely as guidelines. We tend not to stick to them rigidly. Score 50 if - We have a clear definition of the scope of the relationship and it was agreed by the management teams on each side separately. Score 75 if - We have a clear definition of the scope of the relationship and it was jointly agreed by the management teams on both sides in joint sessions. Score 100 if - We have a clear definition of the scope of the relationship and it was jointly agreed by the management teams on both sides in joint sessions. In addition we have shared with our partner our overall picture of strategic alliances and where they fit in scope terms within the big picture. We know which sectors and sub sectors of regions that we will attack with this relationship.
S25 What support is there from senior executives in the business for this relationship and how is this evidenced? (Please place score in Score box and evidence in Comments box). Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - Individual executive champions understand the value of partnering. Score 50 if - Many executive champions understand the value of partnering. Score 75 if - The majority of the executive team see the need for alliances and support them in concept. Individual specifics need to be explained. Score 100 if - Support for partnering is complete, educated and comprehensive throughout executive levels.
S26 What degree of B2B strategic alignment exists and what measures were used to ascertain this? (Please place score in score box and measures in comments box). Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - Some alignment. We know generally about our partner's plans but they don't know ours. Score 50 if - Good we both know each other's general direction and its probable impact on us. Score 75 if - Very good. We have both taken the time to share detailed strategic knowledge with our partner and this allows us to be very confident that we are well placed for the future. Score 100 if - Outstanding. We have worked together to proactively manage our future plans so that we are shaping the market together. We are perfectly placed to take advantage of future opportunities. We share R&D costs between us.
S27 How does this relationship fit on the strategic business path? Score 0 if - It doesn't but its important tactically so it outweighs the need. Score 25 if - It does fit but it will mean major concessions in the plan. Score 50 if - It fits and it will mean only minor concessions in the plan. Score 75 if - It fits perfectly with no concessions. Score 100 if - Outstanding we are global leaders and alliances pervade everything we do.
S29 What common ground rules of strategic operation have you agreed with the partner? Score 0 if - Vague outline terms. Score 25 if - Some specific terms viewed as golden rules. Score 50 if - Comprehensive list compiled by both. Score 75 if - Comprehensive fully integrated list compiled by both and referable to the business strategy. Score 100 if - Full time on both sides.
S30 Is there a common vision on all sides of the strategic intent of this relationship? If so can you articulate it in your own words. (Please place score in Score box and articulation in Comments box. Score 0 if - Some people seem to see it the same way. Score 25 if - Many people in the alliance functions on both sides see it the same way. Score 50 if - Many people see it the same way in both organisations. Score 75 if - Everybody has a clear and accurate version of the strategic direction of the relationship and where it fits in the strategy of both organisations. Score 100 if - There is a recognised group who get together both internally and externally to share best practice regularly.
T12 What is the partner company market position? (Why is this important to you?) Please place a score in the Score Box and your observations in the Comments box. Score 0 if - Unknown Score 25 if - They are a conspicuous player so they must be good. Score 50 if - We have formally analysed their market position and it bears some relavence to our plans. Score 75 if - We have formally analysed their market position and it bears a high degree of relavence to our plans. Score 100 if - We have done a detailed market survey and they are poitioned in our marketing bulls-eye.
T13 What is your own company market position? (Why is this imporatnt to the Partner?) Please place your score in the Score Box and Your Observations in the Comments Box. Score 0 if - Unknown Score 25 if - Known only to senior management. But will tell us if asked. Score 50 if - We know but nobody else in the organisation does. Score 75 if - Scattered knowledge throughout the organisation. Score 100 if - Known in detail in our company, clearly communicated and understood.
T15 To what extent does your product or service fit with your partner’s product / service offerings? Score 0 if - Unknown Score 25 if - Many duplications Score 50 if - Some duplications Score 75 if - Few duplications Score 100 if - Completely complementary
T16 – Are there clearly identified mutual needs which are satisfied in the proposed relationship? If so can you briefly describe them in the comments box? Score 0 if - We have needs which are satisfied but we have not shared them with our partner Score 25 if - We have shared with each other our different needs Score 50 if - We have worked together as two aliance teams and agreed some joint needs Score 75 if - We have worked together as two integrated companies including both alliance teams but also executive teams to agree a set of mutually agreed needs which will result in commercial value. Score 100 if - We have worked together as two companies and identified a set of needs which are integral to our business strtegies.
T19 What is the degree of partner accountability and how is this expressed? Please place your score in the Score box and your comments in the Comments box. Score 0 if - None Score 25 if - General statements of accountability in the contract - non specific. Score 50 if - Detailed statements of accountability in the contract - very specific and focusing on technical / commercial issues. Score 75 if - Both alliance teams have sat down and discussed partner accountability in detail. There is a clear documentation of the accountability on both sides in the charter. This is reflected in the contract. Score 100 if - Both alliance teams have briefed all the key stakeholders from each side and there is genuine and tangible buyin at multiple levels in both organisations. There is a clear documentation of the accountability on both sides in the charter. This is reflected in the contract.