Technology Alliance Management Expertise

Challenge

Technology deals don’t always involve fully developed technology. Rather, they commonly require collaboration between parties to complete development and deliver products to market. Plus, technology hurdles are often not the only challenge. Well over half of all alliances, in fact, fail to deliver their objectives because of non-technical problems: the parties’ divergent objectives, unbalanced divisions of labor and the inability to weather conflicts, to name just a few. Business and technology managers need robust methods to manage their alliances by addressing key questions:

• What are the hallmarks of a well-constructed alliance and the principles of effective alliance management?
• How can we make sure that the foundation for success is laid right from the very beginning of an alliance?
• How can we be sure that an alliance can adjust to inevitable changes in program requirements or shifts in market dynamics?
• How can we repair an alliance that is becoming dysfunctional?
• How can firms of discrepant size and resources work together effectively?

Expertise

My work with clients on alliance management draws on my extensive experience negotiating and managing technology collaborations at Bausch + Lomb, including complex, long-term deals involving non-U.S. partners. My broad perspective helps me to develop customized solutions that function in all necessary dimensions: technological and intellectual property objectives, project and financial management, and inter-firm relations.

There are definite best practices in alliance management. My approach is to apply them only after understanding how they can be refined to address your particular situation. I consider the nature of technology involved, development objectives and timing, how far along a deal is already, as well as the cultures of your company and the other parties. My support ranges from deals in the making to alliances already well along.

Find out more: Email me to tell me about your alliance management challenge..