Alliances are one way in which companies are attacking new markets. They present both opportunity and danger. On the positive side an alliance can provide access to new customers and channels, speed to market, unique knowledge and experience, and scale and cost advantages. At the same time there are costs. Generally alliance partners share both the risks and the rewards. Often partners fail to recognize how the relationship needs to be managed. We can assist in identifying and evaluating potential alliances including an assessment of partner compatibility, pitfalls to be avoided and ways to maximize the benefits of the alliance.
Outsourcing is another example of an alliance. Outsourcing represents a critical strategic choice for most financial institutions. Significant benefits can be gained by tapping into the scale advantages and capabilities of outsourcing vendors. Weighing the benefits and costs of outsourcing can be extremely difficult. Usually key operational resources are already fully utilized. It is often hard to be objective internally given any cultural bias an organization may have. We can facilitate your decision making by fully assessing your needs, providing an objective analysis of internal capabilities and highlighting the critical risks and trade-offs required with outsourcing.
