Gartner Research

Best Practices, Trends and Issues in Alliance Development and Management

Published: 12 February 2001

ID: G0094912

Analyst(s): Christine Adams

Summary

This Focus Report is Gartner Dataquest's annual report on best practices in IT services alliance development and management. This year's study focuses on emerging alliance management models as well as general trends and issues in services partnering. In a departure from earlier years, Gartner Dataquest has elected not to rank individual alliance organizations, but rather to highlight new and innovative practices in alliance development and management based on information from both industry leaders and emerging growth companies. Gartner Dataquest believes this approach more accurately reflects the diverse business needs and activities surrounding alliances.

Table Of Contents
  • Executive Summary
    • Study Objectives
    • Methodology
    • Survey Population
    • Definitions
    • Major Findings
    • Dataquest Perspective
    • The Next-Generation Alliance Organization
  • Balancing Opportunity With Results
    • An Increasing Focus on Selectivity
    • Enduring, Strategic Relationships Are a Priority
    • The Volume of Alliance Building Shows No Signs of Decreasing
    • Dataquest Perspective
  • Organizational Commitment
    • Resource and Budgetary Commitments Are Lagging
    • Budgets Are Indicators of Commitment
    • Dataquest Perspective
  • Alliance Development and the Fit Factor
    • Collaborative Team Approaches Are Favored for Identifying Potential Partners
    • Formal, Collaborative and Systematic Partner Evaluation Processes Are Viewed As Essential
    • Dataquest Perspective
  • Making it Work: Emerging Alliance Management Practices
    • Implementation of Key Success Factors
    • Key Success Factor: Strong Relationship Management
    • Key Success Factor: Implementation Blueprints
    • Key Success Factor: Get it Right Upfront
    • Key Success Factor: Communications and Knowledge Management
    • Dataquest Perspective
  • Managing and Measuring Results
    • Market-Facing Measures Predominate
    • Return on Investment Is Nice Work if You Can Get It
    • Evaluation Frequency Varies
    • Portfolio Management ... Is Not
    • Dataquest Perspective
  • Recommendations
    • The Next Phase of Alliance Building — Operational Excellence
    • The Long-Term View — Value Optimization

©2021 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartner’s prior written permission. It consists of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization, which should not be construed as statements of fact. While the information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Although Gartner research may address legal and financial issues, Gartner does not provide legal or investment advice and its research should not be construed or used as such. Your access and use of this publication are governed by Gartner’s Usage Policy. Gartner prides itself on its reputation for independence and objectivity. Its research is produced independently by its research organization without input or influence from any third party. For further information, see Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity.

Already have a Gartner Account?

Log In

Purchase this Document

To purchase this document, you will need to register or sign in above

Register Now

Become a client

Learn how to access this content as a Gartner client.